DW Joins Roland | Australian Music Association

13th September 2022

Yesterday Roland Corporation and Drum Workshop Inc. announced an agreement for Roland to buy all remaining DW shares. The iconic drum company will join Roland as a standalone unit, bringing together their expertise and reach in both acoustic and electronic drums and percussion.

Drum Workshop CEO Chris Lombardi and co-founders Don Lombardi and John Good will continue to serve in their existing capacities at the company.

“In the world of acoustic drums, Drum Workshop stands distinctly apart,” said Gordon Raison, chief executive officer of Roland. “We have always been impressed and in awe of their products, their people and their craftsmanship in every dimension. Drum Workshop shares the same legacy and dedication to musical innovation that we have at Roland, and we are committed to supporting Drum Workshop in doing what they do best.”

“Roland’s philosophy in driving innovation across all forms of expression is complimentary with ours, and we are excited to join forces in this relationship that will benefit artists and musicians everywhere,” said Chris Lombardi, chief executive officer of Drum Workshop, Inc.

DW co-founder and chief product officer Dom Lombardi said “I have always been a fan of the innovation coming from Roland, and we are thrilled to partner with them on inventing solutions for future generations”. Lombardi’s co-founder John Good said, “I look forward to continuing to bring handcrafted, custom solutions to drummers with the partnership of Roland. Their reputation for driving product innovation is admirable, and we are looking forward to the additional support they will bring to our people, our artists and our industry partners.”

DW Collectors Series Snare Drum

“We have been deeply impressed by the people inside Drum Workshop and are excited to welcome Chris, Don, John and the entire Drum Workshop team to the Roland family,” added Masahiro Minowa, chief innovation officer of Roland. “A trailblazer in acoustic drums for the past 50 years, we’ve been equally blown away by the breakthrough innovation and new technology that Drum Workshop has been developing. We can’t wait for the world to see what’s in store that will benefit drummers everywhere.”

Drum Workshop manufactures and distributes DW Drums and Hardware, PDP, Gretsch Drums, Latin Percussion, and Slingerland.