Selmer Band Instruments
Kent Hocker earned a music degree in performance at Indiana University before he began working in the music industry. He joined the Selmer Company of Elkhart in 1977 as a trumpet tester. Over the years Kent has played a role in the training of other testers, a position he has enjoyed. He...
Roger Zehr worked as a trumpet tester for the Vincent Bach brands of horns, beginning when the company was on its own and later when it was purchased by Selmer and when it merged to become Conn-Selmer in 2003. Bob Hodges was also a trumpet tester for the company who served as Roger’s mentor and...
Brad Burleson began working in the music industry with Selmer in the 1970s and remained with the company in the early 2000s when it merged with its biggest competitor, CG Conn. Brad works in the assembly department at Conn-Selmer with a focus on the trumpet and flugelhorn products.
Diana White is like so many factory workers within the music industry because most of her friends and many members of her own family have worked in the same plant over the years. Diana is very proud of her work and the skills she has gained over the years, especially those related to CNC work in...
Edward Whitmyer began working on the bench at Selmer in Elkhart in the 1970s when most of the work was done by hand. During his long career, Edward, has witnessed firsthand the development of computer driven machines to complete some of the tasks he once completed by hand. His training on CNC...
Dennis Vaughn began working in the Selmer factory in Elkhart, Indiana in the early 1970s and stayed on when the company merged with Conn. His first bench job was for Armstrong Flutes before it was bought out by Selmer. He is well known for his special skills in the buffing room for Conn-Selmer, a...
Lorna Kirchner has worked for Selmer, now Conn-Selmer, in Elkhart for over 40 years. She recalls the days before the CNC machines came into the factory, when all of the work was done by hand. Her attention to details and skills at soldering continue to be used in making musical instruments and...
Sue Bagnall is quick to point out that her favorite part of working for Conn-Selmer and being involved with the music industry are the people! She was hired by Selmer and stayed with the company during the merge with CG Conn, working primarily in the office. Over the years, she feels the greatest...
Paula Walker began working in the music industry right out of high school for the Gemeinhart flute company in Elkhart, Indiana. In the early years she worked primarily on student instruments for Gemeinhart, which provided products designed especially for younger students. Her attention to detail...
Peggy Morse began working in the music industry right out of high school for the Selmer Company in Elkhart, Indiana. Peggy has worked in the factory for most of her career and stayed with the company when it merged with Conn in 2003.