Many years ago, Bob Mollard was a graduate conducting student at the College Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati. His conducting teacher suggested he buy a lightweight, well-balanced baton. Bob searched high and low but was dissatisfied with the quality of what he found so he decided to fashion a baton himself. He whittled down a dowel rod, shaped a wine cork into a handle and counterweighted the baton with a wood screw. He was quite pleased with the result, and eagerly showed it to his classmates.
That’s when the trouble started.
Everyone wanted one like his, so he promised to make more batons, which meant buying more supplies and more bottles of wine! Then everyone at school showed their friends, who wanted Bob to make batons for them. More supplies again. This chaos went on for several years, and it got to the point where Bob hated to answer the phone, fearing that it was yet another person wanting a baton, or that it was his mom pestering him to come visit more often, now that she was retired and had nothing to do.
Then it occurred to him… pesky customers on one hand, and a bored mom on the other… maybe, just maybe this could work….
And so, Mollard Conducting Batons was born! Mother Audrey Mollard was a skilled businesswoman, and so she organized the business, took orders and kept the books. Bob had to design a manufacturing process, procure materials (especially the cork) and make them. And so he did.
Over time, Mollard Conducting Batons became the worldwide leader of baton makers. Today you can find Mollard batons online and in better music stores worldwide.
Audrey retired from the business and cherished the many wonderful memories of people she met selling batons over the years. She lived to age 94.
Bob is still active in the company, even as he keeps up with his demanding performance schedule. The company is still family-owned and run.