1964-1970: The Move to Texas

1964: Richards Music and the RMC divisions dissolved in late 1963 or early 1964 and company assets were placed on the auction block. The assets of the F.A. Reynolds Co. were purchased by Maurice Berlin and the Chicago Musical Instrument (CMI) company; at the time, CMI was one of the largest musical instrument distributors in the world and owned F.E. Olds, Lowrey Organs, Gibson Guitars and several other firms.

As the new owners of F.A. Reynolds, one of CMI's first actions was to pack up and move the company from its long-time plant in Cleveland to a new manufacturing facility in Abilene, Texas (August). One report links the Abilene facility to the Caldwell Products factory established by James Caldwell and Roth-Reynolds a decade earlier.

With the move to Texas, CMI began the merger of F.A. Reynolds' and F.E. Olds' operations. Production for both companies during 1964-1970 was split between the Olds' plant in Fullerton (350 South Raymond Avenue, Fullerton, CA) and the new Reynolds factory in Abilene (5520 North First Street, Abilene, TX). The trumpet, cornet, horn (except nickel-silver models) and trombone lines for both companies were made at the Olds plant in Fullerton, while the other brasses (plus nickel silver horns) for both companies were made at the Reynolds plant in Abilene. Some low brass parts, particularly tuba and sousaphone bells, were produced in Fullerton and then shipped to Texas for assembly with other parts being made in Abilene.

In addition to instrument manufacturing in the Abilene plant, CMI established the Consolidated Band Instrument Service company as a distributor of instrument accessories, including lubricants, oils, grease, etc. for brass instruments.

The Reynolds serial number sequence was reset at 200,000 and instruments were engraved with "Made in Abilene, Texas" regardless of whether they were produced in Abilene or Fullerton.

1965: Reynolds hosted a Texas-themed "Reynolds Round-Up" open house on April 9-10, 1965 to celebrate the new plant in Abilene. Print advertisements from 1965 are "Texas themed" and celebrate Reynolds' new start.

1969: CMI was purchased by conglomerate Ecuadorian Company Limited (ECL), a Panamanian holding company whose principal business was a brewery in Ecuador. A year later ECL became Norlin Industries -- "Norlin" was named for Norton Stevens, ECL president, and Maurice Berlin, CMI president. CMI became Norlin Music (later Norlin Industries after a merger with Aiken Industries in 1978).

Merle Johnson recalls that as Maurice Berlin grew older, increasing control of Norlin operations was given to Berlin's son, Arnold M. Berlin, and his college associates. This ushered in the era of aggressive profit management and ultimately spelled the beginning of the end for Olds and Reynolds.