Experienced audio and lighting industry professional Ray Varela has joined the team at ADJ’s US headquarters in Los Angeles, CA. Bringing with him a wealth of experience, having spent almost 30 years working in the industry in a variety of sales, customer service and operations roles, Varela will provide sales support for ADJ’s customer base in Northern California and Nevada.
Varela began his career in 1993 when he joined ProSound and Stage Lighting in Orange County to work in their warehouse, pulling and shipping orders. His good work ethic and aptitude for logistics was soon recognized by the company and he was promoted to warehouse manager. Varela spent 10 years with PSSL, including a stint in sales, before moving to a position as customer service manager at Odyssey Cases. He then moved on to Sam Ash Music, where he spent 18 years as an operations manager, working on new store openings and renovations at locations all across the West Coast. In 2020, the pandemic-induced downturn in retail trade necessitated a move to Guitar Center, and his most recent role was working in sales with Antari.
“I’m very excited to be joining ADJ at what I think is an important time for the company,” states Varela. “I’ve seen the evolution of the ADJ line from a DJ-focused brand to a major player in the world of professional entertainment lighting from the outside and now, in my first few weeks, I’ve discovered what a great place it is to work. The new products being added to the ADJ range on an almost weekly basis are all strong and I know from experience that ADJ offers excellent after sales support. I’m looking forward to being a part of the company’s continued growth, representing ADJ in Northern California and Nevada, getting to know and supporting existing dealers as well as looking for new business opportunities. I’ve already made lots of new friends inside the company as well as at our vendors and dealers, and I’m looking forward to developing these relationships over the coming weeks, months, and years. I think the future is bright for ADJ, and I’m excited to be a part of it!”
Along with his extensive sales, customer service and logistics expertise, Varela also has a wealth of ‘on the ground’ experience of professional audio and lighting. From his early days at PSSL, he became friends with many industry pros who soon began to invite him out to work events at the weekends. From hanging line arrays at concerts, to running lights at some of the biggest clubs in downtown L.A., Varela has done literally everything there is to do, making him ideally placed to support ADJ’s dealers out on the road.
“Ray comes to ADJ with lots of valuable sales knowledge but also a ton of industry experience, which means he knows how to speak our customers’ language and what they need from a sales rep,” comments ADJ USA’s National Sales Manager Alfred Gonzales. “As ADJ continues to grow, particularly into the wide ‘mid-market’ of the production and rental sector, I’m confident that Ray is perfectly placed to support our customers in Northern California and Nevada. He’s a great guy, who brings lots of relevant expertise to the table and I’m sure he will quickly build strong relationships with both customers and our internal team, which is the solid foundation of ADJ’s business ethos.”
Varela joined ADJ last month and began meeting customers at the InfoComm trade show in Las Vegas. He is now busy traveling Northern California and Nevada meeting with ADJ dealers and looking for new business. Varela can be contacted at ray.varela@adj.com.
