Bob Weil, founder and president of Truetone, was recently named Entrepreneur of the Year by Gordon
College in Wenham, Massachusetts.
The award was given, “for an alumnus who exemplifies the characteristics of an entrepreneur – vision and charisma, courage and determination, resourcefulness and hard work, creativity, and innovation.”
Weil started Truetone in January, 1995, under the name “Visual Sound,” based on the first product he invented, the Visual Volume pedal. It is a classic start-up story, with early products being built on the kitchen table, financial difficulty, bright moments which kept him going (like playing Bono’s guitar backstage at a U2 concert), and finally creating some home-run products that became industry standards. The company changed its name to Truetone earlier this year in keeping with Weil’s vision of providing great sounding, reliable products for musicians, at a reasonable price, while keeping the marketing message on point and truthful.
Weil was surprised by the recognition by Gordon College. “When I started the company 20 years ago, I never would have dreamed I would win an award for Entrepreneur of the Year. I’ve spent the last many years just trying to make useful, reliable tools for musicians, and yes, we’ve had a lot of success and learned from some notable failures. If I think about it, there really is a great story to tell, just like so many other American success stories. My business is a lot smaller than most of the others you hear about that started on a kitchen table and then became part of the Fortune 500. We’re not nearly big enough to be on that list, but I’ve got a great team around me and am very grateful for a loving and supportive family as well.”
Truetone gear is sold in every US state and in over 50 countries.
Photo: Gordon College president Michael Lindsay with Truetone founder and president Bob Weil.
