LAKE CITY, Iowa — Dobson Pipe Organ Company of Lake City is getting a whole new start in a brand new building. The company’s former shop and office burned to the ground in the summer of 2021.
On Tuesday the firm cut the ribbon on their brand new building. The new shop was done with insurance money and a USDA loan.
“Incredibly grateful for all your help this wouldn’t have happened without the support of everyone from Lake City so thank you very much,” said John Panning, who bought the business from founder Lynn Dobson. “The first thing was that we knew we had commitments we had to honor clients put their trust in us and and asked us to build organs for them and we had to honor that best we could.”
Right away members of the community offered building space. There were some 5 to 6 locations in the three year period where individual parts of the organ were assembled. The 16 full-time employees remained committed to the company, so staying in town became the first choice.
Employees were also committed to moving forward with the building of an organ for Sydney, Australia. That instrument under construction had been burned in the fire.
Dobson got help from some organ builders who were retiring. They had specialized equipment for sale to help Dobson get back to work.
Simpson College offers free tuition to Des Moines, Indianola students who meet scholarship requirements “He called us up and said I’ve got this saw I don’t need it anymore and were we interested in it?” said Donnie Hobbs, who is the Dobson Shop Foreman. “He actually drove it down here in a U-Haul truck himself.”
“We have a good core of people here and have good faith in everybody in our leadership so looking forward to being here for a long time,” said Ryan Mueller who works in voicing the pipes to get the right sound in each and every bank of pipes.
Dobson Organ founder, Lynn Dobson still does some organ design for the firm, and he came back from his retirement home in St. Paul for the ribbon cutting.
“What was really rewarding for me was for Sydney, Australia. I watched them, they were operating out of four or five buildings around town,” said Dobson. “Yet when the organ was completed it, it was the same high-quality of craftsmanship as if it were not done under great duress.”
Dobson said the clients he has are not interested in the electronic sound, so for now they have plenty of work to do.
Dobson Organ is also celebrating 50 years i n business this fall.
To mark the anniversary, Dr. Bradley Welch, organist of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, will perform a concert on the Dobson Opus 13 organ that was built in 1980 for the Lake City Union Church. The concert will be at 7:30 p.m. on Friday October 18. Admission is free and there will be a reception afterward.
The following day, Saturday October 19, the new shop will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s located on the site of the old shop at 200 North Illinois Street in Lake City. The company said visitors will be shown around the new place and refreshments will be available.
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