Audio Acoustics is a complete professional audio, video and communications supplier. We began as a Mood (formerly Muzak) franchise installing business music systems and providing commercial intercom and paging systems. We expanded to include professional audio and video, nurse call systems, and a number of related electronic systems for business. Our history with both Mood and Fitzhugh span many years and many counties in Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas.

As you can see in the timeline below, Audio Acoustics and Fitzhugh Mood franchise aren’t strangers. In 1962, Vernon Fitzhugh and Jack Skaggs, as partners, purchased the Springfield, Missouri Mood (formerly MUZAK) franchise and changed the company name to MO-ARK Sound. In 1968, Fitzhugh and Skaggs decided that Vernon would keep the MUZAK franchise in Arkansas and Jack would own the Missouri franchise, later changing the name to Audio Acoustics, Inc.

April 1, 2020, Jack Skaggs was pleased to again acquire ownership of the Mood Media franchise from Vernon Fitzhugh’s son and grandson, still operating as Fitzhugh Communications, Inc. While Jack is now enjoying a well-earned retirement, for us acquiring the western Arkansas Mood franchise feels like coming home.

We are excited to welcome all former Fitzhugh Mood customers to the Audio Acoustics family and invite you to read over our long history of bringing our customers the best audio, visual and communication needs.

MUZAK / Mood Media History

in Southern Missouri and Western Arkansas

1957

Vernon Fitzhugh applied for one of the first MUZAK franchises in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Within a few years he sold the Fayetteville franchise and purchased the Fort Smith area MUZAK franchise. He invited Jack Skaggs, owner of a small TV repair shop, to join him and soon Jack purchased an interest in the business from Vernon. Together, they both bought back the Fayetteville MUZAK franchise.

1959

Jim Saunders Music Company became the MUZAK franchise in Springfield, Missouri. Jim Saunders had been operating as an independent background music company. Jim Saunders continued as a MUZAK franchisee until November 1962.

1962

In November 1962, Vernon Fitzhugh and Jack Skaggs, as partners, purchased the Springfield, Missouri MUZAK franchise from Jim Saunders and changed the company name to MO-ARK Sound.

1968

In 1968, following a brief sale of the business to a third party—which did not work out—it was decided that Vernon would keep the MUZAK franchise in Arkansas and Jack would own the Missouri franchise. Since November 1, 1968, the Springfield, MO franchise has operated as Audio Acoustics, Inc. a Missouri corporation owned by Jack and Cecille Skaggs.

1970

Audio Acoustics purchased the Joplin, Missouri MUZAK franchise, and this area became part of the Springfield franchise. During the years following, the remaining counties in southwest Missouri, nine counties in southeast Kansas, and a few counties in northeast Oklahoma became part of the Springfield MUZAK franchise.

1983

Farr Communications, the MUZAK franchise in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, was taken over by a bank. In an unusual situation, the bank continued to operate the business. But to satisfy tax liens, the IRS contacted all the customers demanding that monthly music payments be made directly to them. The bank then sold the assets of the business and customer base to Audio Acoustics, but without the MUZAK franchise, which they did not own. The bank then satisfied the IRS and MUZAK granted Audio Acoustics a new franchise for southeast Missouri. The result was that along with a few counties in Arkansas, Audio Acoustics now covered all of Southern Missouri from the Mississippi River west into southeast Kansas and northeast Oklahoma.

1985

The MUZAK franchise in Beaumont, Texas was purchased. While administration and support are provided from our Springfield office, it remains a separate franchise operated as Beaumont Business Music, Inc.

1994

The Lake Charles, Louisiana MUZAK franchise was purchased and combined with existing Beaumont, Texas franchise. Both continue to be operated out of Springfield, MO with a branch facility in Beaumont.

2008

Leadership was officially passed to the second generation by naming Jack’s son-in-law, Jon Baker, as President of Audio Acoustics.

2014

MUZAK merged to form Mood Media Corporation, becoming the world’s largest provider of business music, digital signage and related audio and video business solutions.

2015

On October 1, 2015 Audio Acoustics added five counties in Arkansas by purchasing the Mood Media franchise from Tempo Sound in Harrison, Arkansas.

April 1, 2020

Jack Skaggs, the founder of Audio Acoustics, Inc., was pleased to again acquire the Mood franchise from Fitzhugh Communications, Inc. This adds Benton, Crawford, Franklin, Howard, Johnson, Logan, Madison, Montgomery, Polk, Scott, Sebastian, Sevier and Washington counties in western Arkansas and Adair, Haskell, Latimer, LeFlore and Sequoyah counties in Oklahoma.

And the journey continues…

Our Mood franchises now service nearly 5,000 customers in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana. We offer many music formats, digital signage, video systems and programming, in-store and on-hold messaging, scent services, and drive-thru systems, along with quality sound systems.

To best serve former Fitzhugh Mood customers, we have established a satellite office in Fort Smith, Arkansas for you to reach out to us at any time.
Learn more about our Mood services.
mood@aaius.com
P 479-668-0900