-
General Antranik (1865-1927): “I am not a nationalist. I recognize only one nation, the nation of the oppressed.” -
ure cymbal-ism
by Sharda Prashad, Toronto Star
The Toronto Star
July 3, 2006 Monday
Acadian culture, scenic coastlines - New Brunswick is famous for
many things, even a cymbal company that's part of a four-century-old
Turkish dynasty.
Sabian Ltd., one of the top two cymbal manufacturers in the world,
laid its roots in Canada a quarter century ago after a bitter dispute
over ownership divided the business.
Today, Sabian's fighting another battle: remaining competitive against
a high dollar and high commodities prices.
Closing in on $40 million in gross sales, achieving double-digit
growth and counting the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Phil Collins
and other top percussionists among its customers, Sabian's winning.
Besides producing a world-class product, Sabian is dabbling in
futures contracts to offset the soaring price of copper, one of its
main costs. It is also selling higher-end products with bigger profit
margins more aggressively, and increasing top-line sales targets to
prevent a drop in bottom line, says Andy Zildjian, newly appointed
president.
Andy works alongside brother Bill, a former commodities trader and
drummer who looks after international customers and commodities
transactions.
If Sabian's profit-raising strategies aren't effective, it might
have to do something it's trying to avoid - increase the price of its
cymbals. For now, Sabian's strategy is working and a growing volume
of orders is pushing up production levels at its cymbal plant in
Meductic in southwestern New Brunswick.
The company, which employs 150, produces 1.2 million cymbals every
year. Sabian makes more than 1,500 different types, with rides,
crashes and hi-hats being the most popular. Most are made by machine.
But the old Turkish tradition hasn't been lost, as 15 craftsman hand
hammer about 20 per cent of the more high-end metal discs. Cymbals
cost between $64 and $770 for individual pieces, with custom-made
cymbals commanding a premium.
Everyone in Meductic, population of 189, seems to work at Sabian,
including town mayor James "Nort" Hargrove, vice-president of
manufacturing.
How exactly did a company that was started by an Armenian alchemist
named Avedis in Constantinople in the 1600s end up in Meductic?
Avedis Zildjian III moved from Istanbul to Massachusetts in the
1920s. Both of his sons, Armand and Robert, were involved in Avedis
Zildjian Co. with a mission that's not changed since the days of
Constantinople: to make the world's best cymbals.
One of the reasons family businesses tend to endure longer than others
is there is a substantive mission, says David Simpson, professor of
entrepreneurship and family business at the University of Western
Ontario's Ivey School of Business.
The statistic that just 10 per cent of family businesses make it
to a third generation is often thought of as a bad thing, says the
professor, but most companies that have existed for more than 100
years are family businesses.
If you consider the family businesses of Sabian, The New York Times,
or Michelin Tires, says the professor, all seem to have transferred
the business values from generation to generation rather than just
passing the entrepreneurial reins.
For Avedis' younger son Robert, there was never any question he'd
continue the family business. After serving in World War II, Robert
visited New Brunswick for fishing and camping trips. He was hooked
on Canada, not just on the country's wilderness, but its inhabitants.
Robert believed they could produce the coveted cymbals.
Robert expanded the company's operation to Meductic in the late
1960s and hired 15 staff to manufacture the company's most-labour
intensive cymbals.
When Avedis died in 1979, the brothers spent two years battling over
ownership, until Robert decided to leave the family business and open
a new cymbal company. What's fascinating about Sabian, says Simpson,
is the family feud wasn't about getting out of the family business,
since both were dedicated to staying in it and there are few examples
where a family squabble leads to direct competition. The formation
of Adidas and Puma in 1948 after brothers Rudolf and Adolf fought
over their shoe company is another example. Usually family feuds
occur when someone wants to move the business in a new direction,
dissolve it, or leave it.
Robert took over the small Canadian operation in 1981, expanded it
and named it Sabian after daughter Sam and sons Bill and Andy. There
was a one-year non-compete clause with Zildjian that meant Sabian
couldn't sell cymbals in the United States. In 1983, it turned a
profit for the first time. Robert dryly divulges the amount: $1,750.
The firm has since experienced double-digit annual growth and Andy
wants to close in on $50 million in sales and eventually overtake its
main competitor - Avedis Zildjian Co. of course. Armand died in 2002
and that firm is now run by his daughters.
