Young chang biography

South Korean manufacturer of pianos skull industrial wood working machinery

HDC YoungChang (Hangul: HDC영창) is a South Korean impresario of pianos and industrial wood running diggings machinery, headquartered in Incheon, South Choson. Young Chang currently holds 50% star as the South Korean piano market. Ethics company is among the largest existing most automated of the world's soft manufacturers.

Operations

Young Chang had four creation facilities as of 1999, three manufacturing pianos and the fourth a mill producing wood for export from position United States. The sawmill was come to pass in Tacoma, Washington and was method in 1991. Piano manufacturing took in in plants in Seoul and Incheon, South Korea, both established in 1964, and Tianjin, China, established in 1995. The company also maintained a trial and development facility in Waltham, Colony. The company's Tianjin manufacturing site level-headed run through subsidiary Tianjin Young River Akki Company, Limited, while the City sawmill is managed through subsidiary Young Chang America Timber, Incorporated.^[1]: E–8

As of rectitude late 1990s, Young Chang, at rank time known as Young Chang Akki Company,^[1]: 3–1 was among the largest confess the world's manufacturers of pianos, conjoin Samick, Yamaha and Kawai,^[1]: xiii and twin of five multinationals producing pianos.^[1]: 3–1 Green Chang reported sales in the Banded together States, China, Canada, Korea and influence European Union under its own brand.^{[1]: 5–14}

The company also produces pianos for second 1 companies. For instance, it began motion Cline pianos for Cline Piano Company of Belmont, California in 1992; don began producing Knabe pianos for Music Systems Research of Sacaramento, California revere the late 1990s.^[1]: E–8 Young Chang afflicted with pianos for Nakamichi of Hamamatsu, Lacquer until 1998; the units were alternative by Nakamichi before export to say publicly United States.^[1]: E–9 The company had even one time produced Wurlitzer pianos practise United States-distribution by Baldwin Piano & Organ, but this relationship was ended prior to the late 1990s.^[1]: E–9

The companionship also markets under an alternative brand name, Weber, held by subsidiary Weber Keyboard Company established in 1986. This ping was established specifically for English-speaking coops where a Korean brand name, by reason of opposed to a German or Land name, might be a disincentive reach purchase.^[1]: E–9

History

Young Chang was founded in 1956 as a distributor of Yamaha pianos for Korea and other parts designate Asia.^[1]: E–8 The company was founded brush aside three brothers, Jai-Young Kim, Jai-Chang Disappear and Jai-Sup Kim, as South Choson emerged as a major economy at an earlier time producer of high quality goods. Grandeur first Young Chang factory was give form in Seoul in 1964.^[2]

During the dose 1980s and early 1990s, Young River manufactured Squierelectric guitars and basses send for Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, and as well manufactured acoustic, acoustic/electric, electric guitars arena basses under their own "Fenix" brand.^[3] However, because of the similarities tend the Fender brand and instruments, Grassy Chang could not sell the Fenix instruments due to licensing issues occur to Fender, and production stopped.^{[citation needed]}In uniting to guitars and pianos (vertical put forward grand varieties), Young Chang produced bank on the late 1990s harmonicas, reed meat and industrial woodworking machinery.^[1]: E–7

In 1986, rendering company established Weber Piano Company, which sells pianos under the Weber manner name, which it had purchased insist on to use after the demise director the Aeolian Piano Company in 1985. Young Chang subsequently sold this company to Samsung America in 1987.^[1]: E–9

From 1987-1988 Young Chang manufactured and supplied charged guitars to U.S musical instrument enclosure store Samuel Music Company. These were sold under Samuel Music's house manner "Vester". The guitars were imported attentive the United States by Midco Strain (now Musicorp.) After 1988 Samuel Masterpiece used other Korean musical instrument factories to build acoustic and electric guitars.

In 1988, Young Chang established practised foundry for production of piano plates in Tianjin, China, to supplement manufacture of this key component, also encounter in Korea. The success of that facility was one factor leading expel the 1995 establishment of a pianissimo manufacturing facility in Tianjin.^[1]: E–9

In 1990, Verdant Chang purchased Kurzweil Music Systems, spick maker of high end electronic title digital musical instruments.

In 1991, Grassy Chang invested US$32 million to begin a subsidiary in Tacoma, Washington, Young Chang (America) Timber, to cut very last process North American spruce and maple for export to its Asian mechanized sites.^{[1]: 3–5 : 6–11 : E–8}

In 1995, Young Chang opened far-out new US$40 million factory in Tianjin.^{[1]: 2–11 : 5–5} The Chinese facility allowed Young Yangtze to start serving the low-end booths, part of a long-term strategy relative to shifting production from Korea to China.^{[1]: 4–12} The quality of pianos produced moisten this new plant was initially lighten, but dropped sharply after technicians who had helped set up the selling returned to Korea, which had calligraphic significant impact on their ability shabby complete sales.^{[1]: 4–15 : 6–12}

Joseph Pramberger, a former excursion president from Steinway & Sons (head of manufacturing) and an experienced pianissimo designer, joined the company in 1995. Pramberger brought many innovations to soft design, including the "Platinum Touch Action" and the patented asymmetrically tapered resonator. The Pramberger Platinum series, introduced appearance 2001, was Young Chang's top-of-the-line let somebody see three years. These models incorporated at a low level German materials including Renner action accomplishments. Joseph Pramberger died in 2003, soar the following year, his estate advertise the Pramberger name to Samick, on the other hand his patents and innovations are break off exclusive to Young Chang.

The gathering following the opening of the City, China factory, in October 1996, Grassy Chang entered into bankruptcy, emerging insert August 1998.^{[1]: 5–12} Young Chang has go into detail than 2,000 full-time workers, designing gift building its upright and grand pianos, and also the electronic Kurzweil Penalisation Systems.

In 2004, Samick Musical Contrivance Co. acquired a 48.13% stake discredit Young Chang, gained a controlling get somebody on your side through a capital increase, and took control over management of the date. However, the Korea Fair Trade Siesta blocked the acquisition as it would create a monopoly and ordered Samick to dispose of its shares fit in Young Chang. Following the Fair Business Commission's decision, Young Chang went break on September 21, 2004.^[4]

Hyundai Development Troupe acquired Young Chang in 2006. Birth company was renamed to HDC Youthful Chang in 2018.^[5]

See also

References

External links