Summary
The Conn Selmer brass-instrument factory in Eastlake, Ohio, is scheduled to close at the end of June, eliminating 150 jobs as production of tubas, sousaphones and some French horns moves to China. Employees and union organizers sought to press the plant's ultimate owner, billionaire investor John Paulson - a known supporter of President Donald Trump - asking for intervention that would align with Trump’s campaign promise to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States. The push, which included rallies, social-media outreach and a petition to the White House, failed to stop the closure.
Workers, owner and the campaign
When Keith Czika, who worked at the Eastlake plant for nearly 18 years, learned the facility would close and operations would shift overseas, he looked to Paulson as a potential lever to save the jobs. Paulson, who hosted a fundraiser at his Palm Beach home in April that raised about $50.5 million and has publicly criticized offshoring, was seen by Czika and others as someone who might be persuaded to act.
In early January Czika and fellow union members proposed publicly calling out Paulson. The United Auto Workers organized a public campaign that featured a rally where local officials criticized Paulson, social-media videos, and an online petition sent to the White House seeking Trump’s intervention. Those efforts did not prevent Conn Selmer from announcing the closure.
Conn Selmer, identified as the largest U.S. band-instrument maker and owned by Steinway Musical Instruments, told workers in January that production of tubas, sousaphones and some French horns would move to China, according to a video of the meeting. Chief Executive John Fulton said the shift accounted for nearly all of the Eastlake factory's output. The company also said it would move professional French horn production from Eastlake to an existing Indiana plant and remained "deeply committed to U.S. manufacturing," while noting other production would be moved "offshore."
Economic and political ramifications
The plant’s closure and the unsuccessful campaign to halt it highlight the constrained influence of blue-collar workers - a group that has been central to President Trump’s political coalition - even when their appeals echo his "America First" manufacturing rhetoric. The episode also carries electoral implications ahead of the November midterms as Republicans seek to maintain support from unionized and working-class voters.
Lake County Republican commissioner John Plecnik warned of political risk for his party, saying that failing to keep promises to prioritize American jobs could push union voters away. "MAGA equals put American jobs first," Plecnik said. "If we don’t keep the promise of protecting jobs, I wouldn’t blame them for going right back and voting Democrat."
Among workers interviewed, feelings were mixed. Of the six who said they backed Trump in 2024, five still planned to vote for Republican candidates in November, while one said she would likely skip the next election in response to the closure.
Local impact on workers
In interviews, a dozen Conn Selmer employees described the sense of loss tied to work they had taken pride in - assembling and polishing instruments used by school bands and professional musicians - and anxiety about finding comparable employment. At a mid-March meeting held in an American Legion hall to review severance packages, many workers were visibly upset.
Annette Dombrowski, who had married in that same hall 43 years earlier and worked at the plant as a janitor, described the closure as deeply personal. She said she worried about supplementing a Social Security check strained by persistent inflation. "I think all of America is crap right now," Dombrowski said. "I’m starting to regret my vote for Trump," she added, and said she would likely skip voting in November.
Czika said he still believes tariffs could eventually help revive U.S. manufacturing, arguing that American producers can compete on quality if not on labor costs. He emphasized conditional support for the president: "If you keep your promises, that’ll be fine," Czika said. "If you don’t, that’ll be a problem. America First. Bring manufacturing back."
Company rationale and policy context
Conn Selmer's CEO told workers in January they would need to find $13 million in savings to keep the Eastlake plant open. By the time severance terms were explained in mid-March, the company had moved ahead with the decision to shift much of the factory's output abroad. Company statements noted a continuation of some production in the U.S. while moving other lines offshore; the announcement did not specify China by name in every communication, though the earlier production shift to China for tubas, sousaphones and some French horns was made clear in the January briefing.
Despite trade measures such as a tariff on Chinese-made brass instruments currently set at 20.4%, Conn Selmer is following competitors that had already relocated production to China to reduce labor costs. The move reflects the economic calculus companies make when labor-cost differentials are substantial.
Broader signals
The episode also mirrors broader trends: U.S. manufacturing employment has declined by about 100,000 jobs since President Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data cited by workers and local officials. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the Eastlake closure.
The failed effort to leverage Paulson's political ties and public stance against offshoring underscores the difficulty rank-and-file workers face when confronting corporate decisions about production location. Paulson, whose investment firm owns Steinway Musical Instruments, did not respond to requests for comment regarding the Eastlake plant decision. He had publicly criticized offshoring during the 2024 campaign season and hosted a large fundraiser that raised about $50.5 million.
Conclusion
The Eastlake closure leaves a small community facing the loss of long-tenured, skilled jobs and raises questions about how political promises on manufacturing translate into corporate outcomes. For workers like Czika and Dombrowski, the decision has both immediate financial consequences and broader political implications, as some reassess their support for elected officials who pledged to prioritize American industry.
Key takeaways
- Conn Selmer will close its Eastlake, Ohio, brass-instrument plant at the end of June, moving much of its output to China and eliminating 150 jobs - a loss with direct impact on manufacturing employment and local incomes.
- Workers and the United Auto Workers launched a public campaign aimed at owner John Paulson and sought White House intervention to align with President Trump’s manufacturing promises, but the effort did not prevent the shutdown.
- The case highlights political vulnerability for Republicans among working-class voters and underscores the limits of tariff measures and political appeals in preventing offshoring when companies pursue cost savings.
Risks and uncertainties
- Political risk: Continued plant closures could erode support among union and working-class voters who backed Trump, potentially affecting electoral outcomes - a risk primarily for the political sector and campaign dynamics.
- Labor-market risk: Displaced workers face uncertainty finding comparably paid, fulfilling jobs, posing risks to household incomes and local consumer spending - a risk for local economies and consumer-focused businesses.
- Trade and supply-chain risk: The shift of production offshore despite tariffs indicates uncertainty about the effectiveness of trade measures in keeping manufacturing domestic, with implications for the broader manufacturing sector.