Presto

10
P R E S T O-T I M E S
GULBRANSEN RADIO
JOBBERS MEET
First Annual Gathering Held at Chicago Last
Week—Jobbers, Dealers and Distributors
from Atlantic to Pacific Are Guests of
the House of Gulbransen.
A new and enthus : astic horde of radio men gath-
ered in Chicago last week It was the nucleus of a
new clan, the clan Gulbransen, enthusiastic, some-
what noisy, but in for the establishment of a great
industry.
About 100 men were assembled at this, the first
annual convention of the jobbers, distributors and
dealers who are to undertake the work of placing
the Gulbransen precision built radio in a position
of national prominence. These men were drawn
together by a great attraction, the occasion being of
the intensifying of the national distribution of a truly
fine product.
The stage had been set for this occasion. The Gul-
bransen radio experts had studied and experimented
with various circuits until they had devised one which
should rank as unsurpassed, as they emphasize their
product. The factory had been completely outfitted
with the very latest equipment. Production schedules
had been arranged for the turning out of an ever-
increasing number of receivers. Competent, progres-
sive radio engineers had been engaged. A live group
of sales executives had planned a sure-fire sales pro-
gram. And then came last week's conclave as a
climax to months and months of effort.
Many of those who gathered here for this auspi-
cious occasion were old friends of the Gulbransen
house, some of whom had years of friendly dealings
with the house of Gulbransen in their piano man-
ufacturing department. Mainly, however, these men
represented a new set of firms who were at-
tracted to the Gulbransen standard by Gulbransen's
prominence and prestige.
From the convention headquarters at the Grae-
mere Hotel, the guests visited and revisited the Gul-
bransen factories on tours of inspection. It was
largely due to these visits that they were all so en-
thusiastic regarding Gulbransen's prospects in the
radio field, which enthusiasm found a fitting climax
ui the banquet given by the Gulbransen Company
Monday evening. Here they listened to talks by the
Gulbransen force, a very strong aggregation, indeed,
and one to be admired and respected.
The Banquet.
It was brought out at the banquet that the Gul-
bransen Company is well-nigh perfectly prepared for
carrying out the great radio program it has outlined
for the future. The representatives there learned that
300,000 square feet of factory floor space is avail-
able, that the enterprise is backed by the great Gul-
bransen resources, running into millions of dollars,
that an extensive advertising campaign is now under
way, both in national periodicals and over the broad-
casting systems, that the present output is 500 in-
struments a month, which number will be increased
early in October to 750 monthly, and that an antici-
pated output of 100,000 a year will soon be a reality.
These stories of Gulbransen success and readiness were
told by the speakers, A. G. Gulbransen, president; Wm.
Herst, distributor for Chicago territory; John S. Gor-
man, vice-president; Fred Wellman, general sales
manager; A. S. Wells, superintendent of the radio
division; Harry Alexander, advertising manager; Ed-
ward E. Weiss, advertising counselor, and A. B. Mc-
Cullah.
After the speech of welcome by Mr. A. G. Gul-
bransen, at the banquet Monday night, given at the
Graemere Hotel, facing Garfield Park, the toastmas-
ter, F. B. Kieth, introduced Major Andrew White,
president of the Columbia Broadcasting System, who
gave a very interesting talk concerning broadcasting
in general and particularly concerning the Gulbran-
sen's entry into the field of entertainment and broad-
casting, which is to begin in October. Mr. Gorman,
Mr. Wellman, Mr. Wells, Mr. Alexander and Mr
McCullah gave graphic and interesting talks con-
cerning the great industry with which they are asso-
ciated.
Mr. Gorman's address was a real heart to heart
talk, an invitation to get acquainted, to look the
organization over, and to see what it was doing. He
further explained how the dealers would receive full
cooperation and how their interests would be served.
Before the party left the banquet tables, all the
dealers present were shown an illustration of the
window display to be used by Gulbransen dealers.
It is a display similar to that used by Gulbransen
piano dealers. The electric sign, which is a part of it,
is arranged in three l : nes. with GULBRANSEN on
the first line. PRECISION-BUILT on the second
and RADIO on the third. Several dealers remarked
at the meeting that orders for radio deliveries had
been signed for very liberally. One said his territory
had contracted for 3,500 sets, another for 6,000, and
a third one in the Philadelphia territory for 9,000 sets.
