[Harp-L] Hohner

[Steve Baker <steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Paul N. wrote:

<Does the Hohner family still own the Hohner Co.? If not, why did  
they sell out and to whom did they sell to?>

No, they no longer own it and there have been no Hohners at Hohner  
for over 20 years. Due to the fact that the Hohner family basically  
ruined the company through poorly judged investments and an allegedly  
luxurious lifestyle, they were forced out under the threat of  
imminent bankruptcy in the mid 1980s. I never met any of them and  
I've worked for Hohner since 1985. At that point the Deutsche Bank  
took charge and appointed ever-changing new mangements for about 15  
years with varying degrees of success. In the early 2000s the  
Taiwanese company KHS (a major player in the international musical  
instrument business) bought the majority of the shares. Now the  
company is once again on a stable footing and is still run from its  
traditional headquarters in Trossingen, Germany (where the World  
Harmonica Festival will take place for the 6th time since 1989 in  
only a few weeks),

Steve Baker
www.stevebaker.de
www.bluesculture.com