Yamaha Closings

Yamaha to Close Michigan, Georgia Manufacturing Facilities

Yamaha Corp. of America curtailed U.S. manufacturing on two fronts this week, announcing the end of operations of band instruments in the Grand Rapids, Mich., area the closing of its Thomaston, Ga., facility for pianos and audio speakers.

On Feb. 7, 190 workers at the Yamaha Band & Orchestral Division in Kentwood, Mich. (Grand Rapids) were told the company plans to move its manufacturing to Asia. Closing date for the Michigan facility, in operation since 1973, is scheduled for Apr. 27. YCA president Yoshi Doi, who flew in from corporate headquarters in Buena Park, Calif. to deliver the news and thanks the employees for their services. According to local news reports, union representatives have begun negotiating separation details.

Yamaha had relocated the headquarters of its Band & Orchestral Division from Grand Rapids to Buena Park in early 2003.

Also on Feb. 7, Yamaha issued a press release stating that the production facility in Thomaston, Ga. will cease operations as of Mar. 30 with nearly 200 employees being terminated by that date. Thomaston, which manufactured and assembled both pianos and audio speakers, was opened in 1979 and originally was used to assemble Electone organs. Acoustic piano assembly began in 1983.


-----


It's a scary trend to see yet another big manufacturer leaving the US. It's happening more and more.