Moog Music confirms Asheville firings, leaves questions unanswered

ASHEVILLE – Moog Music confirmed that the company fired members of its assembly team at its Asheville-based manufacturing facility. The layoffs, initially reported by the Citizen Times Sept. 22, signify the first major cuts at the company since June when global company inMusic acquired the synthesizer production company founded by famed inventor Robert "Bob" Moog.

“We made the difficult decision to adjust the size of our assembly team to better match our new approach,” read the statement from the company, released Sept. 27. “Substantial support, benefits, and healthcare was provided to those affected, easing their journey to new opportunities."

Spokespeople for Moog Music declined to answer questions about the number of layoffs, specific benefits offered to fired employees or whether those let go were offered jobs in new locations. The Citizen Times previously reported that around 30 jobs were cut, representing possibly more than half the existing jobs.

"We are also asking some of our overseas partners who we’ve worked with for years to help finish assembly on some products," the statement also noted.

The Citizen Times previously reported that sources say most of the synthesizers will now be made in Taiwan.

The statement said that the changes would “ensure our long-term financial health and continued innovation.”

Layoffs were not the only major change brought by the June 9 sale. The Citizen Times previously reported that the acquisition ended the company’s employee ownership model ― as of 2015, Moog Music employees owned 49% of the company. Spokespeople for Moog Music declined to comment on whether employees have been compensated for their share of the employment model.

The public statement read that Moog Music would “like to share important and accurate information with you.”

The layoffs are the latest dark turn in Moog Music’s newest chapter, which has a deep connection to Asheville. Bob Moog, who founded the company, and invented the electronic Moog Synthesizer, was once a research professor who taught at UNC Asheville. He died in 2005 at age 71.

After his death, the University dedicated its electronic music studio to Moog, where students use it as a creative workspace.

Students at the university regularly found their first career opportunities at Moog Music, according to Charles Jude Weinberg, the associate director of music technology at UNCA.

Weinberg told the Citizen Times in an email Sept. 28 that “no change in hiring practices has been discussed with me.”

Weinberg wrote that Moog Music historically hires one to two graduates each year from the program. He said that all the graduates he spoke to over the past few days still work there.

“This suggests to me that these employees work in areas at Moog that are important to the future success of the company,” he wrote. “I expect that the company will continue to hire our graduates locally in the areas of their business that are most beneficial to their operations.”

More: World-renowned instrument maker Moog slashes jobs at Asheville manufacturing center

More: Asheville-based Moog Music sold to global company, ending employee ownership model

Weinberg did not note how many students he expects Moog to hire from UNCA this year, but he wrote that other graduates of their program work at “as head engineers at recording studios, live sound venues, and in many other areas of work that require audio engineers.”

He that he expects that track record to continue.

Cody Novotny, a senior at UNCA majoring in music technology, reiterated Weinberg’s point to the Citizen Times. Novotny regularly uses the studio for class and to create his own sounds.

“Despite having the Moog Studio here at UNCA, I don’t think UNCA is particularly affected,” Novotny said. “We have a lot of their retro instruments and teach a lot of synthesis with them, but it doesn’t necessarily diminish our program.”

Have you been fired by Moog Music? We want to know. Email Mitchell Black at mblack@citizentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville-based Moog Music confirms firings in statement