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Solich Piano expands footprint beyond Valley
By KALEA HALL
khall@vindy.com
Video
BOARDMAN
Thomas Solich, 30, sits on a piano bench in front of a Kawai piano.
His 10 fingers effortlessly run across the keys like magic — making the notes of his arrangement on the theme for “Phantom of the Opera” bounce off of the walls, ceiling and floor in perfect order.
Solich’s excitement radiates as he plays and continues even when he is just talking about his passion: pianos.
The blind concert pianist and businessman has always had naysayers, yet he still reached for the stars, the moon and the invisible goal line he set for himself just eight years ago.
He reached his goal, and, above that, he has made people happy.
“It makes me happy that I am a part of something that spans lifetimes,” said Solich, originally from Howland. “Solich Piano is just getting started.”
A year and a half ago Solich Piano added a second location in Columbus, and come fall a Solich Piano and Music Co. will open in Pittsburgh. The “launch pad” Boardman storefront where it all began will close in mid-summer, but that does not mean Solich is leaving behind its roots. A warehouse of pianos and offices will stay here and Solich is contemplating a private viewing area.
Jerry Porter, national director of institutional programs for Kawai, saw Solich’s potential and dedication when he first met him years ago.
“He just has a natural sense of our business and a tremendous passion for piano,” Porter said.
That passion began when he was just in kindergarten learning how to play, and led him to tackle a tough industry when he was just 22 and not yet a college graduate from Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music in 2006. He took over a former music store at 1315 U.S. Route 224. He knew he wanted to expand his business, but he wanted to make sure he was cautious.
“I reached outside of the Valley and started to cultivate business in Columbus and Pennsylvania,” Solich said.
In addition to selling a variety of acoustic and digital pianos from Japanese and Chinese to American and European makers, the piano store also continues to sell sheet music for piano teachers in the area and will continue to offer those services through the company’s website.
“We turned our predecessor, a house for sheet music, into this landmark where people come a couple hundred miles to buy a piano,” Solich said. “Now, we are doing 10 times the revenue that was done when we acquired the business.”
Solich is the exclusive operator for the Pittsburgh Opera. The company has also sold to the New England Conservatory, universities, churches and local schools.
For the last two years, 70 percent of the company’s business has come from outside the Valley.
“Solich Piano has really developed into a national pillar,” Solich said. “It’s time to expand our footprint.”
Through the years Solich has developed a keen ability of sitting down at a piano, feeling the keys and listening to know what type of piano it is.
“I select a piano on its sound and touch and not its name,” Solich said.
When he tells stories of helping his customers pick out a piano, a smile never leaves his face. He recounts memories of customers he was honored to share his passion with and hopes to keep building those memories in the next leg of his business adventure.
“You don’t just want a piano,” Solich said. “You want a piano that makes you want to complete your other obligations because it grips your heart.”
The Valley has gripped his heart over the past eight years, and will continue to bring him back.
“I am kind of a ‘go big or go home’ kind of guy,” Solich said. “I am happy when something great happens.”
Solich Piano has a large category of discounted pianos left for sale. For more information, call 330-726-9400.