ISO initiative

Are you planning to retire from your firm? Do you need to find someone to buy or lead it?

Are you interested in buying or running an organbuilding company? ISO Treasurer Guido Schumacher explains how the ISO can make the necessary introductions.

For every company there comes a time when one generation must give way to another.

This is a critical moment for any organbuilder.

If the right person cannot be found to purchase or lead a company, many years of experience and achievement may be lost: several ISO member firms have sadly disappeared in recent years for this very reason.

Wishing to assist companies in this situation, the ISO Board has decided to create a confidential ‘matchmaking’ service which will introduce owners of organbuilding firms to potential new owners or leaders.This service will be available to all firms, whether or not they are ISO members.

How will the new matchmaking service work?

Owners of organbuilding companies are invited to complete a questionnaire, download: Owner form
The completed questionnaire should be sent directly to the Matchmaker. Information submitted to the Matchmaking Service will be handled in strict confidence by the Matchmaker alone, and will not be revealed to any other individual within or outside the ISO. Specifically, the Matchmaker will not reveal the owner’s name or details to any candidate.

Candidates who are interested in owning or leading an organbuilding company are equally invited to complete a separate questionnaire, download: Candidate form and to send it in confidence to the Matchmaker. Candidates agree that their names and details may be sent by the Matchmaker to the owner of an appropriate organbuilding company; it will then be the owner’s responsibility to contact the candidate. Owners undertake to treat candidates’ information as confidential.

The Board has appointed Mark Venning as the first ISO Matchmaker. Mark, who served as ISO President from 1994 to 2000, retired in 2010 after 35 years as managing director of the English organbuilders Harrison & Harrison, and remains chairman of that company. He will work confidentially on behalf of the ISO Board. The Board hopes that this service will be of value to organbuilders worldwide. ISO members are asked to publicise it as widely as possible. Questions about the new system may be addressed to Mark Venning at mbv.h.h@btinternet.com or to Guido Schumacher, ISO Treasurer, at treasurer@iso-organ.org