The Program.
The events on the two-day program follow:
Monday—Registration, 9 a. m. to noon, the Grae-
irere Hotel; informal luncheon, 12 noon, the Grae-
mere Hotel; conducted trip through factory, 2 p. m.,
Gulbransen factory; individual conferences, 4 to 6
p. m., the Graemere Hotel; presentation banquet,
6:30 p. m, the Graemere Hotel; entertainment; toast-
master, F. B. Kieth; speech of welcome, A. G. Gul-
bransen; speech of acceptance, Wm. Herst, distribu-
tor for Chicago territory; address, John S. Gorman:
address, Fred Wellman; address, A. S. Wells; ad-
dress, Harry Alexander, sales; address, A. B. Mc-
Cullah; address, Maj. Andrew White.
Tuesday—Individual conferences, 9 a. m., the Grae-
mere Hotel; "How Gulbransen Merchandise Helps";
"W 7 ill Sell Your Quota," Mr. Wellman, general sales
manager, 10:30 a. m., the Graemere Hotel; Expla-
nation of Gulbransen's C. I T. Finance Plan, 11 a.
m.. the Graemere Hotel: informal luncheon, 12:30
p. m., the Graemere Hotel; "How to Cash in on Gul-
bransen's Engineering Superiorities," 3 p. m., the
Graemere Hotel.
Among the songs sung at the banquet was an orig-
inal one to the tune of Ratnona:
(Gulbransen (to the tune of Ramona).
Gulbransen, we know the world will sing your praise,
Gulbransen, your fame will spread in many ways,
You're built with Precision, that's why you out-per-
form every set—
We've made our decision, we know that you will be
our best bet;
Gulbransen, you offer more than all the rest,
Gulbransen. by any test you are the best;
Midst all the din of other sets we're bound to win.
Gulbransen, we all cheer for you.
NEW STORE FOR KEMPF
BROS. AT UTICA, N. Y,
Spartan Radio Men Hold Displays and Conferences
in Utica and Rochester.
By ARTHUR J. OWEN.
Kempf Brothers, Utica, N. Y., "the Old Reliable
Music House," has awarded the contract for their
new music store at 227 Genesee street to Charles &
Frank Alt, local contractors. The work will begin at
once. The new home of Kempf Brothers will be
three stories in height and will be on the street level.
About 150 dealers and their wives attended the
annual Sparton radio display and conference held in
Utica, New York, at the Hotel Utica, on August 28.
The conference was held by the Bergen Supply Com-
pany, Inc., local dealers in Sparton radio goods.
Thomas B. Bergen, president of the company, had
charge of the session. The speakers included E.
Hutchinson, salesmanager of the Sparks-Withington
Company, manufacturers of Sparton, and P. W. Doug-
las, district manager of the company. Women at-
tending the conference were entertained at a theater
party or a card party in the English room of the
hotel. Following the meeting the new models were
displayed and inspected. At six o'clock a dinner was
served, Al. Sittig and his orchestra furnishing the
music for dancing. Dealers were present from
Oneida, Madison, Herkimer, Chenango, Otsego, Ful-
ton, Hamilton, Essex, Clinton, St. Lawrence, Lewis
and Jefferson counties.
Radio dealers from Rochester and vicinity attended
a Sparton dealers' party at the Sagamore Hotel,
Rochester, N. Y., on the night of August 27, as guests
of H. E. Alderman, Inc., western New York and
Northern Pennsylvania Sparton radio distributors.
Demonstrations of several models satisfied the dealers
of the worth of the new sets H. R. Alderman, presi-
dent of the distributing firm, acted as toastmaster.
After the dinner R. H. Davison, secretary of the com-
p?nv and salesmanager, acted as master of ceremonies,
offering a splendid list of dancers and singers. Short
talks were given by A. Johndrew, manager of the
Rochester branch. Maurice Esser. general secretary
of the Rochester Chamber of Commerce welcomed
the dealers.
;
UNGER OFFERS ANOTHER HIT.
The music house of J. S Unger, Reading, Pa., is.
as usual, offerr'ng catchy tunes that are meeting with
the approval not only of the general public but with
the artists and organizations who devote their talents
to the entertainment of the public. Among those
who have recently expressed their liking for the num-
bers of the Unger house are Vella Cook, contralto
for rad'o station WCFL, Chicago, and Frame's Ail-
American Tamburitza Orchestra of Gettysburg
Ohio. Its latest hit is entitled, "Carolina, I'm Coming
Back to You."
