“More than half of existing positions” reportedly cut at Moog Music’s North Carolina manufacturing plant

Sources say most of the company’s synthesizers will now be made in Taiwan.

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A photo of the Moog factory taken during Moogfest 2014

Photo: Alicia Funderburk / Getty

“More than half of existing positions” at Moog Music’s Asheville, North Carolina manufacturing plant have been cut, according to reports.

In June, the brand was acquired by inMusic, the company which also owns Akai, Alesis, M-Audio, Numark, and others.

Regional news title, the Citizen Times, has reported that possibly more than half of existing jobs have been cut, including most of the production positions.

After inMusic’s 13 June acquisition, payroll was reportedly cut by more than a dozen people. Most of the synthesizers will now be made in Taiwan, sources say. Now it is believed around 30 jobs have been cut, but the publication reports the exact number is unclear.

Local and corporate staff and spokespeople did not return contact to any outreach by the Citizen Times, and many current and ex-workers chose not to comment, but did confirm to the publication that layoffs had taken place.

Michelle Moog-Koussa, daughter of Robert Moog and executive director of the Bob Moog Foundation and Moogseum (these are separate entities to Moog), lives in the Asheville area and told the publication on 22 September that she recently learned about the layoffs, but declined comment further.

Synth Anatomy has also shared social media posts which are said to be from staff who have lost their jobs. One person writes that “Moog [is] about to change forever”, another says it was “a good run” but that it is “game over.”

In July, Benn Jordan, a professional producer, musician and YouTuber, shared his predictions for the future of the music production industry in a video entitled The Private Equity Buyout Of Music Production. Within the video, he predicted layoffs for Moog as well as other manufacturing brands. At the time, he remarked, “I honestly hope I’m wrong.”

Moog and inMusic are yet to provide official confirmation of the reports. MusicTech has also reached out for comment.

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