Pearl River Piano Group
Encyclopedia
The Pearl River Piano Group (广州珠江钢琴集团有限公司) is China's largest piano
manufacturer and the largest piano factory
in the world. The company
was established in 1956 in Guangzhou
, Guangdong, China. Pearl River is also the fastest-growing piano company in the United States
and Canada
, with over 300 dealers.
Pearl River is capable of producing over 100,000 pianos a year, while exporting them to over 80 countries.
rims, sand-cast plates, and lower tension scales, features found on the world's best pianos such as Steinway & Sons
. These features are considered to be important to protecting the long-term durability of the piano's tone, which can be affected over a period of time by changes to the soundboard's "crown", a problem which is thought to occur more rapidly on pianos that do not have these core features.
Most Pearl River pianos are considered entry level
pianos; however, some are manufactured to higher specifications with better materials. To improve product design
and manufacturing efficiency, Pearl River automated and installed computer-generated
design equipment. To improve quality, the group brought in a raft of foreign industry executives as consultants and forged a $10 million joint venture with Yamaha in 1995. "We can study good management concepts [from Japan's industry leader]," says Tong Zhi Cheng, CEO of Pearl River.
Pearl River also releases special edition
pianos, including the Butterfly Grand which is 198 centimeters long and available in silver, blue, or pink finishes. Pearl River also produces Ritmüller, a higher end piano, for the Asian and European markets.
. Pearl River was the first piano company in China to receive this independent certification of quality.
Pearl River also recently was awarded ISO 14001, which is similar, but relates to the environmental standards practiced by the company. Pearl River is again the first manufacturer in China to receive this award.
of the under-$15,000 US piano market. Pearl River was the first Chinese piano company to market pianos in the United States under its own company name, and continues to be one of only two or three that do. International concert pianist Oksana Kolesnikova
is a spokesperson for the Pearl River Butterfly Piano.
" brand of guitars commonly found at Target stores
among others. The company also sells drums, brass and woodwind instrument
s around the world.
In the People's Republic of China
, they produce guitars with their own brand
name, "Kapok Guitar (红棉)".
supplier: Jordan Kitts Music
, Sherman Clay, and Schmitt Music
. These three retail chains
use their own brand name (Henry F Miller, Christifori) on the front of the pianos and in a couple of isolated cases feature slightly different specifications than the Pearl River brand models distributed by Pearl River Piano Group America, based in Ontario, California
.
formed a joint venture with Pearl River in 1995 to establish a factory to build pianos for the Chinese market. This factory is located east of Guangzhou in an 'economic development zone
,' approximately 35 miles from the Pearl River factory.
This factory produced two models for the Pearl River Piano Group: the UP125M1 and the Ritmüller UP126R. Ritmüller brand pianos sport upgraded cabinetry, a different plate, upgraded felt and several different scale designs. Both product lines are marketed in the United States by retail piano stores.
After learning and emulating Yamaha's production processes, the Pearl River Piano Group ousted Yamaha's ownership of the factory along with the backing of the Chinese government. Despite Pearl River's frequent marketing as having been "Designed by Yamaha", the two corporations have no ongoing partnership and Pearl River's pianos have no affiliation with Yamaha.
' "Essex" brand piano line, including two grand pianos and an upright.
On May 1, 2005, Steinway & Sons and Pearl River Piano Group released a joint announcement of the signing of an agreement. The companies began development work on several new models of the Essex piano line, designed by Steinway & Sons for affiliate company Boston Piano Co., Inc. The new line of pianos reached the marketplace early in 2006. This was Steinway's first such venture in China and Pearl River's first OEM relationship with a Western piano maker.
Essex pianos are manufactured in their factory in Guangzhou, China.
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
manufacturer and the largest piano factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
in the world. The company
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
was established in 1956 in Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, Guangdong, China. Pearl River is also the fastest-growing piano company in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, with over 300 dealers.
Pearl River is capable of producing over 100,000 pianos a year, while exporting them to over 80 countries.
Core building features
Pearl River pianos feature hardwoodHardwood
Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees . It may also be used for those trees themselves: these are usually broad-leaved; in temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen.Hardwood contrasts with softwood...
rims, sand-cast plates, and lower tension scales, features found on the world's best pianos such as Steinway & Sons
Steinway & Sons
Steinway & Sons, also known as Steinway , is an American and German manufacturer of handmade pianos, founded 1853 in Manhattan in New York City by German immigrant Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg...
. These features are considered to be important to protecting the long-term durability of the piano's tone, which can be affected over a period of time by changes to the soundboard's "crown", a problem which is thought to occur more rapidly on pianos that do not have these core features.
Most Pearl River pianos are considered entry level
Entry Level
Entry Level is the lowest level in the National Qualifications Framework in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Qualifications at this level recognise basic knowledge and skills and the ability to apply learning in everyday situations under direct guidance or supervision...
pianos; however, some are manufactured to higher specifications with better materials. To improve product design
Product design
-Introduction:Product design is the process of creating a new product to be sold by a business or enterprise to its customers. It is concerned with the efficient and effective generation and development of ideas through a process that leads to new products.Product designers conceptualize and...
and manufacturing efficiency, Pearl River automated and installed computer-generated
Computer-generated
The term computer-generated most often refers to a sound or visual that has been created in whole or in part with the aid of computer software...
design equipment. To improve quality, the group brought in a raft of foreign industry executives as consultants and forged a $10 million joint venture with Yamaha in 1995. "We can study good management concepts [from Japan's industry leader]," says Tong Zhi Cheng, CEO of Pearl River.
Pearl River also releases special edition
Special edition
The terms special edition, limited edition and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition and others, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including...
pianos, including the Butterfly Grand which is 198 centimeters long and available in silver, blue, or pink finishes. Pearl River also produces Ritmüller, a higher end piano, for the Asian and European markets.
