I read with amusement this morning the rumor in Mike Walter's posting:

> The Story & Clark piano factory in Pennsylvania has supposedly been
> closed and most of the employees laid off.

After the _huge_ order of Story & Clark Pianos, Pianomation products,
and nickelodeons I placed at the NAMM show in Los Angeles just two
weekends ago, I picked up the phone this morning to call my very good
friend Sue Keefer, Vice-President of Story & Clark, to amuse her with
the rumor.

After a few minutes of chuckling, she asked me to respond back to the
forum and let everyone know that: a) Story & Clark are NOT closing!
b) they received record orders at the NAMM show; c) they are in fact
recalling some temporary help to keep up with production demand; and
d) orders and sales of the fabulous (my word!) Hampton Grand exceed
capacity to produce.

Streamlining operations and moving the roll division to Tampa, Florida,
has been in the works for months and months and months.  This is just
a smart business and economic move, although I agree it diminishes the
charm the old Buffalo factory carried with it.

In a day and age (and in recent postings) where we bemoan decline
of quality, over the past five years I've watched Story & Clark
consistently produce better and better consoles, studios and grands.
The Keefers (Ed and Sue) and Dolans (Dick and Tom) are committed to
maintaining the highest quality and best service and are producing
some of the finest instruments in the industry.

Enough of my 2-cents!

Thanks,

Gary Jones
Southeastern Music Gallery
Tuscaloosa, Alabama