"We now have the opportunity to bridge the Ray Ayotte-era with the new era for Ayotte Drums. We are very proud he's come home."

Ray says he is stoked:

"When I step into the Ayotte Drums booth at the 2014 NAMM in January, it will have been fifteen years since the last time. This interim has provided me the opportunity for rich experience, which I would not have been able to attain any other way. I can bring more now to Ayotte Drums than ever before. I have been to the factory in Bedford a few times and very much like what I see. Jean-Denis has assembled a solid, enthusiastic team capable of making world-class drums and drumsticks."

Fifteen years ago Ray lost the right legally to badge drums with his surname after a dispute with his board of directors. Ray was forced to leave the company and continued designing and implementing the entire Taye Drums line on behalf of the Taiwanese firm that had built drums for several drum companies but had never had one to call its own. After Ray severed ties with Taye, he established Raya and continued hand crafting drums.

In 2011, after having been out of the market for a few years, Ayotte moved to the province of Quebec to setup operations in Bedford, Quebec. The location offered proximity to suppliers and talented craftsmen. In vain, the previous owner of Ayotte Drum had to declare forfeit leaving the operation in a hold. Local entrepreneur Jean-Denis Beaudoin got involved and bought the assets of the thirty year old Ayotte and put together a new team of employees and partners.

Ayotte was re-launched to the market at NAMM 2013. It had been more than ten years since the last presence of Ayotte at the NAMM show.

It took a whole year for the new team to restructure the company. The main focus of the restructuration being put on re-establishing customer service and product quality. The new management had to address a heavy list of customers that had been left behind. The company had to deal with those unhappy customers individually and offer reparation often having to give the ordered product at no charge.

Ayotte has now improved on the quality they have been known for in the early stage of the company. With the new team in place and a distinctively great sounding instrument, Ayotte intends to regain market confidence.