It’s sad day in the Gandalfe house. :o(
Leblanc Clarinet Factory in Wisconsin to Shut Down
December 05, 2007: 11:08 AM EST
NEW YORK (Associated Press) – The Leblanc Inc. clarinet factory will shut down, cutting 100 jobs at what once was one of Kenosha’s best-known companies, its corporate owners said.
Conn-Selmer, Inc. said Tuesday production would be transferred to its woodwind factory in Elkhart, Ind., over the next 12 months. The subsidiary of Steinway Musical Instruments has owned Leblanc since 2004.
"This very difficult decision regarding Kenosha reinforces our commitment to remain a profitable U.S. manufacturer of band instruments," Steinway CEO Dana Messina said in a prepared statement.
Leblanc came to Kenosha after city native and instrument repairman Vito Pascucci visited the firm and befriended Leon Leblanc while serving in the military in France during World War II. At Leblanc’s invitation, Pascucci made Kenosha the U.S. base for Leblanc in 1946 and eventually bought the company.
While best known for its clarinets, the company grew to manufacture other types of band instruments, acquiring and developing factories elsewhere in Wisconsin. But declines in school music programs and the introduction of inexpensive imports instruments would cut into business.
The Pascucci family sold the company to Steinway for $36 million in 2004.
Conn-Selmer said that as a result of the plant closure, it expects to incur charges of $800,000 to $1 million over the next four quarters, including severance costs, preparation costs at the Elkhart plant and costs for relocation of machinery and inventory.
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