[pianotech] Piano Technicians and Populations

[Floyd Gadd]

Where can I find industry data to answer the question of how much of a
population base it takes to support a piano technician?

I was talking with a locksmith friend the other evening, and he recounted
that as he was setting up his business a number of years ago, research led
him to understand that in his industry, a population of about 15,000 per
technician was necessary to make business viable.  His experience in a
center with a population of 12,000 that grew to just over just 15,000
convinced him that the data was useful.

I'm sure that whatever figure emerges, there are variables, such as the
scope of the tasks a technician is prepared to undertake, but I would be
interested in knowing what data is out there.

Floyd Gadd
Manitoba Chapter