D’Addario is transitioning its Renaissance Wire division from Oxford, Mass., to Farmingdale, N.Y. Targeted for completion in early 2014, the multi-million dollar modernization plan includes relocation and re-engineering the entire process for producing high carbon steel music wire.
D’Addario makes more than 700,000 strings daily and employing 800 at their Long Island facilities. This move will add an additional 25 positions in New York and will be located at 540 Smith Street in space freed up through its continuous improvement ‘Lean Manufacturing’ transformation.
High carbon steel is extremely difficult to manufacture and a critical component in the manufacturing of music strings. Applying its engineering prowess, D’Addario is investing in extensive research and development to improve product quality and ensure its supply of the finest raw materials for its string production.
The division draws, straightens and coats round and hexagon-shaped wires from the precision, fine-grain high carbon steel rod normally used in steel-belted radial tires. All three production phases are undergoing a complete re-engineering. Extensive capital investments have already been made in new high-tech drawing machines, and now D’Addario’s talented engineers are completely re-imagining the straightening and coating processes.
“D’Addario has built its reputation on pioneering innovation. We realized that there is significant opportunity to improve the quality of our string’s raw materials and have decided to invest heavily in this area, to insure that our company holds the technology lead in our core business, string making,” comments John D’Addario III, president at D’Addario.
This is also another significant growth opportunity for the company. Along with supplying material for D’Addario’s own string value stream, the Renaissance Wire Division currently supplies string makers all over the globe from China to South America to Europe, as well as the U.S.
“We are proud that the round and hex shaped high carbon steel wires we are now producing have no equal and that this initiative continues to support our relentless pursuit to create and sustain manufacturing capabilities in the U.S.,” states D’Addario.
