musicto your ears - Cavalieri Finishing

STEINWAY & SONS
MUSICTO YOUR EARS
Bruce Stevens of Steinway & Sons decribes to Staci Davidson why the its world-famous pianos
are valued above all others in the music industry for their quality and craftsmanship.
S
uously worked to perfect the design of the instrument, and over
time, the company has obtained more than 120 design patents.
While its competitors make more than 250,000 instruments annually, and Steinway holds the knowledge and skill to create the
best in the industry, it limits production because each Steinway
piano is handmade with its own special, distinguished characteristics. In fact, in its entire history, the
company has created only a total of BRONZE CRAFT
555,000 pianos.
Bronze Craft is honored to be
a major supplier of brass
“Since the late 1880s, the modern
castings to this world-class
piano is considered the Steinway
company. From top managepiano,” Stevens says. “Their touch
ment to the individual craftsand sound are unique.”
man on the plant floor, it has
Steinway sells its products from
been privileged to work closely with an organization that
its retail stories in New York, Lonencourages new and innovadon, Berlin, Hamburg and Munich
tive ideas and processes, and
and select U.S. dealers. The company
remains committed to produchas established several dealerships
ing the highest quality prodin mainland China, making Stein - ucts in the industry.
▲
TEINWAY IS A WORLD ICON,” says Bruce
Stevens, president and CEO of Steinway & Sons.
And he is not exaggerating. The Steinway piano
is known around the world for its design and
craftsmanship, and is described as having “a
sound with soul.” With only about 15 competitors, Steinway has stayed with its focus on
quality, not quantity, to set itself apart.
Steinway & Sons was established in 1853 in New York City.
Henry Engelhard Steinway and his sons began the company after
they had learned the trade from working in several piano-making
factories in New York City. Through the years, the company passed
to the sons of each generation. Although the company is now
publicly held, Henry Z. Steinway, part of the fourth generation in
the business, still acts as a company consultant.
In the mid-1880s the company expanded its operations by open ing a German branch. Steinway & Sons has two factories that hand craft the pianos, one in Hamburg, Germany, and one in New York
City, making about 5,000 pianos a year. Craftsmen have contin -
US BUSINESS REVIEW AUGUST 2001
STEINWAY & SONS
“The concert pianist is the best research and development there
is,” he adds. “They are very discriminating, tough customers. We are
thought of so highly, quality drives our whole being.”
The company’s pianos are so valued and well-recognized that the
company can boast a roster of over 900 prominent concert artists
and ensembles around the world that are entitled Steinway Artists.
These artists and ensembles are not paid to endorse the pianos, but
have chosen on their own to perform professionally with only a
Steinway. Over the years, these artists have included legends like
George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Richard Wagner, Igor Stravinsky,
Sergei Rachmaninoff and John Philip Sousa; contemporary stars
Billy Joel, Herbie Hancock, Randy Newman, Ramsey Lewis, Van
Cliburn and Harry Connick, Jr.; as well as the ensembles the
American Piano Quartet, the Peabody Trio, the Quartetto Beethoven
di Roma and The Schrade Family.
▲
STEINWAY IS VERY PARTICULAR in how its products are made.
Having implemented a constant quality control process, each piano
can take almost a year to create. The pianos have a quality touch and
sound, and are tested in a living laboratory with great artists. “Every
instrument is made the exact same way and the exact same process,”
Stevens says.
Although Steinway is best known for its pianos, it also has a
division that makes band instruments, stringed instruments and
“IT IS RARE TO HAVE ANY PRODUCT THAT
percussion instruments, including flutes, oboes, bassoons, trumpets, violins, cellos, violas, marching drums, concert drums, xyloCONJURES THE SAME MEANING THROUGHOUT
phones as well as many other instruments and accessories. These
instruments are manufactured at facilities in Indiana, Ohio,
THE WORLD.” BRUCE STEVENS
Arizona, North Carolina, Illinois, as well as components coming
way the first western company to do this. “Steinway was one of the from suppliers in Europe and Asia. Although the company was
first American companies to go global in terms of the marketing privately held by the Steinway family for most of its history, it went
structure and distribution,” says Leo Spellman, director of adver- public in 1996, listed on the New York Stock Exchange as LVB.
tising and public relations.
Steinway & Sons not only has dedicated customers, but it also has
With such a reputation for quality, the company has grown to dedicated employees. The average tenure of employees at Steinway is
make $182 million a year worldwide. The Steinway line of pianos is about 15 years, and just as the company has been passed down
now the most profitable line dealers sell. Owners are dedicated to through the generations, it is common for the company’s craftsmen
their Steinways, and are willing to pay the price, which starts at and other employees to get their families involved in the business.
around $33,000 for a baby grand and goes to more than $86,000 for With more than 700 employees at its New York facility, it has become
a concert grand. With its famed piano “bank” in the basement of the one of the largest manufacturing
CAVALIERI
company’s Steinway Hall, which is across the street from Carnegie employers in the city. The company
FINISHING CO.
Hall, the company holds its inventory of 300-plus pianos and sells has almost 1,200 employees world- Cavalieri Finishing Co. serviceach one. A record is kept of every Steinway piano made, including wide. “Ours is a story about people,” es furniture and instrument
manufacturers with customits serial number, the day it was completed, its style, who crafted it, Stevens says. “The people enjoy what
specified finishing. The comand where and to whom it was sold. In recent years, the company they do and the product is elegant to
pany’s 18 years of experience,
has even expanded to offer pianos under new lines, such as the look at.”
spent exclusively developing
Boston Piano Company, the Essex and the Crown Jewel line.
Steinway & Sons is certain to stay
the processes used for applyIn addition to expanding its product offerings with new lines, the on its path of success in craftsmaning polyester and polyurethane finishes, makes it one of
company has acquired subsidiaries to help it in production. In ship by keeping with the company’s
recent years, Steinway has purchased a U.S. piano plate manu- foundation. For the future, the com- the most knowledgeable companies in its field.
facturing company, a large keyboard maker in Munich, and Kluge, pany has a strong understanding of
Its particular expertise is in
one of the finest keyboard makers in Germany. The company is in its core competencies and plans to
the application of polyesters.
its fifth year of running a subsidiary in Japan.
develop new business as well as Steinway & Sons, the world’s
foremost piano manufacturer,
The Steinway piano is regarded as the best of the best by the grow through acquisitions
requested Cavalieri Finishing
industry, including the most accomplished piano players. Accord “We are not looking to build the
Co. to provide the finishing for
ing to the company, 98 percent of all piano soloists in major orches- most or hit price points,” he adds. “Our
the newly designed, limited
tras around the world use Steinways, and it has the highest cust- core mission is to build the best piano,
edition Tricentennial Piano
omer satisfaction rating in the industry.
and this is also our philosophy.” ■
project.
Published by Schofield Media Ltd. Tel: 312.236.4090 Fax: 312.236.4266
On behalf of Steinway & Sons © 2010 Schofield Media Ltd. All rights reserved.