Below is a 30 minute press release and interview with Henry Juszkiewicz, CEO of Gibson Guitar Corp. The first four minutes contains his prepared statement, and the rest of the time is spent answering reporter’s questions. While he speaks somewhat dryly, Juszkiewicz is visibly frustrated by the raid and what he describes as a complete lack of communication from the government.
There are some extremely interesting points in the video. One of the most prominent is that, according to the CEO, if you buy and resell a Gibson guitar, you are technically criminally liable, since everyone selling guitars with potentially illegally imported wood is breaking the law. He also says that the feds indicated that every guitar Gibson builds will be criminal and each guitar can result in a criminal charge. The CEO says that to fully comply with what little the government has told them, they must essentially shut down production entirely, putting thousands of employees out of work. He says that despite this threat, he has ordered his employees to continue work, and says he will personally claim any responsibility for any litigation this may cause. Juszkiewicz also says that the feds took nearly $1 million worth of product from the two plants.
4 Comments
I say we surround the plant with armed volunteers and let the production continue.Screw the feds AND their trade laws!!!!!!
If you were a supplier to Gibson, bought wood of questionable provenance and sold it to Gibson, then got stiffed by Gibson because your product was illegal, and they knew you wouldn’t go after them, then heard that they did the same thing over and over to small suppliers and bankrupted them, would you feel the same way about Gibson?
I’m heartsick over this whole mess. My brother has had three beautiful, mellow Gibsons over the years. But this guy Jerkowitz isn’t a Gibson and now he has given the name a black mark. I hope he gets his just desserts.
Gibson did that?