September 15, 1929
PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD
ACCOMMODATES STRAUBE CO.
Furnishes Special Engine and Crew to Bring Back
Strayed Carload of Instruments to Ebensburg Fair.
E. R. Jacobson, Jacon Jacobson, H. A. Stewart
and James A. Terry represented the Straube Piano
Company, of Hammond, Ind., at the convention. The
company had large space in room 407 Deshler-W T al-
l'ck Hotel.
In this exhibit were period model grands, period
model uprights and straight uprights. An interest-
ing part of the Straube exhibition was a skeleton
grand, which showed the U-type construction of the
posts and the built-up keybed.
Mr. Terry, who is one of the hustling salesmen
for the Straube company, and yet is very modest over
his successes, told Presto-Times representative an
interesting story of how the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company accommodated the Straube Piano Company
in an extraordinary way at Labor Day this month.
Mr. Ferry had taken an order from the Brooks Music
House of Altoona, Pa, for a carload of 18 Straube
pianos for an exhibit at the Ebensburg, Pa., fair—
which is the biggest county fair Pennsylvania ever
holds. This fair is backed by Charles M. Schwab,
and at Labor Day this year there were 60,000 people
in attendance.
So it was very important that the Brooks house
should have its Straube pianos on hand for the ex-
hib't. This carload had been en route for ten days
and was finally located in the Columbus, Ohio, yards.
Mr. Terry got busy with Pennsylvania Railroad trans-
portation officials and the company was persuaded
to furnish a fast freight special train and special
crew that brought the pianos to Cresson, Pa., ten
miles out of Ebensburg. To enable the Straube
people to unload these pianos, the Pennsylvania com-
pany had furnished a special engine and crew from
Cresson to Ebensburg, the instruments arriving at
7:30 Sunday night.
"And we unloaded those 18 pianos between 7:30
and 10:30 that night," said Mr. Terry in telling the
story. "With the aid of flashlights we were enabled
to accomplish the task, and we had the entire lot on
display at the fair grounds at 3:30 Monday morning.
"It takes some tall persuasion to get the consent of
a big corporation like the Pennsylvania system to fur-
nish a special crew and engines, etc., but I never saw
men more faithful in the performance of duty than
that crew. They wouldn't quit until I told them we
were all through. But you must work with them;
I stuck right to the job, and those harnessed pianos
were handled so carefully that we had only one
slightly scratched one in the lot."
ADOPTING AUTO SALES TALK
In an entertaining and informative comparison of
the piano and automobile industries in the Septem-
ber issue of PRINTER'S INK MONTHLY, Charles
E. Byrne, vice-president of Steger & Sons Piano Mfg.
Co , Chicago, suggests that the piano industry could
profit by an adoption of the sales talk of the younger
industry. The motor industry, he says, has, in gen-
eral, taught the public to buy style, and to dispose of
a car as soon as it ceases to conform to the latest
vogue. On the other hand, the piano trade has sold
:
ts products on the argument, "They never wear out,"
and so there does not exist any general desire for
occasional change. What seems to be necessary,
then, is to educate the public into realizing that a
piano will wear out, and that style is a thing as much
to be desired in a piano as in an automobile. By a
coincidence, this same thought is utilized in the force-
ful Wurlitzer advertisement appearing on the front
cover of this issue of Presto-Times.
WELSH SINGERS AT GOAT ISLAND.
Welsh singers numbering 5,000 were heard on Sep-
tember 1 at Goat Island, Niagara Falls. The meeting
was the largest assembly of Welsh people ever held
in New York state. It was under the leadership of
Isaac Prosser of Youngstown, Ohio, and Evan Harris,
of Buffalo, N. Y.
PETITION IN BANKRUPTCY.
The music publishing house of Waterson, Berlin
& Snyder recentlv filed a voluntary petition in bank-
ruptcy. Irving Berlin, once a member of the firm,
has not been associated with it in recent years. Radio
and talking pictures were given as a cause for the
downfall of the concern.
WOOD INDUSTRIES TO MEET.
A national conference of wood industries engineers
pud executives will be held in Rockford, 111., Oct
16-18. under the auspices of the wood industries
division of the American Society of Mechanical Engi-
neers.
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