c
v
0
E RSTO RY
COVERSTORY
The Lion
Lion in · America
The
Gerhardt Schul
Schulze
Gerhardt
ze
Wilhelm Menke
Menke
Wilhelm
1953, three
three German
German
n n 1953,
men, Herbert
Herbert Nacke,
Nacke,
men,
Gerhardt Schulze,
Schulze, and
and
Gerhardt
Wilhelm Menke,
Menke, lent
lent their
their
Wilhelm
last name
name first
first initials
initials to to a a
last
new company
company and
and went
went into
into
new
business. The
The company's
company's
business.
first product
product was
was the
the
first
Rotamjnt Slot
Slot Machine
MachliJe
Rotamint
invented by
by Menke.
Menke. It It was
was
invented
the first
first slot
slot machine
machine in
in
the
Schulze
Ullrich Schulze
Ullrich
Germany to to incorporate
incorporate an
an
Germany
electromechanical device.
device. The
The company
company worked
worked closely
closely
electromechanical
with Loewen
Loewen Apparatebru,
Apparatebru, a a company
company specializing
specializing in
in the
the
with
distribution of
of amusement
amusement machines.
machines. The
The two
two companies
companies
distribution
merged in in 1984.
1984.
merged
NSM began
began importing
importing phonographs
phonographs into
into the
the U.S.
U.S. in
in
NSM
1968 through
through an
an agent
agent in in California
California and
and later
later through
through
1968
Burt Davidson
Davidson in in Chicago.
Chicago.
Burt
In 1978
1978 Russ
Russ Strahan
Strahan was
was invited
invited to
to help
help NSM
NSM set
set up
up
In
its own
own American
American factory-owned
factory-owned facility
facility and
and
its
12 PLAY
PLAY METER/May
METER/ May 1987
1987
12
Loewer-America, literally
literally the
the "lion
"lion in
in America,"
America," was
was
Loewen-America,
incorporated in in January
January of
of 1979.
1979.
incorporated
Nacke is is now
now retired
retired and
and the
the company
company is is owned
owned as as a a
Nacke
partnership by
by Menke
Menke and
and Schultze's
Schultze's son,
son, Ullrich,
Ullrich, and
and run
run
partnership
by a a board
board of of directors
directors which
which includes
includes Schulze
Schulze and
and Menke.
Menke.
by
Arnold Nieswand
Nieswand is is the
the production
production manager,
manager, Heinz
Heinz Buder,
Buder,
Arnold
the financial
financial manager,
manager, and
and Peter
Peter L. L. Kuhn,
Kuhn, the
the marketing
marketing
the
manager.
manager.
NSM's primary
primary product
product is is a a wall-mounted
wall-mounted payout
payout
NSM's
machine. It's
't's an
an electronic
electronic slot
slot machine
machine with
with wheels
wheels that
that
machine.
spin on
on a a surface
surface instead
instead of
of the
the usual
usual reel
reel type.
type. Although,
Although,
spin
the single
single largest
largest product,
product, it it is is built
built strictly
~ ~rictly for the
it it is is the
for the
German
home
market
and
not
exported.
Phonographs
are
German home market and not exported. Phonographs are
large part
part of of NSM's
NSM's production
production and
and are
are shipped
shipped all
all over
over
a a large
the world.
world.
the
Play Meter
Meter asked
asked Russ
Russ what
what he
he thought
thought about
about the
the
Play
jukebox industry
industry and
and this
this is is what
what he
he said:
said: "Right
"Right now
now all
all
jukebox
the changes
changes taking
taking place
place--video
phonographs, compact
compact
the
-- video phonographs,
discs, etc etc. .-- --are
good for
for the
the jukebox
jukebox industry.
industry. The
The single
single
discs,
are good
most important
important thing
thing it's
it's doing
doing is is opening
opening up
up new
new
most
locations that
that were
were not
not open
open to
to music
music operators
operators in in the
the
locations
past. In
In effect,
effect, it's
it's increasing
increasing the
the base
base for
for coin-op
coin-op music.
music.
past.
believe the
the CD
CD will
will probably
probably become
become the
the medium
medium at
at
I I believe
some point
point in
in the
the future
future but
but there's
there's still
still a a number
number of
of
some
, things
things holding
holding it it back
back--like
the high
high cost
cost of
of material."
material."
-- like the
He continued,
continued, "Though
"Though the
the CD
CD is is expensive,
expensive, I I think
think
He
there will
will come
come a a time
time when
when all
all the
the material
material that
that anyone
anyone
there
wants will
will be
be on
on CD
CD and
and the
the demand
demand will
will be
be filled.
filled. I I think
think
wants
the pressing
pressing plants
plants are
are now
now running
running somewhat
somewhat behind
behind the
the
the
demand."
demand."
Summing up,
up, he
he added,
added, "For
"For 50
50 years
years we
we have
have been
been
Summing
' taking
taking money
money from
from those
those who
who want
want to
to play
play music
music and
and one
one
way or
or another
another we
we will
will be
be taking
taking money
money for
for music
music for
for
way
another 50
50 years."
Years . " WW
another
1
~::::~~~: