ROCK • OLA
T h is article is the first in a series
dealing with the manufacturing plants
of the coin machine industry. The
Review believes this is the first time
a team of industrial journalists have
been employed by a publication in this
industry to thoroughly and accurately
report the "behind the scenes" activ-
ities of the great p lants which are the
very backbone of the industry. Two
well-trained busir.ess writers spent sev-
eral days at the Rock-Ola plant gather-
ing data for this article. In future
issues they will visit other important
plants. All articles in this series are
fully protected and are the exclusive
property of the Coin Machine Review.
•
14
COIN
MACHINE
REVIEW
Less than ten years ago, David C. Rock-
ola started in business for himself, with
only an idea, abundant determination, a few
friends and two helpers.
The achievement and progress springing
from this meager beginning is truly pheno-
minal. Steadily, step by step, his business
grew and expanded. Today, the Rock-Ola
Manufacturing Company is one of the
largest and important of the firms engaged
in the manufacture of coin operated enter-
tainment machines.
Considering what has been accomplished
in the face of definitely depressed general
business conditions, unsettled politics and
"what have you", a period when most other
businesses were declining, a record like this
may well be viewed with envy by many
another businessman.
Such progress and develop-
ment, however, did not just hap-
pen. On the contrary, it is the
result of uncanny vision, care-
ful planning, enthusiasm, hard
work and ability, on the part
of the founder, to follow a
well defined course of action,
after the general plan was
once established.
The present manufacturing
facilities of the company are
housed in a modern plant which
contains over half a million
square feet of floor space, 600,-
000 to be more exact, in 19
buildings.
A working force of over
1,500 well trained, highly
skilled mechanics and journey-
men of various types is neces-
sary to keep the wheels turn-
ing, producing the several Rock-
Ola products.
It will be interesting at this
point, to "go behind the scenes",
figuratively speaking, and see
just how the "pride ·and joy",
of the Rock-Ola line, came into
being. By "pride and joy", we
refer, of course, to the coin
operated phonograph.
Early in the depression, Mr.
Rockola, quite logically rea-
soned that, in view of the extra
hours of leisure, made available
to many people through curtail-
ment of working time and gen-
era! retrenchment programs, they would
want and could use, something to take their
minds from their troubles. Musical enter-
tainment, made available at a reasonable
cost, in the very places where much of this
newly acquired leisure might be spent,
seemed to provide the best answer to the
problem. His mind once made up, Mr.
Rockola set out to design a coin operated
phonograph that was different . . . supe-
rior from every angle, to anything that was
then on the market. Finally, after a great
deal of tedious hard work, the new Rock-
Ola product was released for distribution.
By various evolutionary processes, the
Rock-Ola Manufacturing Company, has de-
veloped one of the outstanding coin oper-
ated phonographs, and become a dominant
factor in the field. About 90% of the fac-
tory output is devoted to the production
of phonographs, while the remaining 10%
is comprised of quality furniture, parking
meters and one or two other items.
Having one of the most efficient wood-
working plants in the middle-west, with
an excess production capacity, Mr. Rock-
ola, quite naturally, wondered what could
be done to keep the plant busy. He de-
cided to manufacture furniture, and May
1935, saw the entry of the Rock-Ola organi-
zation into the furniture field.
His decision was not however, made over
night . . . but rather after considerable
deliberation and careful analysis . . . a
procedure typical of the founder. Mr. Rock-
•
•
DAVID C. ROCKOLA
ola believed there was a definite need for
a quality line of furniture, which could be
retailed at a reasonable price. His judg-
ment has since proved to be correct.
By utilizing mass production methods, it
is possible to produce furniture and offer it
for sale to dealers at such fair prices, that
they in turn are able to resell a quality
product at a truly reasonable price, and
still maintain a satisfactory margin of
profit.
At present the factory is specializing in
upholstered furniture and cocktail bars.
The extent of the line, and scope of appeal,
by virtue of the excellent design, sound
construction and fine general craftsman-
ship, seems to be sufficiently broad to war-
rant careful watching by the executive
board of strategy . .It is quite possible, and
not at all improbable, that this compara-
tively new .departure in the annals of Rock-
Ola manufacturing history, will continue to
grow and eventually account for a very im-
portant and considerable portion of the
company's total volume of business.
Coin operated parking meters, is another
example of what keeps the wheels turning
at Rock-Ola. Although this field is only
in the first stages of development . . .
and will no ,d oubt go on to "no-one knows
where" . . . after public acceptance of
the idea becomes more general, this organi-
zation envisions great possibilities. The
Parking Meter is a boon to harassed city
governments, wrestling with the almost uni-
versal parking problem "headache". By the
use of this ingenious device, crowding of
cars into too small a space, with the at-
tendant disadvantages, is eliminated, be-
cause, the meter effectively de-
termines the parking spaces,
and accurately registers the
parking time. The National
Park-O-Graf meters are now
used in many cities and will
most certainly be adopted by
m:my others as time goes on.
A trip through the Rock-Ol'a
plant is a revelation and an in-
spiration. Everywhere through-
out the entire plant, is evi-
dence, in silent tribute if you
will, of the foresight, organiz-
ing, planning and administra-
tive genius of the founder.
Few people realize the magni-
tude of this organization. Nor
do they comprehend the far-
reaching effect of its every day
activities on the lives of thou-
sands of other people ( workers
and executives) many miles re-
moved from the scene of Rock-
Ola production. Truly, here is
a modern example of big busi-
ness, with purchases of raw
materials running into a size-
able sum daily. Between seven
and nine thousand dollars worth
of raw material and supplies is
needed every working day to
produce the 25,000 phonographs
made each year.
Following the fundamental
economic law, which tells us
that business must buy before
it can produce and sell, Rock-
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