Mitchell BlackAsheville Citizen Times
ASHEVILLE – Robert Moog’s synthesizer took Western Carolina into homes around the world. His musical tool left an imprint on classics like the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun.” Now the downtown Asheville company that bears his name, Moog Music, has a new owner.
On June 13, inMusic, which has offices in Rhode Island, the United Kingdom, Germany, Taiwan and Japan, jointly announced the acquisition of Moog Music. The purchase by the global company signifies the end of an era for Moog Music, which made its name as a small musical instrument producer with an indelible connection to Asheville. Its employees owned part of the business, many of whom were students at UNC Asheville.
As of 2015, employees owned 49% of the company, according to previous Citizen Times reporting.
“The employee ownership model was originally his idea,” Michelle Moog-Koussa told the Citizen Times June 14. Moog-Koussa is the daughter of Robert Moog and the executive director of the Bob Moog Foundation and Moogseum in Asheville. “And it was his wish. He believed very strongly in companies being as egalitarian as possible.”
“Over at Moog Music factory here in town, a lot of our graduates work there,” said Professor Charles Jude Weinberg, Associate Director of Music Technology at UNC Asheville, where Robert Moog once taught, told the Citizen Times June 14. “We have sent many, many people there over the years.” In 2009, the University dedicated its electronic studio to Robert Moog, who died in 2005 at age 71.
After the June 9 sale, employees no longer have an ownership stake in the company.
“As part of the acquisition, Moog Music is no longer employee owned,” according to a statement by Moog Music. “All past and present employees who have participated in the Moog Music Employee Stock Ownership Program since it was implemented in 2015 will receive a payout as part of this transition."
“Employees have a vested interest in the success of the company,” Weinberg said. “That has created a sense of loyalty. That is going to change. That is one potential change. It is an inevitable change.” Weinberg later speculated that challenges to the global supply chain likely caused financial difficulty to Moog Music.
“I hope that it maintains its connection to the local community,” Moog-Koussa said. “I do think it’s a very important part of the company, brand and the legacy. The Bob Moog Foundation and Moogseum will certainly remain in Asheville. Asheville was really Bob’s spiritual home.”
The Foundation and Moogseum are independent from Moog Music.
In a letter distributed June 13 announcing the sale, Moog Music President Joe Richardson said, “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.”
Moog Music Brand Director Logan Kelly said in an email that the company could not disclose sale numbers concerning employee ownership, calling it "personal financial information." He said the amount of the sale overall was "not available," since it relates to "private organizations and individuals."
Last year, the Citizen Times reported that workers at Moog Music sought to unionize, hoping to get a raise from $14.10 an hour to $17.70 an hour.
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“I found it saddening and disturbing as I’m sure everyone at Moog Music did,” said Moog-Koussa about the company’s position with its employees. “I think my dad would have thought the same. I always hesitate to speak for him. I’m glad we live in a democracy where people can raise their voices. I don’t know why that union has not been active but my only hope is that some of their concerns have been addressed.”
Moog Music will stay in Asheville, where Robert Moog’s synthesizer will be made in the Broadway factory, but there is no question that a piece of Moog’s legacy left with the sale.
“He considered himself a toolmaker. He built tools for musicians,” Moog-Koussa said about her father. “He was vested in equipping musicians with the highest amount of sonic expressivity for the purpose of them being able to create music that connected them to their audience. That was his drive."
Mitchell Black is the Citizen Times County Issues Reporter. Email him at MBlack@citizentimes.com.
