Klarinet Archive - Posting 000371.txt from 1996/08

From: Daniel Miller <dm@-----.COM>
Subj: Boosey buys Rico
Date: Mon, 12 Aug 1996 17:35:58 -0400

Some interesting news for all woodwind players:

Boosey & Hawkes (owner of Buffet) has just made public their purchase of
Rico (Hemke, Mitchell Lurie, Rico Royal, LaVoz, Grand Concert plus several
other brands). I know they have been working on this deal for some time.
Apparently 16 other companies were in the bidding war, including many
familiar names. Rico is quite a profitable company, making somewhere
around 35 million reeds a year. It has been a closely held family-owned
business for many years; this is a dynamic shift.

My understanding is that the business will be run as usual, with no major
changes coming at any time soon. One exception: a few "super reed"
projects may be introduced into the market within the next year. Rico has
pumped tons of money into agriculture and their plantations over the past
several years, so I would expect they have developed the ability to produce
excellent cane.

Boosey is a smart company, run by smart people. I believe they will do an
excellent job. Only time will tell.

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