
Sumner Roy Selby,
Founder of Cardinal Sales
​
March 27, 1931 –
October 27, 2019
Our Story

The Legacy of Cardinal Sales
​
Founded in 1968 by Sumner Selby, Cardinal Sales was born from a vision to create a superior manufacturers' representative company. With experience at industry giants like GE and CBS, Sumner recognized the need for a more effective and customer-focused approach in the electronics industry.
​
In its early years, Cardinal Sales specialized in representing home audio and video brands that played a pivotal role in shaping the industry. Iconic names such as Pioneer, Hitachi, Maxell, Infinity, Akai, United Audio (DUAL), Pickering, and Ortofon were among the company’s esteemed partners.
​
By the late 1970s, Cardinal Sales expanded into the emerging 12-Volt category, working with brands like Jensen and Infinity Car Audio. Since 1985, we have proudly served as the Kenwood representative. Our commitment to the industry extends beyond sales—we have actively participated in leading 12-Volt associations such as MERA and IASCA and contributed to the MECP testing and certification process.
​
As the Custom Home Audio and Video sector gained momentum in the early 1990s, Cardinal Sales embraced this growing market by joining the CEDIA channel. Since then, we have remained deeply committed to advancing this segment, continuously evolving to meet the needs of our partners and customers.