Layoffs at Conn Selmer Eastlake

[bisontuba]

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2020/08/ ... tlake.html" target="_blank

[bort]

Damn, that's tough. Writing was probably on the wall, but still...

[Three Valves]

What happens when no one goes to school.

[tbonesullivan]

At least they state it's "temporary", but if they don't need to build any instruments, hopefully they can now collect unemployment. Ugh what a mess.

[roweenie]

Isn't the facility that is laying off the one in Eastlake? I've never been to that one (Elkhart only), but I was under the impression that Elkhart was the "main" plant (Bach trumpets & trombones, etc.). I took the factory tour and it was quite impressive.

If they downsize in Elkhart, I think then they are really in trouble.

<sidebar> I've been to Anderson a few times, but was only permitted to survey the front office ....I assume they haven't replaced Mr Secrist yet?

[roweenie]

I was there 3 years ago and they were still building woodwinds in Elkhart (across the street from Anderson) at that time - even bassoons.

They had the marching brass and a stunning 40K sousaphone in the showroom, but I didn't see them being manufactured there (my guess is the large brass was made in Eastlake).

Also they still had the chime department with the nice old lady who tuned them....

[roweenie]

Yes - they also were making marimbas there....they showed us all the slabs of rosewood (?) they had and how they aged it, etc.

What I REALLY wanted to see was how the low brass was made, but I was not told how I could get a tour of the Eastlake facility....

(I have also heard rumors that some of the components that are used in production there (Eastlake) are not manufactured there, but I have no proof to substantiate that).

[BavarianFanfare]

Dear All:

That is terrible news to hear! I read the complete article.
They make really good instruments and I own quite a number of them that were made at their Elkhart and Eastlake facilities.
I hope each of those workers can get back to what they do as soon as possible. Personally speaking, I believe in supporting American craftsmanship and our people. I will continue to do so.

Stay safe...

Bavarian Fanfare

[jacojdm]

I was there 3 years ago and they were still building woodwinds in Elkhart (across the street from Anderson) at that time - even bassoons.

Also they still had the chime department with the nice old lady who tuned them....

Interesting...
Years ago (again: 1980's) that stuff (Bundy/Signet clarinets) was still built downtown in the old "Selmer" building.
Main Street, or some other street...??

I dunno where there the Lesher (Bundy) bassoons and oboes were built at that time.

These layoffs are in EASTLAKE, not ELKHART. There may have been (or will be) layoffs in Elkhart, too, but I haven't yet seen any news about that.

I was at the Eastlake plant earlier this summer to return a some sousaphones. The large number of empty spaces in the parking lot and the reduced office staff indicated to me that this might be coming.

I've been to Elkhart several times over the past decade or so. The current Selmer plant (I believe the former Armstrong plant) houses manufacture of Armstrong flutes, Selmer USA and Leblanc clarinets (along with alto and bass and contra clarinets, except for bells and necks which are made at the Bach plant across the parking lot from Anderson and the C-S offices), and Selmer USA oboes and bassoons. They're also unpacking the Selmer Paris and Yanagisawa instruments there. The Musser operations (including Chris, the "Chime Whisperer") were moved into this building a few years ago after closing the plant in Illinois. Melodic percussion instruments are currently manufactured in an area of the woodwind plant.

The Bach plant, aside from Stradivarius and TR200 type horns, is also assembling Conn and King trombones, and manufacturing Bach mouthpieces. The Glaesel shop in Cleveland was shuttered a few years back, and now the string instruments are warehoused/adjusted in a portion of the Bach plant.

Student line brass, marching brass, horns, euphs, and tubas are built in Eastlake.

[roweenie]

I was there 3 years ago and they were still building woodwinds in Elkhart (across the street from Anderson) at that time - even bassoons.

Also they still had the chime department with the nice old lady who tuned them....

Interesting...
Years ago (again: 1980's) that stuff (Bundy/Signet clarinets) was still built downtown in the old "Selmer" building.
Main Street, or some other street...??

I dunno where there the Lesher (Bundy) bassoons and oboes were built at that time.

These layoffs are in EASTLAKE, not ELKHART. There may have been (or will be) layoffs in Elkhart, too, but I haven't yet seen any news about that.

I was at the Eastlake plant earlier this summer to return a some sousaphones. The large number of empty spaces in the parking lot and the reduced office staff indicated to me that this might be coming.

I've been to Elkhart several times over the past decade or so. The current Selmer plant (I believe the former Armstrong plant) houses manufacture of Armstrong flutes, Selmer USA and Leblanc clarinets (along with alto and bass and contra clarinets, except for bells and necks which are made at the Bach plant across the parking lot from Anderson and the C-S offices), and Selmer USA oboes and bassoons. They're also unpacking the Selmer Paris and Yanagisawa instruments there. The Musser operations (including Chris, the "Chime Whisperer") were moved into this building a few years ago after closing the plant in Illinois. Melodic percussion instruments are currently manufactured in an area of the woodwind plant.

The Bach plant, aside from Stradivarius and TR200 type horns, is also assembling Conn and King trombones, and manufacturing Bach mouthpieces. The Glaesel shop in Cleveland was shuttered a few years back, and now the string instruments are warehoused/adjusted in a portion of the Bach plant.

Student line brass, marching brass, horns, euphs, and tubas are built in Eastlake.

Yeah, kinda what I said, but with more words.

Looking up "chime whisperer", I found this sad news:

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/chica ... &fhid=2043" target="_blank