Conn-Selmer to Close Main Street Facility in Elkhart 
ELKHART, Ind., Oct 3, 2003 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ --
Conn-Selmer, Inc., a subsidiary of Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc.
(NYSE: LVB), announced today that it will be closing one of its three
manufacturing operations in Elkhart, Indiana. This plant's production
will be transferred to other company-owned facilities. 
John Stoner, President of Conn-Selmer, commented, "Earlier this year, we
began implementing a plan to make our instruments more cost competitive
in the marketplace. Consolidating similar manufacturing operations in
order to increase production efficiency is an integral part of that
plan. Accordingly, we presented U.A.W. Local 612 with a proposal to
relocate our Main Street plant's production as well as a significant
number of its employees to our other Elkhart facilities. We believe our
proposal was fair and it is unfortunate that the union membership voted
it down." 
The plant closure will impact approximately 90-100 active employees, all
of whom will be offered severance pay. The Company has sufficient
inventory to meet customer needs during the transition of production,
which is expected to be completed during the second quarter of 2004. 
As a result of the Main Street plant closure, the Company expects to
take charges of $4.0 to $5.0 million over the next few quarters. The
cash portion of these charges is estimated at $3.0 million. 
Dana Messina, CEO of Steinway Musical Instruments, explained, "The band
instrument marketplace remains fiercely competitive. However, we are
confident that our strategy will improve profitability and allow us to
compete more effectively." 
About Steinway Musical Instruments 
Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc., through its Steinway and Conn-Selmer
subsidiaries, is one of the world's leading manufacturers of musical
instruments. Its notable products include Bach Stradivarius trumpets,
C.G. Conn French horns, King trombones, Ludwig snare drums, Selmer Paris
saxophones and Steinway & Sons pianos. Additional information can be
obtained by visiting the Company's web site: www.steinwaymusical.com 
"Safe Harbor" Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995 
This release contains "forward-looking statements" which represent the
Company's present expectations or beliefs concerning future events. The
Company cautions that such statements are necessarily based on certain
assumptions which are subject to risks and uncertainties which could
cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated herein.
These risk factors include the following: changes in general economic
conditions; recent geopolitical events; increased competition; work
stoppages and slowdowns; exchange rate fluctuations; variations in the
mix of products sold; fluctuations in effective tax rates resulting from
shifts in sources of income; and the ability to successfully integrate
and operate acquired businesses. Further information on these risk
factors is included in the Company's filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. 
Contact: 
Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc. 
Julie A. Theriault 
Telephone: 781-894-9770 
E-mail: ir@... 
 
 
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