Hey guys:
I just read this great article in Premier Guitar and it got me thinking of EBMM, one of the few remaining U.S. guitar manufacturers who make all of their instruments in the U.S.
Premier Guitar - Esoterica Electrica: An Axe to Grind
Thanks again BP for continuing to build instruments in the U.S. and continuing to build a community and legacy that's connected deeply with the good folks in SLO who make the instruments and the thousands of us who buy and play and love the instruments.
When you open an EBMM case for the first time, it is immediately apparent that the craftsmanship is there. But way more important is the PRIDE and respect that went into manufacturing these instruments. Tomas and the crew at SLO are something we should all be very thankful for. And we need to realize that it could all go away pretty easily.
The key here starts with Sterling: He has chosen to pay these craftsmen a living wage and build a family of workers who take pride in their work, and who appreciate and owe a debt to the company and the company's customers. Which creates a circle. We (the customers) receive and appreciate the quality of the product, and we give back by sending our money but also by evangelizing the brand. The EBMM team receives and appreciates the employee-focused company that Sterling has created and continues to run, and they give back by putting their souls into their work and delivering a quality product every day they go to work. And Sterling appreciates both the money and support we bring and the quality workmanship the employees bring, and he gives back to us by being on the Forums and engaging us, and gives back to the employees by running a family business and keeping it here in the U.S.
The bottom line is this: If Sterling were only interested in money, then EBMM would probably have been relocated to Mexico or China long ago. But clearly money isn't the sole object here. Doing the right thing, creating a family (of employees and customers), and continuing to build instruments at a higher bar is what sets EBMM and Sterling apart from many of the others who went the greedy/easy route.
Cheers to you, BP. Cheers to EBMM's employees. And cheers to all of us for being the most die-hard of customers and evangelists. I am proud to be a member of this circle (78 EBMM's and counting).
I just read this great article in Premier Guitar and it got me thinking of EBMM, one of the few remaining U.S. guitar manufacturers who make all of their instruments in the U.S.
Premier Guitar - Esoterica Electrica: An Axe to Grind
Thanks again BP for continuing to build instruments in the U.S. and continuing to build a community and legacy that's connected deeply with the good folks in SLO who make the instruments and the thousands of us who buy and play and love the instruments.
When you open an EBMM case for the first time, it is immediately apparent that the craftsmanship is there. But way more important is the PRIDE and respect that went into manufacturing these instruments. Tomas and the crew at SLO are something we should all be very thankful for. And we need to realize that it could all go away pretty easily.
The key here starts with Sterling: He has chosen to pay these craftsmen a living wage and build a family of workers who take pride in their work, and who appreciate and owe a debt to the company and the company's customers. Which creates a circle. We (the customers) receive and appreciate the quality of the product, and we give back by sending our money but also by evangelizing the brand. The EBMM team receives and appreciates the employee-focused company that Sterling has created and continues to run, and they give back by putting their souls into their work and delivering a quality product every day they go to work. And Sterling appreciates both the money and support we bring and the quality workmanship the employees bring, and he gives back to us by being on the Forums and engaging us, and gives back to the employees by running a family business and keeping it here in the U.S.
The bottom line is this: If Sterling were only interested in money, then EBMM would probably have been relocated to Mexico or China long ago. But clearly money isn't the sole object here. Doing the right thing, creating a family (of employees and customers), and continuing to build instruments at a higher bar is what sets EBMM and Sterling apart from many of the others who went the greedy/easy route.
Cheers to you, BP. Cheers to EBMM's employees. And cheers to all of us for being the most die-hard of customers and evangelists. I am proud to be a member of this circle (78 EBMM's and counting).
