In business for over 45 years, Qualiton is the oldest independent distributor of imported classical recordings in the U.S. Begun in the early 1960s by Otto Quittner. Qualiton started business by importing Hungarian LPs. Gradually, the distribution base expanded to include labels from other European nations such as England, Sweden and Italy. Although Qualiton was known for the first half of its existence as strictly a distributor of classical recordings, there was always a part of the catalog devoted to recordings of world music and other non-classical genres. When CDs were developed around 1983, Qualiton was one of the first suppliers (even before the major record labels) to make compact discs available to its accounts in sufficient quantities to satisfy the growing demand for this new carrier of recorded music. As the demand for CDs increased, Qualiton acquired more and more of the most distinctive and important European labels. Soon, Qualiton shed its image of being solely a distributor of imported recordings by acquiring a number of significant American labels, both classical and non-classical. Qualiton was one of the first distributors to have their catalogue available for down-load. The Qualiton catalogue is now well represented on all major down-load sites (including the Qualiton site). In the marketplace of the 21st century Qualiton continues its commitment to make the best music available to the U.S. customer. Qualiton has always been much more than merely a distributor. It has sought to increase each label's profile in the American market through innovative merchandising, productive publicity and wide ranging promotion. Recordings distributed by Qualiton are played over the airwaves by regional radio stations from Hawaii to Maine, in markets large and small and satellite radio. We have worked successfully in the past and continue to work closely with nationally broadcast radio programs covering many musical genres and styles. Qualiton continues to forge ahead, ever exploring new areas of the music industry and welcoming all types of challenges to achieve a strong presence in the U.S. market place.