To compete in the cymbal world, Robert, who is 82 and chairman (he
quips that there's no board), says Sabian has to innovate in making
cymbals, and get more people playing these copper discs.
The company targets three markets: recreational players, such as
those who play in garage bands, professionals, and growing ranks
buying cymbals as part of a therapeutic music regime. The cymbals
are also promoted in schools, with the hope that young musicians
will catch the Sabian fever early. Robert says the most effective
marketing tool is word of mouth.
That's how Brendan Buckley, drummer and music producer currently
touring with Shakira in Europe, found out about Sabian. He started
using the brand in 1997 when he was on tour with Julio Iglesias
after a former classmate raved about the product. "I trusted his ears
immensely, so my curiosity was piqued," says Buckley.
The best way to choose a cymbal is by playing it, he says, since no
two sound the same.
Buckley has worked with Shakira for eight years, and while he says she
doesn't concern herself with product names, she has "remarkable ears."
Another reason why the company has prospered is that its mission
includes meeting the needs of all customers, meaning it caters to
the discriminating needs of professionals.
"It's not easy to get to Meductic," says Robert, but drummers such
as Phil Collins and the Neil Peart of Rush have made the journey.
"If you get a devoted musician, they'll have a sound in the back of
their mind."
Sabian will work with drummers until the exact sound can be replicated
on the cymbal. Despite a high dollar, soaring metals prices and a
bitter family feud, Zildjian's association with cymbals continues to
endure after several centuries.
GRAPHIC: Steve MacGillivary special to the star Sabian Ltd. chairman
Robert Zildjian, left, with son Andy, set up shop in Canada in 1981
after battling his brother over succession of their father's company,
Avedis Zildjian Co.General Antranik (1865-1927): “I am not a nationalist. I recognize only one nation, the nation of the oppressed.”Comment
-
Pure cymbal-ism
by Sharda Prashad, Toronto Star
The Toronto Star
July 3, 2006 Monday
Acadian culture, scenic coastlines - New Brunswick is famous for
many things, even a cymbal company that's part of a four-century-old
Turkish dynasty.
Sabian Ltd., one of the top two cymbal manufacturers in the world,
laid its roots in Canada a quarter century ago after a bitter dispute
over ownership divided the business.
Today, Sabian's fighting another battle: remaining competitive against
a high dollar and high commodities prices.
Closing in on $40 million in gross sales, achieving double-digit
growth and counting the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Phil Collins
and other top percussionists among its customers, Sabian's winning.
Besides producing a world-class product, Sabian is dabbling in
futures contracts to offset the soaring price of copper, one of its
main costs. It is also selling higher-end products with bigger profit
margins more aggressively, and increasing top-line sales targets to
prevent a drop in bottom line, says Andy Zildjian, newly appointed
president.
Andy works alongside brother Bill, a former commodities trader and
drummer who looks after international customers and commodities
transactions.
If Sabian's profit-raising strategies aren't effective, it might
have to do something it's trying to avoid - increase the price of its
cymbals. For now, Sabian's strategy is working and a growing volume
of orders is pushing up production levels at its cymbal plant in
Meductic in southwestern New Brunswick.
The company, which employs 150, produces 1.2 million cymbals every
year. Sabian makes more than 1,500 different types, with rides,
crashes and hi-hats being the most popular. Most are made by machine.
But the old Turkish tradition hasn't been lost, as 15 craftsman hand
hammer about 20 per cent of the more high-end metal discs. Cymbals
cost between $64 and $770 for individual pieces, with custom-made
cymbals commanding a premium.
Everyone in Meductic, population of 189, seems to work at Sabian,
including town mayor James "Nort" Hargrove, vice-president of
manufacturing.
How exactly did a company that was started by an Armenian alchemist
named Avedis in Constantinople in the 1600s end up in Meductic?
Avedis Zildjian III moved from Istanbul to Massachusetts in the
1920s. Both of his sons, Armand and Robert, were involved in Avedis
Zildjian Co. with a mission that's not changed since the days of
Constantinople: to make the world's best cymbals.
One of the reasons family businesses tend to endure longer than others
is there is a substantive mission, says David Simpson, professor of
entrepreneurship and family business at the University of Western
Ontario's Ivey School of Business.
The statistic that just 10 per cent of family businesses make it
to a third generation is often thought of as a bad thing, says the
professor, but most companies that have existed for more than 100
years are family businesses.
