Forté and GPA will end their partnership at the end of 2026, marking a major shift in the global AV integration landscape. As GPA loses its largest member, Forté is accelerating its transformation into a fully global workplace technology provider, with further acquisitions expected.
Integrator: Forté Outgrows GPA
Forté is leaving GPA, the global network of workplace technology and AV integration partners, at the end of 2026. The separation marks a significant shift for both organizations: GPA will lose its largest member, while Forté continues to expand its own international footprint, increasingly through acquisitions of former GPA partners.
GPA and Forté announced that they have mutually agreed to conclude their partnership effective 31 December 2026, allowing both organizations to focus on their respective strategic priorities and growth ambitions.
Since joining GPA in 2020 under its former AVI Systems brand, Forté has worked closely with GPA members to deliver multinational collaboration and audiovisual projects. The partnership enabled global customers to benefit from local expertise and service delivery across key markets. However, as both organizations evolved, their growth strategies increasingly diverged.
Different Visions for Global Expansion
The separation has been years in the making. GPA is built around a network of independent integrators, with members typically holding exclusive responsibility for their local markets while providing on-the-ground resources and support for global projects.
Forté, meanwhile, has steadily expanded beyond the traditional GPA model. Through a series of acquisitions, the Minnesota-based integrator has built its own international organization, including the acquisition of several GPA members. In effect, Forté has been creating a directly managed global footprint rather than relying on a partner network.
This strategy positions Forté alongside global integration heavyweights such as AVI-SPL and Diversified, while increasingly competing with technology service providers and managed services specialists including Ricoh and Econocom.
At some point, the two models became difficult to reconcile. GPA’s value proposition is based on a federation of independent local champions. Forté’s ambition is to become a globally integrated workplace technology provider with direct control over customer delivery and service operations.
Business Continuity Remains a Priority
Both organizations emphasize that the transition will be carefully managed. Existing projects, customer commitments and active engagements will continue to be supported through agreed transition arrangements.
For multinational customers, continuity is expected to remain the priority while both parties prepare for their post-2026 strategies.
Who Could Replace Forté?
The departure leaves GPA with a significant gap in its most important market. The United States remains the largest AV and workplace technology market globally, making Forté’s role within the network particularly valuable.
Several smaller US-based integrators may seek to replace Forte at GPA. Industry observers also speculate that companies such as Kinly could be interested, although Kinly itself has been building a broader transatlantic presence and pursuing its own global ambitions.
Regardless of the eventual solution, joining GPA as the lead North American partner would represent a substantial opportunity for any integrator seeking greater influence in the global enterprise market.
Forté’s Next Phase
Forté will need to establish direct coverage in markets that are currently served through GPA partners. However, the company appears well prepared for the transition. The move aligns closely with the vision of CEO and Chairman Jeff Stoebner, who has been driving the company’s international expansion strategy.
According to industry rumors, Forté is expected to announce a major acquisition in the APAC region in the coming weeks, further strengthening its global delivery capabilities.
The Managed Services Imperative
Going independent is a logical next step for Forté as the workplace technology market increasingly shifts toward managed services. The industry is moving away from project-based installations toward recurring service models focused on lifecycle management, monitoring and user experience.
As enterprise customers prioritize service outcomes over hardware ownership, traditional AV integration is becoming increasingly commoditized. Revenue growth is shifting toward long-term managed service contracts, cloud platforms and workplace technology operations.
To succeed in this environment, Forté requires deeper IT and managed services capabilities as it evolves beyond a traditional AV integrator. GPA’s federated model and its network of independent members no longer fully align with Forté’s direction, investment priorities and global ambitions.
After several successful years together, the decision reflects a simple reality: GPA and Forté have outgrown their partnership and are now pursuing different visions of the global workplace technology market.