Certifications
In 1998, the Pearl River Piano Group earned the International Standards Association ISO 9001 Certification (ISO 9001) for its complete line of grand and vertical pianos, including all parts and components. ISO 9001 Certification is awarded by an independent auditing organization following a lengthy audit of quality systems ranging from the procurement of raw materials to manufacturing systems, assembly procedures, and customer serviceCustomer service
Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase.According to Turban et al. , “Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction – that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer...
. Pearl River was the first piano company in China to receive this independent certification of quality.
Pearl River also recently was awarded ISO 14001, which is similar, but relates to the environmental standards practiced by the company. Pearl River is again the first manufacturer in China to receive this award.
The Pearl River name
Pearl River was not a "known" name in the United States until recent years, as Pearl River has only had company-owned US distribution since 2000. Since then Pearl River's US sales have grown quickly and today Pearl River enjoys a large market shareMarket share
Market share is the percentage of a market accounted for by a specific entity. In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 67 percent responded that they found the "dollar market share" metric very useful, while 61% found "unit market share" very useful.Marketers need to be able to...
of the under-$15,000 US piano market. Pearl River was the first Chinese piano company to market pianos in the United States under its own company name, and continues to be one of only two or three that do. International concert pianist Oksana Kolesnikova
Oksana Kolesnikova
Oksana Yurievna Kolesnikova is a Russian-American composer, concert pianist and entrepreneur. Her primary residence is in Los Angeles, California...
is a spokesperson for the Pearl River Butterfly Piano.
Other instruments
Pearl River is also one of the world's largest guitar and violin manufacturers, and is a primary supplier for the popular "First ActFirst Act
First Act is a musical instrument manufacturer, which producers guitars, bass guitars, guitar and bass accessories, drum sets, percussion instruments, amplifiers as well as student-line clarinets, saxophones, and trumpets...
" brand of guitars commonly found at Target stores
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
among others. The company also sells drums, brass and woodwind instrument
Woodwind instrument
A woodwind instrument is a musical instrument which produces sound when the player blows air against a sharp edge or through a reed, causing the air within its resonator to vibrate...
s around the world.
In the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, they produce guitars with their own brand
Store brand
Store brands are a line of products sold by a retailer under a single marketing identity. They bear a similarity to the concept of House brands, Private label brands in the United States, own brands in the UK, and home brands in Australia and generic brands...
name, "Kapok Guitar (红棉)".
OEM supplier
The three largest retail piano companies in the US have selected Pearl River as their OEM house brandGeneric brand
Generic brands of consumer products are distinguished by the absence of a brand name. It is often inaccurate to describe these products as "lacking a brand name", as they usually are branded, albeit with either the brand of the store in which they are sold or a lesser-known brand name which may...
supplier: Jordan Kitts Music
Jordan Kitts Music
Jordan Kitts Music is a chain of retail stores in the United States that sells high-end musical instruments, including pianos and organs. The chain currently has 10 locations in four U.S...
, Sherman Clay, and Schmitt Music
Schmitt Music
Schmitt Music is an American retail company which specialises in musical instruments, sheet music and accessories, as well as offering services such as instrument repair and music instruction. The company operates sixteen stores in seven states. Founded in 1896, it was awarded the Steinway & Sons...
. These three retail chains
Chain store
Chain stores are retail outlets that share a brand and central management, and usually have standardized business methods and practices. These characteristics also apply to chain restaurants and some service-oriented chain businesses. In retail, dining and many service categories, chain businesses...
use their own brand name (Henry F Miller, Christifori) on the front of the pianos and in a couple of isolated cases feature slightly different specifications than the Pearl River brand models distributed by Pearl River Piano Group America, based in Ontario, California
Ontario, California
Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California, United States, 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire region, it lies just east of the Los Angeles county line and is part of the Greater Los Angeles Area...
.
Yamaha
YamahaYamaha
Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
formed a joint venture with Pearl River in 1995 to establish a factory to build pianos for the Chinese market. This factory is located east of Guangzhou in an 'economic development zone
Guangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone
Guangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone is one of the first national economic development zones in China.-History:...
,' approximately 35 miles from the Pearl River factory.
This factory produced two models for the Pearl River Piano Group: the UP125M1 and the Ritmüller UP126R. Ritmüller brand pianos sport upgraded cabinetry, a different plate, upgraded felt and several different scale designs. Both product lines are marketed in the United States by retail piano stores.
After learning and emulating Yamaha's production processes, the Pearl River Piano Group ousted Yamaha's ownership of the factory along with the backing of the Chinese government. Despite Pearl River's frequent marketing as having been "Designed by Yamaha", the two corporations have no ongoing partnership and Pearl River's pianos have no affiliation with Yamaha.
Steinway
Pearl River also manufactures three models for Steinway & SonsSteinway & Sons
Steinway & Sons, also known as Steinway , is an American and German manufacturer of handmade pianos, founded 1853 in Manhattan in New York City by German immigrant Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg...
' "Essex" brand piano line, including two grand pianos and an upright.
On May 1, 2005, Steinway & Sons and Pearl River Piano Group released a joint announcement of the signing of an agreement. The companies began development work on several new models of the Essex piano line, designed by Steinway & Sons for affiliate company Boston Piano Co., Inc. The new line of pianos reached the marketplace early in 2006. This was Steinway's first such venture in China and Pearl River's first OEM relationship with a Western piano maker.
Essex pianos are manufactured in their factory in Guangzhou, China.
External links
- http://www.pearlriverusa.com/grands_pro.html
- http://www.steinway.com/essex
- http://www.forbes.com/global/2002/0513/040.html (article about Pearl River on Forbes.com)