If you consider the family businesses of Sabian, The New York Times,
or Michelin Tires, says the professor, all seem to have transferred
the business values from generation to generation rather than just
passing the entrepreneurial reins.
For Avedis' younger son Robert, there was never any question he'd
continue the family business. After serving in World War II, Robert
visited New Brunswick for fishing and camping trips. He was hooked
on Canada, not just on the country's wilderness, but its inhabitants.
Robert believed they could produce the coveted cymbals.
Robert expanded the company's operation to Meductic in the late
1960s and hired 15 staff to manufacture the company's most-labour
intensive cymbals.
When Avedis died in 1979, the brothers spent two years battling over
ownership, until Robert decided to leave the family business and open
a new cymbal company. What's fascinating about Sabian, says Simpson,
is the family feud wasn't about getting out of the family business,
since both were dedicated to staying in it and there are few examples
where a family squabble leads to direct competition. The formation
of Adidas and Puma in 1948 after brothers Rudolf and Adolf fought
over their shoe company is another example. Usually family feuds
occur when someone wants to move the business in a new direction,
dissolve it, or leave it.
Robert took over the small Canadian operation in 1981, expanded it
and named it Sabian after daughter Sam and sons Bill and Andy. There
was a one-year non-compete clause with Zildjian that meant Sabian
couldn't sell cymbals in the United States. In 1983, it turned a
profit for the first time. Robert dryly divulges the amount: $1,750.
The firm has since experienced double-digit annual growth and Andy
wants to close in on $50 million in sales and eventually overtake its
main competitor - Avedis Zildjian Co. of course. Armand died in 2002
and that firm is now run by his daughters.
To compete in the cymbal world, Robert, who is 82 and chairman (he
quips that there's no board), says Sabian has to innovate in making
cymbals, and get more people playing these copper discs.
The company targets three markets: recreational players, such as
those who play in garage bands, professionals, and growing ranks
buying cymbals as part of a therapeutic music regime. The cymbals
are also promoted in schools, with the hope that young musicians
will catch the Sabian fever early. Robert says the most effective
marketing tool is word of mouth.
That's how Brendan Buckley, drummer and music producer currently
touring with Shakira in Europe, found out about Sabian. He started
using the brand in 1997 when he was on tour with Julio Iglesias
after a former classmate raved about the product. "I trusted his ears
immensely, so my curiosity was piqued," says Buckley.
The best way to choose a cymbal is by playing it, he says, since no
two sound the same.
Buckley has worked with Shakira for eight years, and while he says she
doesn't concern herself with product names, she has "remarkable ears."
Another reason why the company has prospered is that its mission
includes meeting the needs of all customers, meaning it caters to
the discriminating needs of professionals.
"It's not easy to get to Meductic," says Robert, but drummers such
as Phil Collins and the Neil Peart of Rush have made the journey.
"If you get a devoted musician, they'll have a sound in the back of
their mind."
Sabian will work with drummers until the exact sound can be replicated
on the cymbal. Despite a high dollar, soaring metals prices and a
bitter family feud, Zildjian's association with cymbals continues to
endure after several centuries.
GRAPHIC: Steve MacGillivary special to the star Sabian Ltd. chairman
Robert Zildjian, left, with son Andy, set up shop in Canada in 1981
after battling his brother over succession of their father's company,
Avedis Zildjian Co.General Antranik (1865-1927): “I am not a nationalist. I recognize only one nation, the nation of the oppressed.”Comment
-
BOXERS OF ARMENIA RETURN HOMELAND WITH PRIZES
Noyan Tapan
Aug 14 2006
BERDICHEVSK, AUGUST 14, NOYAN TAPAN. At the international youth
tournament of box finished on August 13 in the Ukrainian city
of Berdichevsk, 95 sportsmen of 5 countries contended for prizes
after Vitali Klichko, an Olympic champion of the heaviest weight
category. From the 8 representatives of Armenia, Ara Puluzian
(Etchmiadzin) perforning in the 60 kg weight category, became the
winner. Artur Baghdasarian (48 kg, Yerevan), Samvel Barseghian (51
kg, Sevan), Azat Hovhannisian (54 kg, Etchmiadzin) gained the second
place. Robert Petrosian (64 kg, Yerevan) and Tsolak Ananikian (81 kg,
Arinj) were in the third place.General Antranik (1865-1927): “I am not a nationalist. I recognize only one nation, the nation of the oppressed.”Comment
-
SURVEY PINPOINTS ETHNIC WINNERS AND LOSERS IN 'MELTING POT' BRITAIN - ARMENIANS BEST
Robert Winnett and Holly Watt
The Times, UK
Sept 10 2006
Found: migrants with the mostest
ARMENIAN immigrants and their descendants are the most successful
ethnic group in the country, according to an analysis of "melting
pot" Britain.
