OCT. 2 | PIANODISC | FIRE
Fire at PianoDisc Headquarters (Update)

PianoDisc is planning and carrying on business as (nearly) usual five days after a fire destroyed approximately 60 percent of its headquarters in Sacramento, Calif. Fire investigators and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are conducting investigations into the cause of the fire.

Among the ruble was about 100 grand pianos, most of which were owned by other manufactures and dealers. PianoDisc management is currently looking at several locations to conduct temporary business, while they consider plans either to rebuild at the current site or build a new building altogether. PianoDisc is working closely with its insurance carrier, The Hartford Company, to determine the extent of damages for the claim.

PianoDisc player systems continue to arrive from the company’s offshore manufacturing facility in Asia. According to company spokesman Tom Lagomarsino, although about one month’s worth of inventory was lost in the blaze, a container of PianoDisc product arrived hours after the fire and was delivered to an alternate location. They company will begin shipping product this week, and other containers of product are in transit and due to arrive in 7–14 days.

The company hopes to have the Sacramento installation facility up and running in a few weeks. Until that time, more than 800 trained and certified piano technicians will pick up the installations. Alternative installation centers, like Keyboard Carriage East in Elizabethtown, Ky., are available to handle multiple PianoDisc shipments and installations.

Management hopes to have PianoDisc’s Web site back online soon, but phone, fax and company e-mail is operational, and according to Lagomarsino, PianoDisc product is being ordered in record numbers.

Lagomarsino also reports that PianoDisc inventory in Asia and Europe exists to meet market demand in those respective markets and that manufacturing is being speeded up to meet the domestic market demands in North America, as well.

Unaffected by the fire were the company’s network servers, where much of the company’s software, intellectual property and other information are stored. “We are really thankful that our administration department, including accounting, I.T., materials and purchasing, along with sales support and music software production, were not harmed by the fire,” said Gary Burgett, co-owner of PianoDisc. Across the country, the Mason & Hamlin piano company, located in Haverhill, Mass., and owned by PianoDisc, is also unaffected by the fire and operating at record manufacturing levels.

“While this is an unfortunate set-back, it will not affect our manufacturing facilities in Asia, our piano factory in Haverhill, Mass., or our distribution center in Europe,” Lagomarsino said. “Our North American distribution network is also in tact, and we are working closely with our dealers and customers to ensure delivery during the busy fall and winter season. We are moving forward and have the resources in place to continue our business as usual.”

PianoDisc will continue to issue follow-up statements as additional information
becomes available.

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