Steinway Musical Instruments Inc. Ordina Reports Operating Results (10-K)

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Mar 15, 2011
Steinway Musical Instruments Inc. Ordina (LVB, Financial) filed Annual Report for the period ended 2010-12-31.

Steinway Musical Instrum. has a market cap of $252.1 million; its shares were traded at around $20.91 with a P/E ratio of 31.2 and P/S ratio of 0.8.

Highlight of Business Operations:

Steinway & Sons Pianos Steinway & Sons pianos differ from all others in design specifications, materials used and the assembly process. We offer two premium-priced product lines under the Steinway & Sons brand: grand pianos and upright pianos. Grand pianos historically have accounted for the majority of our production. We offer seven sizes of the grand piano ranging from the 5'1" baby grand to the largest 9' concert grand. The smaller grands are sold to both individual and institutional customers, while the concert grands are sold primarily to institutions. Steinway & Sons grand pianos are premium pianos in terms of quality and price, with retail prices for ebony pianos generally ranging from $51,400 to $130,800 in the United States. Limited edition pianos and pianos with special veneers sell for retail prices of up to $200,000. Steinway & Sons also offers art case pianos designed by either Steinway master craftsmen or renowned artisans. These unique creations often feature exteriors of

With certain limited exceptions, we allow only Steinway & Sons dealers to carry Boston and Essex pianos, thereby ensuring that these pianos will be marketed as complementary product lines to the Steinway & Sons line. These pianos, which were designed by us and are produced for us in Asia, provide our dealers with an opportunity to realize better margins in this price range while capturing sales that would have otherwise gone to a competitor. Also, since our research indicates that the vast majority of Steinway customers have previously owned another piano, Boston and Essex pianos provide future Steinway piano customers with the opportunity to join the Steinway family of owners sooner. The Family of Steinway-Designed Pianos increases our business with our dealers, making us their primary supplier in many instances. Retail prices for Boston upright and grand pianos generally range from $7,100 to $49,100 in the United States. Retail prices for Essex pianos range from $4,600 to $18,500 in the United States. Sales of Boston and Essex pianos accounted for 25% of our piano division revenue and 76% of piano unit sales in 2010.

Suggested retail prices generally range from $300 to $2,500 for student instruments and from $1,100 to $14,000 for intermediate and professional instruments. We often customize the products that we sell to professional musicians so that the product meets requested design specifications or has certain sound characteristics. We believe that specialization of products helps maintain a competitive edge in quality and product design. Our specialized woodwind and brass instruments sell for up to $34,000.

Percussion Instruments We manufacture, source, and distribute acoustical and tuned percussion instruments, including outfit drums, marching drums, concert drums, marimbas, xylophones, vibraphones, orchestra bells, and chimes. We manufacture percussion products in North Carolina and Illinois under the Ludwig and Musser brand names. Ludwig is considered a leading brand name in acoustical drums and timpani and Musser has a strong market position in tuned percussion products. Suggested retail prices range from $500 to $5,600 for acoustical drum outfits and from $1,000 to $17,700 for tuned percussion instruments, with specialized tuned instruments purchased by symphonies and orchestras selling for up to $23,000. Sales of percussion instruments accounted for 16% of our band division revenue in 2010.

String Instruments We distribute violins, violas, cellos, and basses. Products are sold under the brand names Glaesel, Scherl & Roth, and William Lewis & Son. Suggested retail prices generally range from $400 to $3,000 for student instruments and from $1,400 to $5,300 for intermediate and advanced instruments, with specialized instruments selling for up to $16,000. Components are primarily imported from Europe and Asia and adjusted at our factory in Ohio. Sales of string instruments accounted for 2% of our band division revenue in 2010.

Most of our piano sales are to individuals, both professional artists and amateur pianists. A majority of our Boston and Essex customers are between 40 and 50 years old and have an intermediate level of musical skill. They hold graduate degrees and report annual household income over $100,000. A majority of our Steinway & Sons customers are over 50 years old, and have a more advanced level of musical skill. They also hold graduate degrees and report income over $300,000.

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