----- Original Message ----- From: "gordon stelter" <lclgcnp@yahoo.com> To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: May 16, 2003 10:03 AM Subject: Re: Aeolian crap > Yes. Aeolian and American merged in 1930, after > Aeolian's factory burned. For many years operations > were moved to American Piano's massive factories in > East Rochester, New York, then spilled about the > country in the 70's and 80's, as the Japanese > onsluaght destroyed the American piano industry. > American had Chickering in their line since 1909. > Thump It was not the "Japanese onslaught" that destroyed the American piano industry. It was the American piano industry that destroyed the American piano industry. It was the conscious decision on the part of owners and management to let the factories fall into disrepair and for the machinery to receive only the most minimal maintenance and upgrading. To put the workers on unrealistic (but profitable) quotas and push production beyond the limits of reasonable quality. To refuse to upgrade the design and performance of obsolete products. And the list goes on. No, the Japanese only took advantage of a market handed to them on a silver platter. Del
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC