Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
The Music Trade Review
Policies of the American Piano Co.
in Retail Expansion for 1929
George Urquhart, President of the Company, Announces New Branches in Atlanta
and St. Louis
H P H E present policy of expansion of the Ameri-
can Piano Co. in establishing retail branches
in metropolitan centers was outlined this week
by George Urquhart, president of the company,
in an exclusive interview with The Review. Mr.
Urquhart stated that the company intends to
open stores only at such points where suitable
dealer representation is not available. In a few
weeks a new Ampico Hall is to be opened in
Atlanta, Ga., with Lionel Tompkins in charge
in order to cover this territory properly. Later
the company contemplates opening branches in
St. Louis and other points in the West and
Middle West, but no attempt will be made to
encroach into the localities where established
dealers are handling the line, he stated.
The situation surrounding New York and
Chicago is slightly different, due to their size,
and already several retail branches have been
opened in the suburbs surrounding New York.
Albert J. Ford Joins
With Leonard Davis
Later the same policy will be followed in
Chicago in order to keep in touch better with
the full, potential market surrounding that
metropolis. Mr. Urquhart stated that the com-
pany was undecided whether or not to include
any other large cities on this basis at present
Were this not done, he said, the company's
output would suffer materially in point of sales
volume, which would have the normal result
of raising the prices of the company's products
and would, therefore, affect the entire repre-
sentation of the company. No radical moves in
this direction are on the horizon, according to
the present plains on which the company is
working, he said.
Western District Sales Manager H. Gardiner,
of the Sonora Phonograph Co., announces the
opening of yet another Sonora sales and dis-
tributing office in the territory under the con-
trol of the San Francisco branch of that organ-
ization.
"The instant and enthusiastic acceptance of
the Sonora line," says Mr. Gardiner, "and the-
increasing rush of business resulting from that
acceptance, makes it impossible to carry on
effectively without sub-offices. And Seattle,
Wash., presented itself to my mind as being a
logical center for such an office. Located as it
is within convenient reach of a vast area rich
in prospects, and with excellent transportation
facilities, our new Seattle office promises to
become a live center of Sonora activity. Excel-
lent premises have been obtained at 200 Mari-
time Building, and the new field-office is already
iunctioning in great style."
Prominent Music House of Ft. Smith, Ark., Passes Half-Century Milestone—Head
of Company Achieved Success in Home Town
iiiiiiiiiniiiiiininiiiiniiiiiiiniuiii
.', '., It < UOI ,1 INC'Jt H
" '-
MUSiC-ffADIQ CO.
The
R. C. Bollinger
Music-Radio Co.'s
Finely Appointed Store
in Fort Smith, Ark.
H A L F century in the retail music busi-
ness and still handling two makes of
pianos that have been featured by the company
for over forty years, is the record of the R. C.
Bollinger Music-Radio Co., of Fort Smith, Ark.,
which recently celebrated its golden business
anniversary.
The head of the business, Rudolph C. Bol-
linger, is one of the minority of business men
who saw fit to establish himself and win success
CANTON, 0., January 1.—Dick Wolfe and his as a merchant in the city in which he was born,
twenty-piece band, accompanying the Scarlet for Mr. Bollinger first saw the light of day in
Mask Club of Ohio State University at Colum- 1858, only a short distance from the site of his
bus on tour with this year's production, "Oceans present store. He also attended the elementary
of Love," appeared at the music store of the schools in his home city, and then went to a
George C. Willie Co., North Market street, dur- college in St. Louis, returning to engage in the
ing the one-day appearance in Canton and general merchandise business of his father.
attracted hundreds of music lovers to the store.
Mr. Bollinger, however, had an ambition to
The band during its stay here was guest of the be a merchant on his own account, and after a
Exchange Club at dinner, the Chamber of Com- couple of years of training in a piano factory in
merce on a good-will tour and also attended the
St. Louis rented space in a jewelry store in
annual holiday ball given by the University
Fort Smith, and launched the present business
Club.
in 1878, handling pianos and organs in a small
way. In the course of time various pianos of
Consult the Universal Want Directory of well-known makes have been handled by the
The Review.
company, which has sold the J. & C. Fischer
Musicians Aid Dealer
Sonora Distributing Office
Is Opened in Seattle
R. C. Bollinger Music-Radio Co.'s
Golden Business Anniversary
Will Aid the Latter in Carrying on Special Sales
For Piano Dealers—Has Had Long and Suc-
cessful Experience in the Field
Albert J. Ford, well-known advertising man
of New York, and for a number of years in
charge of the advertising of the American Piano
Co., has joined quarters with Leonard Davis,
the special sales expert with headquarters in
San Diego, Cal. Mr. Davis stated that the move
was made because the business had grown be-
yond the point where he could take care of it
alone. He has known Mr. Ford for some
fifteen years and was closely associated with
him for five years at the time he was manager
of the retail service department of the American
Piano Co., and ran sales for that company's
dealers in all sections of the country.
Mr. Ford is the son of the late Henry J.
Ford, prominent newspaper man and at various
times editor of the New York Sun, the Chicago
Tribune, and the Baltimore Sun, later heading
the Chair of Politics at Princeton University
and serving as Commissioner of Banking and
Insurance in New Jersey, and as member of
the Interstate Commerce Commission. Before
entering the advertising field Albert J. Ford
had wide experience as a political reporter and
dramatic musical critic, and finally as advertis-
ing manager of the leading paper in Trenton,
N. J.
Messrs. Davis and Ford will co-operate in
running special sales for dealers, and will also
provide a mail service for retailers who do not
care to go to the expense of personal opera-
tions.
JANUARY 5, 1929
A
line steadily for 43 years, and the Knabe for 41
years. With the recent realignment of the
American Piano Co. agencies, the Bollinger
Music-Radio Co. became representative in Fort
Smith for that company's line, handling in addi-
tion the Gulbransen, Milton, Seeburg and Ivers
& Pond instruments.
Although recognized as a shrewd business
man, Mr. Bollinger has never lost his unaffected
manner and genial smile, and still remains a
plain citizen with a, host of friends in his home
town. Although the business has grown to
large proportions and has been expanded to
take in C. G. Conn band instruments, Bruns-
wick, Columbia and Edison phonographs, as
well as Victor products, and several leading
radio lines, Mr. Bollinger still takes pleasure in
looking after many of the details himself, and is
constantly in touch with what is going on.
The company at the present time occupies a
three-story building in the heart of the business
section of the city with some 14,000 square feet
of floor space, and despite two fires which at
different times caused severe damage to the
company's premises and stock the progress of
the business has been steady.