Could this be one of the reasons we are starting to see all these quality control issues with Yamaha?
Yamaha Closes Two U.S. Manufacturing Facilities
Action Necessary to Ensure Yamaha's and its Retailers' Competitiveness and Continued Growth
BUENA PARK, Calif. Yamaha Corporation of America has announced the closing of two U.S. manufacturing facilities and will consolidate its musical instrument manufacturing operations in Asia. The closures are part of a long-term plan to enhance Yamaha's competitive position in an increasingly aggressive global musical products market.
The facilities, Yamaha Music Manufacturing, Inc. (YMM) in Thomaston, Georgia, and Yamaha Musical Products, Inc. (YMP) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, have ceased operations as of March 30 and April 27, 2007, respectively. These factories currently manufacture Yamaha's renowned line of acoustic pianos, professional audio speakers and woodwind, brasswind and percussion musical instruments.
Mr. Yoshihiro Doi, president, Yamaha Corporation of America, made the announcement to all employees and to those directly affected, with sadness and regret.
"We have worked long and hard together here in the U.S. to manufacture the world's finest musical instruments. I am proud of our people and their achievements, and I deeply appreciate their commitment and loyalty to Yamaha," said Doi. "I am equally grateful for the support of the local communities in which these plants have thrived for a combined sixty years of commitment here in the United States."
"We must take this action in light of market realities and new, fierce international competition," he added.
The closings have affected approximately 380 employees in the two locations. The company has provided the employees with a comprehensive separation package.
Yamaha will move its manufacturing operations to existing company-owned overseas facilities but remains committed to marketing and to continuing its traditional high level of service support to its products in the United States. Also, as part of this restructuring, Yamaha Exporting, Inc. (YEI) will be integrated into an exporting department of Yamaha's Operations Division, effective April 1, and the Band & Orchestral Custom Shop and parts will be relocated to Yamaha Corporation of America headquarters in Buena Park, California. YMP and YMM finished goods and warranty services will be relocated to other locations to be disclosed at a later date.
Mr. Doi says the musical products industry, especially in traditional instruments such as pianos, wind and percussion instruments, has become increasingly challenging due to the emergence of new, aggressive global competition, notably from manufacturers based in China. Additionally, many established competitors based in the U.S. have already shifted large portions or, in some cases, their entire production to sources outside the U.S.
The closures, he said, are being made with extreme reluctance, but are necessary to ensure Yamaha's and its retailers' competitiveness and continued growth in the musical products marketplace.
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Near the end of his statement Mr. Doi may have been referring to Mackie Inc. (and others) which have transferred all their manufacturing of products to China. And of course there are many more of U.S. and other companies worldwide that have done likewise. The reason they are doing it as Mr. Doi said is to be able to stay afloat in a very competitive market. But we the consumers are paying the price for all these products being made overseas and in third world countries. China is exploding on the economic front at a phenomenal rate but because it is growing at such a fast and furious pace many loopholes and shortcuts are most likely being taken and something has to give. One of the things that is suffering in the process is consistent quality control in my opinion. I think China has the most pervasive problem but by no means are they the only ones. Take Indonesia for instance..
But there is hope! For a fine example of extrodinary turn around take a look at Japan! Forty years ago when you referred to a product as being "made in Japan" it meant something cheaply made and at the bottom rung of what one would consider of good quality. Fast Forward to today and it is the complete opposite for products made in Japan.
But in the meantime with these other countries such as China and/or Indonesia etc., we will unfortunately have to suffer through these various ordeals with quality control issues until they do a similar turnaround like Japan did. With China it will probably take a good ten to twenty years to straighten things out and probably a similar timeline with Indonesia and some of these other third world countries. Buying products that are made in these countries today is kind of a pay and pray approach where you spend your hard earned money and hope you will be buying something worthy of the products price and that it works according to spec.
As we have seen though a lot of times that's not the case unfortunately.
Best,
Mike
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