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Brass horn factory to close

ELKHORN — The former Frank Holton & Co. brass musical instruments factory will close at the end of the summer, and production at 320 N. Church St. will transfer to the company’s facility in Eastlake, Ohio, company officials announced last week.

The move is part of a strategic consolidation of manufacturing that began in 2003.

“While this was a difficult decision, this consolidation will allow us to increase our efficiency and compete more effectively,” said Dana Messina, CEO of Steinway Musical Instruments, in a news release.

Frank Holton & Co. was bought by Leblanc, a division of Conn-Selmer Inc., in 1964. Conn-Selmer is a subsidiary of Steinway Musical Instruments.

The 70 employees at the Elkhorn facility will be eligible for jobs in Eastlake, said company spokeswoman Julie Theriault.

“There will be transfer options available,” she said. “We think to produce horns at our other plant … we need to hire about 30 people.”

Theriault said relocation benefits will be available to those who transfer to the Eastlake facility.

The company expects to incur charges of $1.3 million to $1.7 million over the second and third quarters of this year in connection with closing the Elkhorn factory, according to a news release.

About Frank Holton & Co.

Frank Holton, the former first trombonist in John Phillip Sousa’s band, started his company in Chicago in 1898 before moving it to Elkhorn in 1918. Since then, the Elkhorn facility has manufactured brass musical instruments including flugelhorns, French horns and trombones.

Recognized as one of the leading manufacturers of band instruments worldwide, Holton & Co. also is the oldest continually operating wind instrument company in the United States, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society.