On a sad note, London, which two hundred years ago boasted the world's largest concentration of piano makers, will no longer have a single piano manufacturer in the city.

2000

Schaff buys the American Piano Supply Company. Both companies were founded in the early 1800s, supplying the USA piano trade with felt and tools. The APSC was taken over in 1915 by the American Felt Company, and they went on to acquire other supply houses and tool manufacturers, including the Tuners' Supply Company of Massachusetts. In 1973 a 34,000 square foot modern warehouse was constructed. They became the world's largest piano supply house. Schaff has been in the family for six generations.

2000

October sees Steinway's launch of the new Essex line of pianos, an entirely new instrument with a lower tension duplex scale and a larger, tapered soundboard, with optimum placement of braces, ribs, and bridges and pear-shaped hammers. This new line was designed by Steinway's engineering team, headed by Susan Kenagy and the engineering team at Young Chang. This new line of pianos will be made at the Young Chang factories in Korea . The cabinetry will be Art Deco in style. Four models will be introduced initially, a 182 cm. and a 160 cm. grand, and a 111 cm. and 123 cm. upright.

2001

On Wednesday, May 30, 2001, Baldwin Piano & Organ Co. filed for bankruptcy under US Chapter 11, to allow them to regroup as a company. The reasons given were inventory excess and administrative expenses. On Thursday, May 31, the Nasdaq stock market halted trading in Baldwin shares as they closed at $2.15.

2001

On October 15th, Capital Corp., Baldwin's largest creditor, won the right to acquire the company for $17 million in an auction in federal bankruptcy court. Two companies have put in a bid to Capital Corp. for the Baldwin piano name, an investment group based in California and Gibson Musical Instrument Co., maker of Gibson guitars.

2001

On Wednesday November 14th, Gibson Guitar Corp. completed its purchase of Baldwin Piano & Organ Co., giving the guitar maker a brand name in the piano business. GE Capital was Baldwin's biggest creditor and had the right to sell the company under a bankruptcy agreement reached in October. Baldwin owed GE Capital just under $31 million. It is unknown at this moment what Gibson paid for Baldwin, but $17-$20 million could be the likely price.

2001

On November 15th, the Great American Group, Wholesale & Industrial Services, will be selling by order of US Bankruptcy Court the manufacturing equipment of Baldwin Piano & Organ Company USA. The sale will be held in Greenwood, MS.

2001

On Friday, December 21, 2001, Kimball put up Bösendorfer pianos of Vienna for sale. The company, which employs 230 workers, turned over $16 million last year. The Austrian BAWAG PSK Group purchased Bösendorfer, and the company is hoping to increase production from the present 500 to 800 grand pianos a year. If all goes to plan the contracts are to be exchanged in January 2002.

2002

December 9, 2002 "The Calisia Piano Factory in Kalisz has signed the first trade contract with recipients in China after a three-decade break," this is a trial run of ten pianos. Calisia is Poland's only piano maker. for more history on Calisia

2002

On Tuesday 17 December Bechstein announced that Samick is to take sixty percent of Bechstein shares in return for twenty-five percent of Samick's shares. In the first nine months of 2002 Bechstein's profits sunk around ten percent. It is hoped that Samick can use its large dealer network in the US to sell Bechstein pianos. Samick makes 45,000 pianos a year. It is possible that Samick will make a cheaper version of a Bechstein pianos, just as Steinway uses Young Chang to make their Boston piano range. Bechstein will also assist Samick in improving certain models. The Samick Company was originally established in 1958, in Inchon, South Korea. They have been buying up piano names such as Knabe, Kohler, and Campbell.