Fred Heuves scoops Lifetime Contribution at TPi Awards...
16th February 2010
Fred Heuves, co-founder of Ampco and founder of the Synco Europe Network, was handed the highest honour – the Lifetime Contribution Award – in last week’s prominent Total Production International (TPi) Awards at London’s Hammersmith Novotel.
It takes a special kind of person to keep alive the spirit of the pioneering early days of the live sound industry in the commercially challenging era of the 21st century, with an organisation that has grown to span the width of Europe, but Fred Heuves has done just that.
Fred retired last year as CMO of the Ampco Flashlight Group and founder of the Synco Europe Network, and was replaced last month as Synco Commercial Director by Dutch music entrepreneur Marcel Albers.
Fred began his career, like so many industry colleagues, working with local bands – in his case, in his native Utrecht in Holland in 1976. His first sound rental company, Protone, went on to forge a partnership with sales company Ampco, and in 1997 the two companies, along with lighting company Flashlight, were acquired by Dutch broadcaster NOB. Five years later, an MBO saw the new Ampco / Flashlight Group emerge as a major rental, sales, distribution and product development group employing 350 people in several European countries.
Fred was the inspiration behind the Synco Europe Network - bringing independent rental companies across Europe together to share equipment and expertise - RG Jones proudly represents Synco in the UK. The great Jah Wobble was very happy to present Fred with his well-deserved award, and the RG Jones team were honoured to be able to share that moment with him. Fred has a special blend of sociable, multi-lingual diplomacy, vision and negotiating skills – he is one of live sound’s true pioneers.