Crush Drums and Percussion made a big splash when it was launched at the 2011 Winter NAMM show, where the company was awarded numerous accolades as a “Company to Watch.” This recognition, as it turned out, was a well-deserved prediction.
Back in 2005, professional drummer and Crush cofounder and CEO Terry Platt took a sales position at Florida-based ddrum, where he soon moved to the position of brand manager. However, Platt had his own ideas and designs. He wanted to put his energy toward his own endeavor. He explains, “I enjoyed my time at ddrum, but I really wanted something that was mine and that I could be proud of. The idea to start Crush was a result of seeing a space in the market for high-quality, affordable drums.” Platt was not alone in his aspirations, he says: “The other cofounders are longtime friends of mine and each of them bring their special expertise to the table – Rick Hughes as artists relations, Mike Swenson as head of marketing, Chad Huang as head of overseas production and quality control, and Gary Ingraffia as head of business development and growth.” Since Crush’s inauguration at NAMM, their collective motivation and ambition has resulted in a thriving business with continuous admiration for Crush’s line of drum kits, snare, hardware, and cajons.
Continuing with that success, in 2017, the company scored a big win – Terry Platt was thrilled to announce that Korg USA would now be the exclusive U.S. distributor of Crush Drums and Percussion products. He explains, “Korg has been essential to the survival and current growth of Crush. They are our distributor, but they are so much more than that for us. The wisdom of the management team there is extraordinary, and Jeff Shreiner, who is the inside drum specialist, has incredible ideas for product and overall market place opportunities.
Couple that with a first-class marketing and sales staff and you get the best of all possible scenarios for a young company like Crush. They truly have been more than we could have ever imagined. Korg continues to grow the brand and bring more recognition so we are thinking 2019 will be a great year for Crush and our dealer network.”
Currently, manufacturing is mostly done in Taiwan, and some of their more affordable offerings are manufactured in China. Platt explains the relationship: “The Taiwan facilities are world-class and have manufactured high-quality drums for much larger brands. As those brands moved their focus to China, we were able to build relationships with Taiwanese factories”
As for product design at Crush, Platt says, “Typically, I bring the initial ideas and concepts to the other partners, from there we rely on artists and the drummers playing the drums to tweak and fine tune things to arrive with what you see.” And there is a lot to see. There’s no doubting the visual allure of a Crush kit – transparent acrylics offered in clear or popping red finishes, or maple, birch, ash finished with bright luster, such as the Sublime AXM kit, which features a clear, satin finish of bold color while maintaining the beauty of the wood grain. There’s also the Sublime ST kit, available is blue, gold, or purple, all with a sparkle and shimmering finish.
So, what’s selling and who’s buying? Platt reports, “Sublime is our flagship, and we sell a lot of that series in each of its different iterations. Chameleon Complete has also done very well for us. Crush has been cool because our customer base is vast. I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with seasoned players and players who are just starting out, discussing why they love Crush. Our kits offer affordability while not sacrificing the quality of the instruments, which has opened up the possibilities to drummers at any level.”
Crush recently launched its new Sublime Maple Stripe at the 2019 Winter NAMM and are currently working on some new series of kits, as well as hardware. Platt says, “I think it’s going to be a good year for us… The success of Crush is owed to the dealers and early adopters of the brand. We cannot tell you how much that support has meant to us.”
