Guild Moving to CT?? Have you seen this?

sunpowder

Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2005
Messages
134
Reaction score
2
Location
Chicago
Posted on the UMGF this morning:

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – (Jan 31, 2008 ) Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) announced today it will move production of Guild Guitars from Tacoma, Wash. to its newly acquired Ovation and Hamer Guitar manufacturing facility in New Hartford, Conn. The move will take place as a phased operational transfer, expected to be completed before the end of the year.

FMIC’s recent (Dec. 31, 2007) acquisition of Bloomfield, Conn. based Kaman Music Corp. also included the purchase of KMC’s Ovation and Hamer guitar brands, and their manufacturing facility in New Hartford, Conn. After closing the KMC acquisition, an extensive review of the Tacoma and New Hartford manufacturing facilities was conducted to determine the best long-term home for Guild production. The final decision to relocate Guild to New Hartford was driven by FMIC’s desire to improve overall production processes as well as meet the growing demand for Guild throughout the world.

“We are committed to moving forward in a strong and focused way to ensure that Guild instruments continue to meet the highest standards of quality, affordability and accessibility for our consumers,” said Bill Mendello, Chairman and CEO of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. “This decision will allow us to accomplish goals that we would otherwise not be able to meet in our Tacoma facility, while continuing our long-term commitment to manufacturing, world-class guitars in the United States.” Select Tacoma® brand guitar models will soon follow in the transition.

Approximately 70 Tacoma, Wash. based FMIC employees will be affected by the move throughout the year and will be provided with comprehensive assistance, including retention and severance packages, benefit continuation and outplacement services.
 

GuildFS4612CE

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2007
Messages
3,351
Reaction score
490
Heck, they'll move anywhere to boost the profit margin. :roll: :lol:

ALL the 'biggies' at NAMM had really cautious projections for the coming year....
 

dklsplace

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2001
Messages
3,325
Reaction score
0
Yeah.....just saw this. My first response; crap. :?
 

dklsplace

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2001
Messages
3,325
Reaction score
0
My second thought is wondering if this has any bearing on the "rumored" return of Guild electrics. Since the rumor of offshore electrics coming back into the US for finishing was something that was supposedly going to be announced at NAMM a year or more ago......maybe this has been in the works long enough to play a part in the delay?
 

GuildFS4612CE

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2007
Messages
3,351
Reaction score
490
bluegrass jubilee said:
"FMIC’s desire to improve overall production processes"

Chazmo said:
Holy crap! This cannot be good for Guild.

The usual reason to "improve overall production processes" is to increase output, along with cost reduction. They're moving Guild. Not discontinuing it...yet.

And the acquisition of Kaman WAS top secret...only 3 top execs involved..and time consuming...as all 'secrets' are. :roll:
 
J

jwsamuel

Unregistered
User deleted by their request
Well, this does get production closer to Westerly.

Jim
 

chazmo

Super Moderator
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
25,466
Reaction score
7,130
Location
Central Massachusetts
(and your Tacomas!)

Jane, you'll forgive me if I'm very skeptical about this... They're consolidating. Pure and simple. Having so recently moved production to Tacoma, and been working the kinks out there, I can't imagine this will be an easy move for the brand. THey had a real talent pool up at Tacoma. This is a real disappointment.
 

hideglue

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2005
Messages
1,019
Reaction score
38
Location
Connecticut
Hmm, I wonder if the few former Westerly Guild workers, who went to Hamer after the closing, will cross the hall and become Guild workers... again.
 

Tim

Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Messages
283
Reaction score
1
Location
Milwaukee
sigh...

"meet the growing demand for Guild throughout the world"

yeah...sounds like the move is to increase production.

Why dont they just stop jacking around and move back to westerly..
 

Jeff

Enlightened Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2006
Messages
5,990
Reaction score
4
Location
seattle
News must be doing wondrous things for morale at the Tacoma factory, I suspect their bottom line doesn't look good on a chart somewhere.

Corporate America does leave a few marks on the land.
 

Pike

Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2005
Messages
836
Reaction score
33
Why dont they just stop jacking around and move back to westerly..
Then we could have pre-Westerly Westerlys and post-Westerly Westerlys.
 

Mo

Junior Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2005
Messages
45
Reaction score
0
Location
IL
I go on record as saying FENDER Sucks!

This week they put away the Tacoma presses and molds and today they announce this.

Tacoma is a great plant, but I guess being in Conn gives them a marketing advantage? Any way to stretch that nickel. And to think that one time a Fender rep told me that they really were a "small" company. Gimmee a damn break.
 

chazmo

Super Moderator
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
25,466
Reaction score
7,130
Location
Central Massachusetts
Mo, I feel for you. I'm afraid this almost certainly spells the end of the Tacoma brand, if not the entire facility itself. :(
 

Jahn

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2007
Messages
1,932
Reaction score
64
Location
NYC
It really does feel like Fender is jerking Guild around. I was just getting into the whole Tacoma thing as a good step for thier US acoustics, and now this? Well as long as they never develop a plastic roundback D25 I'll be cool with it.

But yes, having Hamer that close does give hope for some Guild electrics...

I hope Tacoma acoustics will still soldier on. (edit - uh oh guess not from the "This week they put away the Tacoma presses and molds and today they announce this" quote? UGH!)

And yet another chapter for Hans' new book. Fender better settle down or that book will never get finished!
 

Mo

Junior Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2005
Messages
45
Reaction score
0
Location
IL
Tacoma will never be again from what I gather. The line may be re-designed and come back with a different name. WTF.

I have a friend at the factory and have been getting fed news about Tacomas, but he just told me this was a blow to the employees this morning!
 
Top