[ Adapted from an article which appeared 8 December 1998
 [ in "Kurier", a nation-wide newspaper serving Austria.

Since the beginning of November a new conductor is waving the baton
at Boesendorfer, the renown Viennese piano manufacturer.  Rudolf Arlt,
55, has taken over under a favorable star, following the retirement of
Kenneth Blum.  Once again bright, happy sounds are heard from the
factory because the minor chords of previous years, when Boesendorfer
ended in financial distress, are becoming fewer.

Arlt even expects a slight profit for the business year ending 31 May
1999.  "With 300 instruments sold we'll have reached the break-even
point," he said.  The future plans are solid: to sell more pianos while
extending the quality of 170 years.

With 150 employees at Boesendorfer, Arlt wants to increase production
to 400 pianos annually, through renovated production lines as well
as strengthened marketing.  After all, before its big crisis at the
beginning of the 1990s, Boesendorfer sold up to 800 instruments each
year.

To be sure, in those years the image and prestige of the Boesendorfer
were proper and correct.  However, the discerning customer always wants
to pay less.  The cheapest grand piano of 1.7 meter length (5'-7")
costs today US$ 48,000; the most expensive version -- the 2.9 meter
(9.5') "Imperial" concert grand -- costs $107,000.  For one-of-a-kind
products there is no price limit.

Besides the American and Japanese markets, the home market in Austria,
and Great Britain, Germany, France or Benelux, Arlt wants new regions:
China, Australia and Latin America.  Local partners have already been
found for China and Australia.

The firm is presently conducting research toward a "revolutionary
new piano project", but Arlt doesn't want to say any more about it.
Boesendorfer is owned, since 1966, by Kimball International Corp.,
a manufacturer of office and hotel furniture based in Jasper, Indiana.

Visit http://www.bosendorfer.com/

Robbie Rhodes