They are followed by the Japanese, Dutch and Greek Cypriots among the
groups who are economically and socially most successful. Bangladeshi
Muslims and migrants from Sierra Leone and Syria have fared worst.
The new analysis places the 42.2m adults registered to vote in
mainland Britain in 200 ethnic groups - on the basis of a person's
surname and first name.
The information is linked to a marketing database to rank the
socioeconomic status of each group. The system, Origins Info, is
used by hospitals, retailers and charities to tailor their services
to individual ethnic groups.
Its developers claim it is reliable even though most married women
adopt their husband's name and some immigrants may have changed their
surname to avoid discrimination.
Richard Webber, a professor of spatial analysis at University College,
London who developed Origins Info, said: "The patterns that this
analysis have uncovered are striking. We are hoping it will prove a
valuable tool for government and business."
The system can also be used to identify where different ethnic groups
live and the ethnic composition of the professions.
It reveals that Ripley in Derbyshire is the "most English" place in
England with 88.58% of residents having an English ethnic background.
The most diverse area is south Tottenham, in north London, which is
home to 113 ethnic groups from Bretons to Vietnamese.
Southall in west London has the least English gene pool - just 17.82%
of residents in the area nicknamed "little India" are of English
ethnic origin.
Ian Smith, 63, a carpenter, who has lived in Southall since 1978, said:
"Of the 90 or so houses in my street I would say there are fewer than
10 English families. Most are Sikhs but there are now more Somalis
and quite a few Poles.
"Sometimes I do feel slightly intimidated because it can feel like
a foreign country at times. But we get on well with our neighbours
who are both Sikhs."
The analysis shows the persistence of ethnic clusters decades after
the group first arrived in Britain. Greek Cypriots are concentrated
in Broxbourne and Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire and Margate in Kent,
Italians can be found in Bedford and Waltham Cross and the Dutch in
Plockton in the Scottish Highlands and Llanwrtyd Wells in Wales.
Cardiff has a high concentration of Maltese residents because it was
the port where many disembarked after naval service during the 1940s
and 1950s. The Chinese are in Oxford, Harlow and Milton Keynes and
Hispanics in Eastbourne, Crawley and Ascot. In Wales, English border
areas have been colonised by those with a Welsh background.
Overall, there is a disproportionately high number of immigrants
in business, law and medicine. An analysis of doctors, using data
provided by the Medical Directory, found the proportion of medics
with northern Indian roots is more than 10 times higher than for the
population as a whole. Spaniards and Romanians are also significantly
"over-represented" as doctors.
Similarly, Russians, the Dutch and Nigerians are over-represented
among barristers.
A disproportionate number of company directors are from immigrant
stock. The Japanese, Russians and people from the Nordic countries
are heavily over-represented among the country's 5.3m directors and
partners. The English are one of the least commercially minded races,
according to this measure.
One in four restaurants is run by a Muslim and one in four chemists
by an Indian or a Sri Lankan.
Danny Sriskandarajah, head of migration, equalities and citizenship
at the Institute for Public Policy Research, a Blairite think tank,
said immigrant groups often had enduring characteristics. "There's
something unique and special about people prepared to break the ties
with home. Throughout history, only a tiny percentage of people moved
any sort of distance. A few entrepreneurial, adventurous types have
the wherewithal and motivation to move."
Of the 2,651 people of Armenian descent in Britain, more than 1,600
run businesses and a high proportion live in expensive parts of
west London.
Among the most successful is Bob Manoukian, property developer and
former agent for Prince Jefri of Brunei. He has a family fortune of
£300m, according to The Sunday Times Rich List.
Other successful people with Armenian roots include David xxxxinson,
presenter of the BBC's Bargain Hunt, and Ara Palamoudian, chairman
of the Armenian community & church council of Great Britain.
He said: "Armenians have always tried to be self-sufficient and not to
be a burden on any country. It could be the history of the Armenian
people, the way their lives have been over centuries. They had to
find shelter around the world."
Many Armenians fled to England after the first world war, during
which up to 1.5m died, amid allegations of genocide by the Turks.
