On January 4, 2016, Roland Corporation agreed to the Dutch Vandeweerd family’s acquisition of the American company Rodgers Instruments, effective January 15, 2016. As the owner of Johannus, Makin, and Copeman Hart, the Vandeweerd family has achieved worldwide success for decades with these three prominent organ brands. The acquisition of the promising Rodgers organization will bring together the best of all worlds. In the world of organs, Rodgers enjoys the reputation of being a very strong and solid brand. Founded in 1958 by Rodgers W. Jenkins and Fred Tinker, the company has grown to become one of the undisputed leaders in the American organ market. After Rodgers became a subsidiary of Roland in 1988, Rodgers’ position was further reinforced with the development of high-quality organs and its ability to continuously elevate the quality of authentic pipe organ sounds to a higher level. “Thanks to that constant focus on quality and beauty,” says Jun-ichi Miki, Roland Corporation CEO & representative director, “Rodgers has managed to maintain its status as a premium brand up to the present day.”
Since 1969, as the parent organization behind Johannus, the Vandeweerd family is the owner of one of the largest organ builders in the world. Johannus is the undisputed market leader in Europe, is number three in the United States, and holds a leading position in emerging markets such as Asia and Africa. The Johannus collection encompasses a very broad range of instruments varying from affordable, small organs for private homes to enormous, handmade organs for churches and concert halls.
As a family business that is active exclusively in the digital organ market, the Vandeweerd’s acquisition of Rodgers will ensure that yet another important piece of the puzzle will fall into place for the Vandeweerd family in its mission to further perfect the top segment of the global organ market. It acknowledges the powerful potential of the strong Rodgers brand and sees many opportunities to further improve the brand and enable the organization to grow. Rodgers will remain a fully American brand and company. The authentic American sound and quality adds to this rich legacy that will continue to be made in the United States of America.
“We are confident,” states Marco Vandeweerd, president, “that the acquisition of Rodgers represents an important step on the road to further professionalization and innovation. Thanks to the strength of shared knowledge and experience, a worldwide range of products and services, and the common goal of producing high-quality organs for the top segment for years to come, Rodgers’ American sound will continue to resonate in the future.”
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