Korg USA's Joe Castronovo, Matt Phillips and AJ Reitz (L to R) present the 2012 Korg USA Key Note Award to E Studio Star's Fontaine Su (in red dress) in the category of Best New E-Commerce Dealer.

Korg USA President Joseph Castronovo stated, “Chairman Katoh was a true visionary and a personal friend, and he will be missed by everyone at Korg and indeed, the entire music industry. Over the past twenty years, I have witnessed firsthand the ways in which Korg has flourished under his and his family’s guidance and leadership. His passion and professional goals were one and the same: to provide innovative tools for musicians to help them grow their craft. And those goals remained the same throughout his life and career. He will be deeply missed.â€

"Korg USA has had a reputation as a brand builder," said Joe Castronovo, Korg USA president.

Joe Castronovo Joe Castronovo President & CEO, Korg USA, Inc. One such industry veteran is Joe Castronovo, President and CEO, Korg USA, Inc., who recently granted The Retailer an interview to discuss Korg USA as it currently exists, his storied background with the company, where things might go from here and why Summer NAMM remains vitally important. Joe Castronovo: My background was in finance and operations. Castronovo: I was a finance and operations guy, so I always was fascinated with the supply chain and bringing products in and getting things out. Castronovo: Korg USA is a distributor, but consumers look at us as separate companies, tooâ€"meaning, to them, we are Korg USA, VOX USA, Lâg USA, Blackstar USA and HK USA. Castronovo: When I started here, in 1984, it was an $18 million company. Castronovo: I always try to look at it from the standpoint of a retailer or somebody who does business with Korg USA. Castronovo: Making sure their needs are fully met is important, because they’re your customers. That’s another thing: As a distributor, you are also in contact with the end consumers a lot. So, you have to support both groups: the retailers who represent your goods, and the loyal consumers who purchase and use them. The Retailer: In the music products segment, there are often a great number of creative individuals who work for MI companies. Would you say that the Korg USA team is a very creative one, where the products you are involved with daily are actually a big part of the team’s personal lives? Castronovo: Oh, absolutely. Many of our employees are members of local bands and gig regularly. They are all passionate about the products they work with and play. That’s what makes this industry and this job so exciting. The Retailer: Does this kind of personal connection lead to a fruitful, productive workplace and dedicated employees? Castronovo: Yes…because they take it personally, which is really important. Castronovo: Over the years, the manufacturers that Korg USA has represented have continued to develop innovative products. They are striving to produce market-driven products, and our expectations for the future are no different. I can’t yet share anything specifically with you, but come to the Summer NAMM show and you’ll see some of the new things that we’re going to be presenting there and throughout the year. The Retailer: What products are available right now through Korg USA that you’re finding to be particularly persuasive to the marketplace? Castronovo: Our Kronos keyboard, which has proven to be a game changer in the workstation market. Castronovo: It is our philosophy. Castronovo: Absolutely. I’ve been in this industry for a long time. Castronovo: I guess I would say keeping up with the consumers. Castronovo: Yesâ€"â€"we have our own Facebook pages, YouTube channels and Twitter accounts for most of our brands. And they’re all very active, with large numbers of followers. Castronovo: I wouldn’t say we were preparedâ€"I don’t think anybody was preparedâ€"but I think it started early on for us. Castronovo: We refocused a little bit of our marketing, going more toward social media and the Internet. Castronovo: The industry had a couple of rough years, as we all know. Castronovo: Since we have three brands that are fairly new in the U.S.â€"Lâg Guitars, Blackstar Amplifiers and HK Audioâ€"we’ll be continuing to grow them while maintaining a high level of awareness for Korg and VOX. So, there won’t be any changes overall. Korg Inc., our parent company, continues to produce innovative products, so we look for more great things in the future. As for Korg USA, part of our strategy is to grow through offerings for the current brands we represent and through product-line acquisitions. The Retailer: Any preview of what those acquisitions might be? Castronovo: We continuously look for opportunities to expand our company and look for product lines that complement our current product offerings and the markets we serve. The Retailer: Is Korg USA going to be at Summer NAMM? What is your trade show strategy, as far as where you think you need to go and whom you’re trying to reach out to? Castronovo: Yes, we’re planning to attend the summer show. Castronovo: I agree. We’ve been in and out of the show for years. Castronovo: We have a lot of work to do, but I think the industry is still pretty strong.

Korg USA president Joe Castronovo noted, “In line with Korg USA’s longstanding reputation as a brand builder, we welcome the opportunity to develop the HK brand in the U.S. HK is a high-quality and respected brand in Europe, and we’re proud to now represent them in our market.â€