Powell Flutes Joins Buffet Crampon

Steven A. Wasser, president of Verne Q. Powell Flutes, announced that ownership of Powell Flutes has been transitioned to Buffet Crampon.

Commenting on the change, Mr. Wasser shared the following personal message:

For the past 40 years my personal clarinet, and that of our CFO, Mark Spuria, has been a Buffet.  It is therefore with great pleasure that we announce the merger of Powell into Buffet Crampon.

It’s hard to believe that it was 30 years ago when I first set foot in Powell’s cinder block building in Arlington Heights.  Powell and I have come a long way since then.  Following the legacy of Verne Powell, we have continued to be a leader in quality and innovation.

My discussions with Buffet Crampon began nearly 3 years ago.  Each party, Buffet Crampon and Verne Q. Powell Flutes, spent time getting to know one another, making sure the merger would be mutually complementary.  Rob Viola and Mark Spuria were included in the discussions from the beginning.

I was impressed by the professionalism of the Buffet Crampon management team, the strength of their distribution network, and, most importantly, their commitment to run Verne Q. Powell Flutes as a stand-alone operation.  This means they have committed to continue producing the world’s finest flutes in Maynard, Massachusetts, and to retain all Powell people.  Rob Viola will continue as Vice President of Manufacturing, and Mark Spuria will continue as CFO.  I will remain involved as a consultant for the next couple of years, focusing primarily on product development, manufacturing technology, and precious metals management.

Mr. Wasser stated that Powell dealers can expect the highest level of quality and service to continue from their contacts in the Massachusetts office.  

Photo: Jean-Baptiste Bouvier (CFO of Buffet Crampon), Francois Kloc (CEO/President of Buffet Crampon USA), Jérôme Perrod (CEO of Buffet Crampon), Steven Wasser (President, Verne Q. Powell Flutes)