For generations, this Ohio factory was a way of life. Then came the final shift.
A body of work about the last days of the Conn Selmer musical instrument factory in Eastlake, Ohio. Compiled from stories by Hannah Knowles and Peter Jamison for the Washington Post and Aime Williams for the Financial Times.
Joe Klima drives to his final shift at the Conn Selmer factory after forty years with the company.
Klima grew up in Eastlake and has worked at Conn Selmer since he was out of high school as a color buffer.
The factory employed around 150 union workers. In 2024, Conn Selmer CEO, John Paulson, campaigned for Donald Trump, but the decision to move the plant to China had already been made.
Conn Selmer janitor, Annette Dombrowski attends a union meeting at the American Legion Post 678 in Willowick, Ohio.
Workers said their goodbyes on the final shift.
Retired Conn Selmer workers hosted a cookout in an adjacent parking lot so mark the occasion.
Union President Rob Hines fought to keep the plant from moving but soon realized that it was inevitable. His focus instead shifted to getting union members a fair severance package.
Lake County Commissioner, John T. Plecnik, criticized the move.
Annette Dombrowski, 64, is in search of a new job after the Conn Selmer plant where she worked is closing and shifting positions overseas.
Klima's job at Conn Selmer afforded him a comfortable, middle class life in a quiet neighborhood.
Klima's doormat is emblazoned with his signature catchphrase.
