Dobson Pipe Organ Builders, the world-renowned musical instrument manufacturer in Calhoun County, celebrated the groundbreaking for a new facility yesterday (Wednesday), just over two years after a devastating fire destroyed their previous shop. The June 15, 2021 fire in downtown Lake City obliterated the Dobson workspace and left them without many of the highly specialized tools needed to create their musical works of art. Owner, John Panning, says Wednesday’s groundbreaking was a long time coming.
Around 200 people attended the ceremony at Dobson Pipe Organ Builders’ future facility in downtown Lake City, the same site where they have been located for decades. Panning says the company’s future was uncertain after the fire, but an outpouring of support from around the globe kept them operational.
The Dobson team has been working out of several unused spaces in Lake City since the fire and will continue to do so until the new shop is finished. Panning says they are fortunate to have that space as they continue to receive orders for new organs.
Construction is expected to last about a year, and Panning says they anxiously await the day they can move into their new facility.
