In 1985, Earl Matzkin, the president and founder of Geneva International, had the foresight to seek out a small piano manufacturer in the communist-governed country of Czechoslovakia, known as Petrof.  Eager to inquire about importing the Petrof brand to the United States, Matzkin ran his credit card to the limit to pay for the plane ticket and other expenses, and headed to Leipzig, East Germany to meet members of the Petrof Company at the annual music fair.  Upon his arrival in East Germany, Matzkin was detained by the East German military for not possessing the required visas for travel to an Eastern Bloc country.  Matzkin was held in a small, isolated room by armed guards for several hours, during which time he was put through a rigorous interrogation process.  After negotiating and convincing his detainees of the true purpose of his trip, he was released, only to discover that Petrof was not exhibiting at the music fair that year.

 After making contact with Petrof a few weeks later, Matzkin was invited to tour the Petrof factory, meet with the company executives, as well as the craftsmen, and he was even given an in-depth look at the manufacturing process at the plant.  Impressed with what he had seen, Matzkin submitted a request to become the U.S. distributor of Petrof pianos.  In the fall of 1985, he was granted exclusive U.S. distribution rights to the Petrof and Weinbach brands.  He and his wife Elaine mortgaged their home in Chicago and imported the first twelve Petrof pianos into the United States.

 Everything seemed to be falling into place for the fledgling Geneva International Corporation until they were hit with a 40% duty on the pianos they had imported.  The exorbitant duty coupled with the negative attitude toward communist countries that was prevalent in the United States made the first year a difficult one for Geneva International.

 Matzkin did not let these obstacles stand in the way of his dream.  Instead, he went from dealer to dealer talking about the superior quality of the world-class Petrof and Weinbach pianos.  During their first year of operation, Geneva International sold fifty pianos and was delivering the message that Petrof and Weinbach were better alternatives to the Asian imports that had been flooding the marketplace.

 Geneva International continued on a steady growth pattern through 1989, the year that saw the collapse of the Berlin wall and the fall of the communist party.  The end of communism marked the birth of a new freedom for the Czech Republic and the beginning of duty free imports for Geneva International as the U.S. granted a preferred nation status to assist emerging nations such as the Czech Republic.  Petrof and Weinbach pianos, with their superior sound and performance and a completely restructured pricing system, quickly became highly desired instruments in the United States.

 In 2000, the music industry, in its entirety, was beginning to go through some changes in their manufacturing philosophies.  With the general consumer population becoming more price sensitive and a source of qualified labor opening in China, manufacturing began moving in droves from Europe to China to capitalize on the reduction of labor costs and, in effect, a less expensive product to offer consumers.  Matzkin took a proactive approach to this new opportunity and went to the Laioning Province of China to visit the Nordiska piano factory. 

 The decision to visit Nordiska was made out of Matzkin’s desire for Geneva International to not simply provide one of the many pianos being imported from China.  Instead, he wanted to provide the absolute best piano coming from that region.  Geneva International, having the reputation as a top distributor, was granted exclusive U.S. distribution rights to Nordiska pianos.  The relationship with Nordiska, however, was built on more than a simple manufacturer and distributor mentality.  Zhang Da Ming, president of Nordiska, had the same goals and aspirations as Earl expressed for the Nordiska brand and he opened the doors of the company to welcome the input of ideas and suggestions from Geneva International.  With the strength of these two companies working together toward a common goal, it didn’t take long for both men to realize their desires of making Nordiska, not only the best piano coming out of China, but an instrument that has joined the ranks of the finest, world-class pianos. 

 The Geneva International Corporation has indeed grown over the years and today they employ six District Sales Managers who are dedicated to serving geographical territories that span the U.S. and Puerto Rico.  Unlike the sales philosophy of utilizing self employed, manufacturer representatives used by many of Geneva International’s competitors, Geneva’s District Sales Managers are full-time employees of Geneva International and represent only the piano lines carried by Geneva International.  Geneva International also boasts a support staff in excess of twenty team members that are employed at the corporate headquarters in Wheeling, Illinois, approximately thirty miles northwest of Chicago.  Beyond the general office space, the corporate facility contains an elaborate piano showroom where nearly thirty pianos are continually on display, a state-of-the-art media room that plays host to employee and dealer training sessions, an expansive warehouse and an onsite service department where pianos are brought for warranty claims and other service requirements.

Although they are based out of the corporate offices, Geneva International’s Product Manager and Technical Support Manager spend much of their time visiting the Petrof and Nordiska factories to assist in product development, ensure the delivery of high quality instruments and foster positive business relationships.  The relationships that Geneva International maintains with their manufacturers allow them to remain a market driven company, thus allowing the U.S. market to dictate, through demand, which pianos are manufactured and imported into the country.  Market driven companies, such as Geneva International, have become a rarity in this day and age, as many piano manufacturers worldwide have adopted a factory driven philosophy that requires distributors and dealers to take whatever pianos are produced, regardless of the current supply or market demand for the product   The collaboration of efforts between Geneva International and their manufacturers is essential for the delivery of quality products and the continual development of new innovations in product design.

 Geneva International’s commitment to their dealers, however, extends far beyond simply providing quality products.  Dealers are provided with in-store training sessions for their sales professionals, as well as hands on seminars for their technicians at Geneva International’s service department.  Marketing support, such as ad design and merchandising materials, is also available as a service to the dealers.  In addition, Geneva International’s support team is dedicated to providing dealers with a rapid and accurate response to their inquiries, while the warranty and service department provides award-winning service to assist dealers with technical issues.

 Geneva International has grown into the largest, non-factory owned piano distributor in the world.  As Geneva International enters its twentieth year, the company continues to pursue growth opportunities that will prove beneficial to them as well as their dealers.  With the dynamic nature of the piano industry and the world’s economic conditions, Geneva International will continue to operate in the same proactive style that has allowed them to emerge as an industry leader.