OH Taxonomy
Don Getzen sure knew the history of the band instruments made in the mid-west! Don’s father was the plant manager for the Holton Company in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, his oldest uncle was the plant manager for the York Band Instrument Company in Michigan and at the same time his other uncle was the plant...
Lewis Brown joined the CG Conn Company in 1941 working in the band instrument assembly department. Less than two years later he was drafted to serve the United States during World War II. When he returned to Elkhart his job was waiting for him. He soon gained experience with the building of French...
DeDe Guth joined the customer service team at Yamaha’s band instrument factory in Michigan in 1980. There she learned first hand the company’s philosophy and attention to customer satisfaction. Ten years later she was offered a job in Elkhart, Indiana to work at the Gemeinhardt Flute Company, where...
Lillian Siegh played a vital role in the inner workings of NAMM for over 35 years! William Gard hired Lillian as a secretary in 1949 and for a time she was the office manager before becoming Mr. Gard’s executive secretary. She helped plan many of NAMM’s events and was instrumental in the parties...
Tim Cunningham worked for a trade show design company in the late 1960s for which NAMM was a client. William Gard, NAMM’s CEO at the time, offered Tim a full time job to oversee the show's special events and programs. Tim organized educational sessions for attendees with the same concept that NAMM...
Fred Salvador grew up in the music business. His grandfather opened a small music store for which Fred remembers working in as a small boy. Years later Fred joined the staff of the music wholesalers Harris-Teller in Chicago. Over the years Fred helped the company grow with his keen attention to...
Dick Schory had a very successful career as a composer and arranger of percussive music. With over a dozen albums as a musician and arranger and another 400 as a producer, Dick has made a significant contribution to music. Dick also worked for the Ludwig Drum Company as a sales and marketing...
Ed Harris purchased the Teller music wholesaler in Chicago during the 1960s. Along with his brother, Mike, Ed changed the name to Harris-Teller and expanded the company’s dealer base and product line. A few years later Ed established his own music publishing company, which sits across the street...
Craig Knudsen cut his teeth on the industry as many people who have come to service in leadership positions. He started working for the Wurlitzer Company during college. After graduating from Harvard Business School, he took a job with Yamaha and focused on increasing the number of music makers...
Richard O’Donnell was vice president of Yamaha Corporation of America at a very historic time in the company’s growth and development, the 1970s. Richard worked on several projects including managing the operations for the Everett Piano Plant in Michigan, which Yamaha purchased to expand its piano...