C . F . MARTIN & CO .
Take 2021 , for example — a banner year for C . F . Martin & Co . Not only did the company register its highest annual production quantity ever , it also surpassed 2.5 million instruments built over its storied history . All this success notwithstanding , could Martin become a victim of its own success ? Can a product be so good that it becomes fixed , unable to adapt to changing times and tastes ?
Martin suddenly finds itself at an interesting hinge of history as the Boomer generation gives way to Millennials and Gen Z and whatever comes next . How will this transition inform Martin ’ s approach to its business ? How will the company maintain its relevance among these new generations marked by decidedly different worldviews and value systems ? And how will the company reach these emergent demographics without alienating its core base — or losing its traditions ? While the company ’ s heritage is deep , is it also an anchor that holds it back ?
These are the very questions that Fred Greene wrestles with on a daily basis .
“ There is definitely a yin and a yang ,” he says , “ with a company that has so much history and is so iconic in the sense that almost all other guitar makers ’ products are in some way influenced by what Martin has done . But there ’ s no question that even a great history can work against you . We get it both ways from consumers . There are those who want us to stick to what we ’ re doing —’ Don ’ t do anything differently ’, they tell us . But it ’ s difficult to grow the
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| FALL 2023