<html> David, One thing not mentioned in your quote is that the company is still family owned - Shigeru retired, but his son - in - law Hirotaka is still President. Shigeru used to come to the US for NAMM shows and such, but the long trips were getting pretty hard for him.  Hirotaka will come this year. Don Mannino, RPT Kawai America At 08:26 AM 1/13/2003 -0600, you wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>MUSIC INC. magazine, January 2003, page 72 Shigeru Kawai Retires From Kawai Global Shigeru Kawai, chairman of the Kawai Global Group and 55-year veteran of the piano industry recently retired at the age of 80. in 1955, Shigeru Kawai assumed the position of Kawai Musical Instrument Manufacturing president.  While leading the company, Kawai Global Group grew to distribute its productsin more than 80 countries worldwide.   He has served as company chairman since 1989. Kawai's career highlights include establishing the Ryuyo Grand Piano Facility and the introduction of Shigeru Kawai Grand Pianos, a luxury piano line that he described as "his personal legacy to the piano world."                          End Message ********************************************************** Message sent by: David Vanderhoofven Joplin,  Missouri, USA _______________________________________________ pianotech list info: <a href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives" eudora="autourl">https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives</a></blockquote></html>