E. K. Blessing is a manufacturer of wind instruments and accessories. The company was founded in 1906 by Emil Karl Blessing. Located in Elkhart, Indiana, their products include trumpets,

cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B, though there is also a sopr ...

flugelhorn The flugelhorn (), also spelled fluegelhorn, flugel horn, or flügelhorn, is a brass instrument that resembles the trumpet and cornet but has a wider, more conical bore. Like trumpets and cornets, most flugelhorns are pitched in B, though some ...

mellophone The mellophone is a brass instrument typically pitched in the key of F, though models in E, D, C, and G (as a bugle) have also historically existed. It has a conical bore, like that of the euphonium and flugelhorn. The mellophone is used as the m ...

s, euphoniums, trombones, and mouthpieces for brass instruments.

History

The company's founder was Emil Karl Blessing, Sr. (b Oppelsbohn, Württemberg 24 April 1880; d Elkhart 24 Sept 1954). He immigrated to America in 1896 and came to Elkhart. His first experience in the industry was working for Buescher, and it is said that he helped Gus Buescher design his first piston valves. Blessing worked for the

Mennonite Publishing House The Mennonite Publishing House was a non-profit publishing operation in Scottdale, Pennsylvania, controlled by the Mennonite Publication Board of the (old) Mennonite Church. It served as the primary publisher of the denomination's periodicals, book ...

in 1899 and 1900. He then went to Chicago and in 1903 his name appears on a payroll sheet for

Frank Holton Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Cur ...

. During his early years in the US he also worked for several tool and die firms. In 1906 Blessing returned to Elkhart and began making musical instruments in a small garage. For many years the operation was quite small. By 1926 the operation was officially known as the Emil K. Blessing Company. By 1936 it had become known as the E. K. Blessing Band Instrument Company. In 1940 it had incorporated, and in 1942 the name was changed to the less cumbersome E. K. Blessing Company, Inc. Emil was president of the company up to his death in 1954, and he was succeeded by his son E. Karl Blessing, Jr. In 1961

Paul E. Richards Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

merged Blessing with the

Martin Band Instrument Company The Martin Band Instrument Company was a musical instrument manufacturer in Elkhart, Indiana. The firm produced band instruments, including trumpets, cornets, fluegelhorns, trombones, and saxophones from 1908 through the 1960s. The brand was acqu ...

and F. A. Reynolds to form the "Roundtable of Music Craftsmen" (RMC). Karl Blessing remained plant manager during the RMC years. The arrangement collapsed in 1964, and Blessing reverted to its previous identity.

Merle O. Johnson Merle may refer to: People * Merle (given name), a given name used by both men and women * Merle (surname), a surname of French origin Others * Merle (dog coat), a pattern in dogs’ coats * Merle (grape), another name for the wine grape Merlot * ...

, who married one of Blessing's daughters, became the new president. For many years Blessing made student line brass instruments and marketed student model saxophones from other manufacturers under their own name. Merle Johnson later sold the company to his son Randy Johnson, and in 2009, Randy sold E. K. Blessing Inc. to Verne Q. Powell Flutes, Inc. In 2010, under the ownership of Verne Q. Powell Flutes Inc., E. K. Blessing has completely redesigned its student trumpets (BTR-1266, BTR-1277), created a new line of intermediate trumpets (BTR-1460) and introduced the first truly professional trumpet made by E. K. Blessing since the 1960s (BTR-1580). In 2015, E. K. Blessing Brass was sold to

St. Louis Music St. Louis Music (SLM) is a manufacturing company, manufacturer and distributor of musical instruments, accessories, and equipment. SLM distributes products from over 260 music products industry brands, is the corporate owner of several string ins ...

. The almost new Elkhart plant was closed and the craftsman laid-off. In 2018, the company was endorsed by

Doug Woolverton Doug is a male personal name (or, depending on which definition of "personal name" one uses, part of a personal name). It is sometimes a given name (or "first name"), but more often it is hypocorism (affectionate variation of a personal name) which ...

References

{{Reflist

Sources

Elkhart city directories (available Elkhart Public Library)McMakin, Dean "Musical Instrument Manufacturing in Elkhart, Indiana" (unpublished typescript, 1987, available Elkhart Public Library)The Elkhart Truth, Saturday 25 September 1954, obituary of E.K. BlessingInterviews with Blessing employees

External links

company website
Manufacturing companies established in 1906 Musical instrument manufacturing companies of the United States Companies based in Elkhart County, Indiana 1906 establishments in Indiana