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Posts: 3111
Location: Nashville TN. | Gibson Guitar CEO leaves rainforest group after Nashville raid
News comes day after search of Nashville offices
BY WENDY LEE • THE TENNESSEAN • NOVEMBER 19, 2009
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Gibson Guitar Corp.'s top executive will take a leave of absence from the board of the Rainforest Alliance, an environmental group, in the wake of a federal search for banned wood products at the instrument maker's Nashville factory, officials said Wednesday.
Henry Juszkiewicz, Gibson's CEO and chairman, won't rejoin the board until the investigation ends, the alliance said in a statement.
Federal officials searched the plant Tuesday. An affidavit sought by the U.S. Attorney's Office here that might shed more light on the investigation hasn't been unsealed in federal court.
Some exotic hardwoods traditionally used in making premium guitars have been banned from commercial trade because of environmental concerns under a recently revised federal law known as the Lacey Act. Trading in banned woods from endangered rain forests is a federal offense, punishable by civil and criminal penalties or the seizure of property.
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After the federal search, Juszkiewicz called the alliance and offered to take a leave of absence "to avoid conflict or distraction," said President Tensie Whelan. "It's very difficult to know what's happening at this point," Whelan added. "Our hope indeed is there will be no violations of the Lacey Act."
Juszkiewicz has been on the group's board for more than 15 years and has taken a lead role in urging the music instrument industry to use sustainable wood products, the group said.
The federal inquiry raised some eyebrows.
"I think it shows the reach of the Lacey Act, and nobody is immune from its prohibitions," said James Goldberg, Washington-based counsel for NAMM, a trade group that represents music equipment distributors, retailers and instrument makers. "Even if you think you know your suppliers, you may (still) have a problem."
Gibson did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
Wendy Lee can be reached at 615-259-8092 or wlee@tennessean.com. |
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Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Okay .... so the Gibbie`s are the " bad " guys .. who would ´a known .. |
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December 2003
Posts: 13996
Location: Upper Left USA | So if anyone questions the where-abouts of some of the woods on my Ovations I just remind them that my "Dealer" is in Jersey and he "knows someone that knows someone...".
Will the price of "Pre-Raid" Gibsons go up? |
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May 2003
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Gibsons are over priced anyway. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | Originally posted by an4340:
Gibsons are over priced anyway. I've never been much of a Gibson fan, but even I have to say that they are making some really good acoustic guitars these days. I've got a friend with 2 slope shouldered Gibsons (purchased in the $#1400-$2000 range). Those are really GREAT guitars, and a great value for the money. Taylors in that price range are only so-so. Martins in that price range area crap shoot. Collings and Santa Cruz's in that price range are non-existant. In fact the only other guitars in that price range that I think are really good, are Ovations...... |
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May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | I was thinking about electrics, I didn't mean to slight the acoustics. |
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Gibson Guitar CEO leaves rainforest group
