Trump Ally's Instrument Company to Close Ohio Plant, Shift Production to China

Conn-Selmer Inc. has confirmed the permanent closure of its brass instrument factory in Eastlake, Ohio, eliminating 150 jobs. The move will shift the production of tubas and sousaphones offshore to China, while professional French horn manufacturing transfers to a non-unionized facility in Indiana. The closure comes despite the public pro-manufacturing rhetoric of the company's owner, billionaire Trump donor John Paulson.

The Details

The closure was finalized in an official WARN notice filed on April 9, 2026, stating that the Eastlake plant will shut down completely by June 30, 2026. According to Nicole Ebersole, VP of Human Resources, the decision was driven by repeated annual financial losses and an inability to remain cost-competitive with Asian competitors. The company stated that attempts to reverse these losses through capital investment and bargaining with the union were unsuccessful.

Of the 150 workers affected, 130 are represented by UAW Local 2359. Robert Hines, president of the union, alleged that the company refused to bargain in good faith, announcing the closure during the first contract bargaining session. Plant workers have expressed feelings of betrayal, with some describing the move as a 'slap in the face' given the company's ownership and public associations.

The Eastlake facility had operated for more than 60 years, producing a wide array of brass instruments. The allocation of production highlights a strategic shift: while some high-end French horn work moves to Elkhart, Indiana, the bulk of student and intermediate production is moving to a Chinese facility that Conn-Selmer opened last year. Workers previously claimed they were told the new Chinese plant would not impact their workload in Ohio.

Critics have pointed to the irony of the closure given John Paulson's financial ties to Donald Trump. Paulson hosted a $50.5 million fundraising dinner for Trump's 2024 campaign and was briefly considered for Treasury Secretary. In September 2024, Paulson told CNBC that American producers should not be closing factories or offshoring jobs, emphasizing a need to protect American manufacturing.

Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) have responded by sending a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer. They questioned whether the current administration has a coherent strategy to prevent manufacturing jobs from leaving the U.S. and termed the Eastlake closure 'particularly troubling.'

Context

Conn-Selmer is among the largest manufacturers of band and orchestra instruments in the United States, overseeing brands such as Bach, Conn, King, and Selmer. The company has a long history of U.S. production, but the shift Toward Asian manufacturing reflects a broader trend of offshoring in the instrument industry to lower costs.

John Paulson, the firm's owner, is a hedge fund investor who rose to prominence by betting against the U.S. housing market during the 2008 financial crisis. This specific closure adds to a growing list of industrial exits in the Midwest, often contradicting the political promises of 'bringing jobs back' to the Rust Belt.

The Eastlake plant was not only a source of employment but a hub for specialized craft. Some workers, such as color buffer Wyatt Georskey, noted that they were among the last remaining specialists in the U.S. capable of producing specific instruments like tubas and sousaphones.

What's Next

The closure is scheduled for late June 2026, though UAW leadership has expressed a slim hope that political intervention from the Trump administration could potentially reverse the decision. However, the company's WARN filing indicates the move is final.

Democratic lawmakers are likely to continue pressuring the Department of Commerce and Department of Labor for clearer policies on offshoring, using the Conn-Selmer case as an example of the gap between political rhetoric and corporate action.

Monitoring will continue on whether other Conn-Selmer facilities, particularly the non-unionized plant in Indiana, face similar pressures or further consolidation as the company seeks to improve its global competitiveness.