QampA with Nancy Wagner
Published: WORSHIP
Mark Johnson speaks to Nancy Wagner, director of international sales for Wenger Corporation about the importance of the worship market to the manufacturer.
What is the history of the company? When did you start and what was the product focus?
The Wenger Corporation started in 1940 in the basement of Harry Wenger. Harry Wenger served as Music Director for the Owatonna, Minnesota public schools and found a need for his students who were playing the sousaphone. Due to the bulky and heavy nature of the instrument, it was often difficult for children to lift the instrument up and get the proper playing position; so Harry Wenger designed a Sousaphone Chair in 1946, which became a hit. By 1950, Harry Wenger had left teaching to become a full-time manufacturer, designing products specifically for music educators and music students. The company prospered. In 1970, Harry Wenger turned over the reins of the company to his son Jerry, who in turn, passed the reins to his three daughters. Today, annual sales are over US$100 million. The product line has grown dramatically to now include music stands, risers, instrument storage cabinets, acoustic wall and ceiling panels, acoustic shells and a whole line of portable staging. The company remains privately held. Wenger is world-renown for its quality, service and innovative music education products.
Where is your headquarters located?
Wenger's headquarters are located in Owatonna, Minnesota, about 60 miles south of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St Paul).
How do you distribute products to Asian countries?
Wenger sells directly to some customers (primarily International Schools) and through authorised distributors in other countries. Most of our distributors have some kind of affiliation with music and/or performing arts and may, for example, sell other products and equipment into this market space, such as lighting, rigging, and stage equipment or are involved in music education to some degree.
What type of products do you make that are used in houses of worship? And how are they used?
One of Wenger’s primary products into the worship market is none other than our Signature Choral Riser. This is a three or four-step riser that accommodates choral groups. It is simple to set up, offers superb stability and easily integrates with back and side railing for safety. It rolls easily through doorways and folds for compact storage. Our products may be used at the house of worship, or outside the environs of the church, if, for example, the church hosts a ‘traveling choir’. Wenger products are such that they are designed to be portable, transportable and lightweight.
What is the most popular product for houses of worship?
The Signature Choral Riser is a popular product, as well as our Legacy and Travelmaster acoustic shells. Our music stands are well known as well as our ‘Rack And Roll’ garment racks for transporting and storing choir robes.
Is there anything that is unique about the HOW market as opposed to the other market segments?
The worship market is not as cohesive as the education market and is not restricted, for example, to requirements that K-12 schools or colleges/universities may have. Budgeting is important to the HOW market, including companies, like Wenger, that can offer multiple price-range options.
Have there been any trends or shifts over the last 15 or so years in the types of products churches have purchased?
Churches, like schools, have become more savvy with their spend. They are looking not only at price, but long-term value.
What are some of the environmental initiatives that Wenger has undertaken? And why are they important to Wenger?
Wenger is a member of the US Green Building Council and LEED Construction initiatives and is committed to building environmentally friendly products. We recycle in our manufacturing facility, we conserve resources (such as using recycled paper wherever possible), we re-use our packaging materials and we maintain ‘green initiatives’ as a strategic corporate focus.
Is there any other information regarding Wenger and the HOW market?
Wenger has been looking to grow our international market and the HOW market, especially in Asia-Pacific, has been of interest to us. By partnering with Worship AVL Magazine, Wenger hopes to reach more churches and choir masters that may not have heard of Wenger or know about our products. We welcome questions and queries and would be happy to provide a quotation. We also have a specialized market focus on our website for Worship Environments at: www.wengercorp.com/markets/worship.