Other waves arrived in the 1970s and 1980s.
General Antranik (1865-1927): “I am not a nationalist. I recognize only one nation, the nation of the oppressed.”Comment
-
We love Da Bull!
Tomorrow night (Oct. 7) Vic Darchinyan will defend his title as world champion at the Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. We support you Vic!!!
Comment
-
"Vic Looked Superb", breaks opponents jaw...
Originally posted by Hovik
07.10.06 - By Izyaslav “Slava” Koza: In a situation eerily similar to Arthur Abraham’s bout with Edison Miranda, Glenn Donaire suffered a broken jaw in his bout with Vakhtang “Vic” Darchinyan. The similarities ended there, however, as Donaire indicated to the ref, Tony Weeks, that he could not continue due to a “phantom” headbutt foul. The replay clearly showed Darchinyan landing a straight left that rocked Donaire at which point he stopped the action himself and told the doctor and the referee he could not go on.
Donaire clearly lost every round up to that point and was knocked down in the bout. It was abundantly clear that he was looking to quit and really the bout should have been stopped via technical knock out, as the blow came from a punch.
Darchinyan looked superb, and the one time Donaire decided to engage he found himself on the ground via the knockdown. Darchniyan missed with an uppercut and landed the left to cause the damage and the count. Darchinyan barely missed a punch during the whole fight, and was very entertaining in his third or fourth Showtime Debut.
Comment
-
In Loving Memory of Vartouhi Vartanyan
IN LOVING MEMORY...
ArmenianGenocide.com mourns the death of one of our nation's most talented artists, singer Vartouhi Vartanyan, who passed away in a tragic car accident on October 15, 2006. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her loved ones.
Comment
-
Armenian Soccer defeats Azeris
Now Uefa is reporting that the Azeri's won instead.General Antranik (1865-1927): “I am not a nationalist. I recognize only one nation, the nation of the oppressed.”Comment
-
Alecko Eskandarian
an support a factor for D.C. United
By Dylan Butler / MLSnet.com Staff
Alecko Eskandarian (right) was amused by the verbal abuse he took from Red Bulls fans. (Tony Quinn/MLS/WireImage.com)
E. RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Alecko Eskandarian is used to getting a mixed reaction from the Giants Stadium crowd when he and D.C. United take on the New York Red Bulls. While the majority of the crowd root against him because of the jersey he is wearing, the Montvale, N.J., native and former Bergen Catholic star often hears cheers from his family and friends in the stands.
But that was different Saturday in the opening leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series.
"I was laughing during warmups and I was like, 'Man, I think they kind of hate me now,'" Eskandarian said. "It was kind of weird because usually I come here and get a bunch of cheers from people who I grew up with, but today there were a lot of boo birds out there. But I just laugh it off."
Eskandarian chalks up his new villain status at the Meadowlands to his controversial goal celebration April 22 when he ran to the sideline after scoring in a dominating first half of a 4-1 win and grabbed a can of Red Bull from Jamil Walker sitting on the bench. He cracked it open, took a swig and then spit out the energy drink on the artificial turf.
He was fined $250 by the league for his celebration, one that has turned him into Public Enemy No. 1 in his home state.
"I know what it's like, I used to boo people when I was in the stands growing up too, so I take it with a grain of salt and I appreciate it," Eskandarian said. "They're just being good home fans and I just clap for them."
Instead of focusing on the negative energy coming from the majority of the 8,630 in attendance on a windy and cool Saturday, Eskandarian praised the vocal traveling support that was tucked away in the mezzanine on one end of the stadium.
"I've never seen away fans come to RFK with a group like D.C. fans come with to our away games," he said. "They're just great. Even when they're in the mezzanine so far away, you can still hear them, still see the waving flags. It definitely helps us and inspires us a lot. I'm very grateful that we have fans like we do."
He wasn't the only one impressed with the fans who made the trek, leaving happy after Christian Gomez's 77th-minute goal gave United the advantage in the series with a 1-0 victory.
"They can put our fans on the lower bowl, on the high bowl or maybe outside the stadium, we still would play for them," D.C. coach Peter Nowak said. "I'm very thankful to have these kinds of fans. They can put them in the parking lot, we're still going to have a presence. It was a great effort from them."
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.General Antranik (1865-1927): “I am not a nationalist. I recognize only one nation, the nation of the oppressed.”Comment
Tweet
Comment