Update: September 26, 2023. Reports are circulating that Moog Music is cutting manufacturing jobs at its US headquarters in Asheville and moving the majority of its synth production to Taiwan.
The Asheville Citizen Times says that it’s spoken to several current and ex-workers who’ve confirmed that around 30 employees were laid off last week following a cull of more than a dozen people after Moog Music announced that it was being acquired by InMusic in June 2023.
One of Moog’s big selling points has always been that its synths were built at its Asheville base, but if the sources are to be believed, most of them will now be manufactured in Taiwan. The Asheville Citizen Times says that it’s tried to contact local and corporate staff and spokespeople but hasn’t received any replies.
June 13rd news arrived that Moog Music joins InMusic, home of (a.o.) Akai, Alesis, Denon, Rane. Quite some arguing followed: would this be good for Moog and its products, and even more important: musicians using Moog gear.
Joe Richardson’s (Moog Music president) statement
This is what Joe Richardson, President of Moog Music, said: “To our friends, artists, partners, collaborators, and community: It is my pleasure and privilege to bring you the exciting news that Moog Music has joined the inMusic family. With its diverse roster of innovative companies across the music technology space, inMusic is known for its dedication to developing quality performance and production instruments for musicians across the globe. We are thrilled to join this group of talented, like-minded people who support our mission as we continue to design and build the world’s best-sounding electronic musical instruments. Devoted to maintaining the sound, quality, and manufacturing philosophy that Moog is known for, inMusic is able to offer solutions to support the areas that have been ongoing challenges for our company as a small manufacturing business. This new partnership will enable us access to inMusic’s efficient global distribution and supply chain network while providing inMusic and its affiliated brands with deep expertise in analog synthesis. With product development continuing to be led by Steve Dunnington, a long-time Moog engineer and former student of Bob Moog, we are proud to keep engineering, designing, and building instruments in our hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, USA.Our new partners at inMusic, based in Cumberland, Rhode Island, will bring an extraordinary wealth of knowledge and experience to help bolster our efforts and build upon our 70-year legacy. The recent conversations that I’ve had with inMusic CEO Jack O’Donnell have been inspiring, to say the least. Jack shared with me the stories of his first synthesizer, a Moog modular system, and the impact this instrument and Bob’s vision have had on his career. We had the opportunity to host Jack at the Moog factory recently and share with him the passion and dedication our small team brings to our work daily. We are excited to introduce you to the many innovative hardware and software instruments our team has on the horizon. This partnership with inMusic will allow us to reach new communities and continue to push the boundaries of music technology. Finding a partner that honors our values, mission, and legacy is a great boon for our company and community. The future is bright for Moog and the incredible community that has embraced our instruments and all we stand for. We’re grateful for your loyalty and support along the way, and we can’t wait for you to see (and hear) all that’s ahead. Sincerely, Joe Richardsonm, President, Moog Music