The Gemeinhardt flute and piccolo company as it is known today was started in the United States in 1928 by a fourth-generation flute maker, Kurt Gemeinhardt. Originally he planned to only make a limited amount of professional quality flutes, but demand for his work skyrocketed. The Gemeinhardt factory moved from a 20 by 40-foot workshop to a full-size manufacturing plant designed by Kurt in 1951. Besides professional quality flutes, alto flutes and bass flutes made from such materials as nickel, silver, and gold, Gemeinhardt also makes piccolos from grenadilla wood. Mid-entry and beginner instruments are also produced at the factory. Today, Gemeinhardt flutes and piccolos are world-renowned for having a clean sound and wonderful tones.