BY MARILYN ODENDAHL, Truth Staff
modendahl@etruth.com
ELKHART -- After more than 100 years in the Blessing family, the musical instrument maker E.K. Blessing has a new owner that emphasized a resolve to maintain and expand the operation in the band instrument capital.
Verne Q. Powell Flutes, based in Massachusetts, has acquired Blessing, 1301 W. Beardsley Ave., for an undisclosed amount. The Powell company is already looking for a bigger building and working on buying new equipment for the local factory, said Steven Wasser, owner of Powell Flutes.
"We are committed to the Elkhart area," he said. "We have plans to invest in the business and grow the business."
In turn, Blessing could help Powell grow its presence in the brass instrument market. Three years ago, the company introduced the Sonaré trumpet and had been working with Blessing to develop a trombone under the same name. Wasser outlined plans to move the Sonaré manufacturing from facilities in Germany and Taiwan to Elkhart and eventually broaden the offerings to include a complete line of brass horns like Blessing.
The Elkhart company now has about 20 production workers. Although Wasser doubted the expansion would double the payroll, he does expect to make a "significant increase" in employment.
"One of the reasons that we have a commitment to expand our facility in Elkhart is the infrastructure of skilled workers," he said.
Powell's arrival comes weeks after the bitter three-plus year strike at the Vincent Bach plant ended, sidelining many experienced instrument makers. It also comes during a time when the city has watched its instrument manufacturers shutter plants and struggle against foreign competition.
"It's the right thing at the right time," said Randy Johnson, the fourth generation of the Blessing family to own and operate the company. "It makes a fantastic opportunity for Blessing."
Noting that Blessing has improved the quality of its horns in the past year and a half, Wasser said Powell will focus on making some design changes and aggressively marketing the product. He anticipates improving Blessing's bottom line by building its export business and introducing the brand into Sonaré's dealer network.
"A 100 percent increase in sales over the next two years is completely reasonable," he said.
Powell's track record with its Sonaré trumpet was praised by Dean Foster, president of Pro Winds musical instrument retailer in Bloomington. The flute company first researched what modifications trumpet players were making to their horns after purchase and incorporated some of those adjustments into its model. Since being brought onto the market, Sonaré has garnered endorsements from prominent musicians and ensembles.
"I think Blessing is a nice addition for Powell flutes," Foster said. "It should fit nicely into their current product lineup."
Wasser explained his recipe for attracting buyers is to make the flutes and brass horns domestically.
Powell builds advanced student and professional models and concedes the entry-level instrument market, where price is king, to other manufacturers who usually outsource production to Asia. With flutes that cost upwards of $40,000, Powell must build a quality instrument and to do that, Wasser said, it has to keep production in the United States.
Also, Wasser said, quality goods made in the U.S.A. have "tremendous potential worldwide," possibly enabling the company to capture a larger market share.
Foster agreed, noting he is seeing a trend toward American-made products.
Powell was founded in 1927. Wasser bought the company in 1986 and started Sonaré Winds in 2002.