We regret to announce the sudden passing of Rob Limbaugh, long-time executive at Stillwater Designs (Kicker).
Limbaugh departed this life Friday while at home. Limbaugh first served as National Sales Director at Kicker, ultimately ascending to Director of Business Development and Vice President.
“He was an amazing visionary for the big picture,” said Kicker President and co-founder Steve Irby. “We will certainly miss his contributions, his viewpoints, and his insightful plans.”
Limbaugh started his audio career in 1975 at Pacific Stereo in Fresno, Calif. His passion for audio led him to be vice president at Linear Power for six years. After that he headed up Polk Audio’s car-audio division for more than a decade before joining Kicker’s sales team.
“Rob was always extremely sharp,” said Kicker Director of Global Supply Chain Greg Lew. “He loved going to soundoffs. He loved loud audio. He was witty, trustworthy, and a great friend – somebody you could chat with and challenge.”
Behind his famously dry wit and wry smile, Limbaugh was known to be a deep thinker and consistent voice among Kicker leadership.
“He had an amazing mind for seeing the overall plan,” recalled Kicker General Manager Jay Ralston. “He was an integral part of every major decision and had a gift for considering all the angles.”
Jim Warren, Executive VP of the Elite Distributor Alliance, the 12 volt distributor buying group said, “Rob was a dear friend. So very talented, witty, and incredibly bright. His passing is a loss for an industry and leaves a big hole in my life. Rob had a unique ability to capture and use data, while trusting his instincts providing valuable counsel and guidance. I will miss him, and our monthly hour long phone calls, very much.”
Limbaugh was instrumental in keeping Kicker relevant into the 21st century, playing an essential part of moving Kicker products into big-box retail and developing Kicker’s current UMAP (Unilateral Minimum Advertised Pricing) policy so dealers could grow their revenue.
Rob is good people, he will be missed for sure.
I first met Rob decades ago at CES when he worked at Linear Power and ultimately at the Kicker Booth. I had great respect for the man, his demeanor and knowledge was great. he was mild-mannered; a superman indeed and will be missed by many. Rest in Peace my friend, see you again one of these days.