Following its recent acquisition of control system manufacturer RTI, AVPro Global is continuing a growth strategy that emphasizes engineering collaboration, dealer support, and long-term value. In a conversation with CE Pro, AVPro CEO Jeff Murray offered a statement, as well as plenty of insight into how RTI fits into the AVPro portfolio, why integration—not exclusivity—is the goal, and how the custom integration channel stands to benefit from this acquisition.
Reasons Behind Acquisition: RTI Integration Represents Natural Evolution Toward Control
AVPro has long been known for connectivity products, but Murray says stepping deeper into the control category was a logical extension of the company’s mission.
“We’ve always felt that if you’re in connectivity, you’re involved in control,” he explained. “Now we’ll be even more engaged in the final piece of the pie, which is what the customer actually deals with when they’re operating their system in their homes.”
RTI’s addition follows AVPro’s 2023 acquisition of AudioControl, which strengthened the company’s engineering resources and brought new audio solutions into the fold. With RTI, Murray says, AVPro adds more than just products—it gains a team of experienced engineers, trainers, and support staff that deepen the company’s bench.
Murray Sees No Disruption in Acquisition, Just More Tools for AV Integrators
While the deal adds capabilities, Murray emphasized that dealers should not expect major changes—especially when it comes to interoperability.
“There’s not going to be any exclusivities or anything like that,” he claims. “This just adds another tool to our toolbox”
Related News: AVPro Global Acquires RTI
RTI will remain a standalone brand under the AVPro Global Holdings umbrella, which also includes AVPro Edge, AudioControl, Bullet Train, and Murideo.
“Ultimately, they’ll be a brand under AVPro Global Holdings… it makes us stronger and more of a benefit to the dealers,” Murray added.
Real Value of Merger Lies in Engineering and Product Collaboration, According to CEO
The value of the deal, Murray says, lies largely in what the combined engineering teams will be able to do.
“We’re going to get better at doing drivers and plug-ins to connect to other devices,” he offers. “Our engineers are already talking, melding, figuring out things to do—how to make the products better, how to make things more efficient.”
He pointed to RTI’s updated Linux-based software platform as an asset that could be leveraged in future hardware. Though some product overlap exists—particularly in video—Murray says AVPro will evaluate the portfolio and look for opportunities to fill gaps.
“There’s also products out there that we don’t have that we want to get into on the hardware side,” he says.
Team Plans to Pull on Lessons Learned from Prior AudioControl Merger
Having gone through a similar acquisition with AudioControl, Murray says AVPro is taking a thoughtful, process-driven approach with RTI.
“We’ve learned to move slower but with purpose,” he says. “We vetted the engineering teams a lot harder this time.”
He added that system integrations, like migrating RTI to AVPro’s internal tools and processes, are already in motion.
“Right now we’re focusing on how do we make sure that the customer hopefully sees this as a transparent move and then we can go from there.”
Murray is confident the combined organizations will offer a stronger value proposition to dealers, especially those tackling large or complex systems. He also sees an opportunity to reach new dealers.
“We’re going to meet a lot of new dealers that are doing RTI that maybe aren’t experiencing AVPro Edge or AudioControl at this point… and we’d love to have the opportunity to talk to them.”
Murray Remains Focused on Long Game with Strategic Vision for AVPro
Despite the momentum, Murray stressed that AVPro remains a family-run company with a hands-on approach to support. The acquisition of RTI does make the company larger, but Murray says the company is committed to retaining its small-company approach to support.
As buying groups and manufacturers continue to invest in training, Murray sees a future where deeper partnerships and smarter products elevate the entire industry.
“All ships rise, in my mind,” he suggests. “If we keep solving problems for dealers, we all grow.”
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