EASTLAKE, OHIO — For four decades, Joe Klima followed the same routine. He woke up before sunrise at his home on Barbara Drive. His destination was a factory about a mile away. This facility was known for creating high-quality tubas, French horns, and sousaphones in a city northeast of Cleveland.
On June 30, a gathering took place at a local bar in Willowick, Ohio. Retired Conn Selmer employee, Jim Rosciszewski, embraced a former coworker as they marked the end of an era. It was the last shift at the Conn Selmer plant.
Notably, a donor supporting former President Trump had publicly criticized offshoring. Ironically, shortly afterward, his company shifted much of the plant’s operations to China.