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.
Announcing the InMusic takeover, Moog Music said in a statement that “this partnership with inMusic presents new opportunities to overcome long-standing challenges and strengthen the company.”
It continued: “Leveraging inMusic's global distribution and supply chain network will facilitate greater accessibility for Moog instruments around the world. Furthermore, Moog Music's deep expertise in analog synthesis will enhance the capabilities of inMusic and its exclusive brands.”
There was also confirmation that some instruments would continue to be built in Asheville, but no word on how many.
InMusic’s other brands include the likes of Akai Pro, Alesis, M-Audio, Denon, Numark and Rane. The company’s chief executive Jack O’Donnell recently hit out at Pioneer DJ’s proposed acquisition of fellow DJing company Serato, arguing that it would “eliminate competition”.
Asked about the rumours surrounding the company, a representative for Moog Music told MusicRadar that it has "not comment at this time".
