In Memoriam: Joe Bredau 1942 - 2024

In Memoriam: Joe Bredau 1942 - 2024

It is with great sadness that Korg USA shares the news that longtime industry veteran and former colleague Joe Bredau passed away on January 13 at the age of 82.

Over his more than 50-year career in the MI industry, Bredau held a variety of executive positions at companies including M. Hohner, Raki International, and Korg USA. In 2009 he founded Marketing for Industry (MFI), a consulting organization dedicated to providing guidance in all aspects of executive communications to personnel, clients, and trade. 

During his time as vice president of marketing/sales for Korg USA (1989-2008), Bredau spearheaded numerous innovative PR campaigns, developed key account teams to serve the company’s largest customers, pioneered an ongoing performance review program that identified strengths and weaknesses within development programs, and served a key role on a corporate management team responsible for driving record sales figures with improved profits for the company. 

 “He loved family and friends so deeply and cared deeply about them,” says his daughter Shelly. “He was always in a good mood, truly. I know that sounds impossible, but he just was a happy human being.” An avid golfer, Bredau was forever keen to share his love of the sport with any and all. Shelly adds that her father’s professional life lined up perfectly with his true passion: “Music was his life! Long car rides were insufferable at times because he would be jamming away on the steering wheel while listening to Dave Brubeck, Steely Dan, Stan Getz and other greats. But he easily gave us our music time as well.”

“Joe Bredau joined the company at a critical time in Korg USA’s history,” says CEO Joe Castronovo. “His contributions to the organization to promote the brands that we represented cannot be put into words. He spent the majority of his career in the music product industry and should be remembered as a hard-driving sales and marketing executive. It was my pleasure to work with him during his time with Korg and we have great memories of his time with us.”