Steinway & Sons fully reopens Astoria factory

Steinway & Sons has announced that its Astoria factory has fully reopened and is again producing its well-known pianos.

After a partial opening in July, with 20 percent of its workforce coming in, the company has gradually welcomed back its fully team, which consists of more than 200 artisans, managers, foremen, engineers and others.

The company purchased the site in Astoria more than 150 years ago and opened its factory soon after. Piano construction has continued through the 1918 pandemic, two World Wars, the Great Depression, and other historical events.

Many changes have been made to the workplace environment due to COVID-19. Upon return, employees will have their temperatures taken, as well as health screenings, company-provided face masks, staggered shifts and breaks, hand sanitizer stations and rigorous cleaning schedules.

“The safety of our artisans is our number one priority,” said Steinway & Sons President and CEO Ron Losby. “If at any point we feel there is a safety issue, we will take whatever steps are necessary to remediate that issue, up to and including another factory shutdown.”