SME Acquires Garrard Audio
SME Limited Buys Legendary Turntable Manufacturer Garrard Audio
In May 2018 SME Limited announced that it had purchased Garrard Audio from IGB Gradiente S.A. of Brazil, which had acquired the brand name in 1979. SME also announced it had acquired a second British company, Loricraft Audio, who are famous for their support and restoration of the legendary Garrard 301 and 401 transcriptor turntables and the production of the highly respected 501 and 601 models.
I have to say that I was a little surprised with these two SME acquisitions. While the Garrard turntables were excellent for their time and even today can provide very good performance if well maintained, there are many designs that match and exceed the technical performance of these models. SME even manufactures its own range of excellent turntables. Obviously Garrard and Loricraft has something that SME wants! Their reputation for excellence in engineering that matches their own.
Just a little historical background about these two companies:
Crown Jewelers Gerrard & Co. of London formed Garrard Engineering and Manufacturing in 1915. This famous British brand produced a range of renowned idler wheel turntables from the 1950’s through to the 1980’s, moving to Swindon, Wiltshire by the end of 1920. Their name is synonymous with some of audios most iconic turntables to include the 301 and 401 transcription models. The company was sold to Plessey in 1960 and and then to Gradiente Electronics of Brazil in 1979. Research and development continued in Swindon until the mid-90’s after which the company closed down.
Founded by Terry O’Sullivan in the town of Lambourn, West Berkshire, England, Loricraft Audio have been using the Gerrard brand name under license from Gradiente since 1997. This small group of dedicated engineers and enthusiasts have been servicing, refurbishing, producing plinths, upgrades and accessories for the 301 and 401 turntables for over 30 years. They also developed and manufacture the 501 and 601 turntable models and high quality record cleaning machines.
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