Music Trade Review
Issue: 1954 Vol. 113 N. 2 - Page 18
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
Open Forum Held at Wurlitzer Plant
During Annual Sales Conference
A group of Wurlitzer executives who attended the recent Sales Conference at the DeKalb
plant. First Row, L. to R. (kneeling): Phil Bash, Leo Burnett advertising agency; Kenny
Benson, Engineering Dept.; Bob Bell, Sales Dept.; Bill Fuller, Credit Dett.; Don Ulery,
Advertising Dept.; Neilo Koski, Sales Dept., George Anderson, Chief Cost Accountant.
Second Row, (seated): Joe Daurer, Advertising Manager; Walter Benson, Ass't. Sales
Manager; Henry Home, Ass't. Secretary and Divisional Comptroller; J. A. Miller, Super-
intendent; R. F. Waltemade, Vice President in Charge of Manufacturing Divisions; R. C.
Rolfing, President; Hugh Stewart, Vice President and Sales Manager; J. E. Rolfing, Ass't.
Manager; W m . A. Zaiser, Chief of Designing Staff; Ralph Sperry, Technical Advisor; Cliff
Andersen, Chief Engineer. Third Row (standing): D. R. Manchester, Sales Manager,
Organ Division; Roy Newstedt, Process Engineer; Dick Morford, Service Manager; Bob
Kirschbaum, Sales Dept.; Jean Smith, Secretatry to Joe Daurer; Myrtle Larson, Credit
Dept.; Margaret Vanamburg, Mailing Dept.; Millie Swanson, Secretary to R. F. Waltemade;
Inez Van Deusen, Secretary to Walter Benson; Helen Swanbum, Secretary to Hugh Stewart;
Beverly Kennett, Corinne Johnstone, and Betty Crooke, Sales Dept.; Spencer Swanbum,
Everett Rothschild, and Paul Copia, District Sales Managers. Fourth Row, Harry Johnson,
Clarence Knutson, Harlan Johnson, and Al Rich, District Sales Managers; Ralph Ellis,
Leo Burnett Co., Sherman Oates, Project Engineer; Reid Keene, Personnel Manager;
William Zaiser, Jr.; Dick Myrland, Engineering Dept.; John McDonald and Bill Wennlund,
District Sales Managers; and E. C. Stefani, Chief Accountant.
In following a procedure which the
Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. has pursued
for several years, the annual Sales
Conference for the DeKalb Division
was held recently at the DeKalb plant.
Present for the three-day conference
were the executives, district sales man-
agers, and key office and factory per-
sonnel of the company.
An extensive tour of the factory un-
der the direction of J. A. Miller, plant
superintendent, was the opening fea-
ture of the conference this year.
R. C. Rolfing, President of the com-
pany, upon addressing the group, de-
fined the objective of the conference
by suggesting that the meeting be con-
ducted as an open forum with every-
one having an opportunity to enter in-
to the discussions.
The various sessions of the confer-
ence revolved around discussions and
questions by those who are in constant
contact with Wurlitzer dealers and
their associates. The district sales man- -
agers brought back to those at the
plant suggestions and recommendations
which Wurlitzer dealers, their sales-
men, servicemen, and customers deemed
of interest to those at the factory.
R. F. Waltemade, Vice President in
Charge of Manufacturing Divisions,
brought out at the meeting—"this in-
formation is considered of great im-
portance in formulating the present
and future plans of The Rudolph Wur-
litzer Co. in its desire to manufacture
18
a piano which will be most favorably
accepted by the public.'"
Hugh Stewart. Vice President and
Sales Manager .and J. E. Rolfing. As-
sistant Manager, lead the discussions
during the meeting, and each phase of
the company's operation was presented
and analyzed in detail. Several key
executives representing the various de-
partments of the DeKalb Division took
part in the discussions. Among these
were: Walter Benson, Assistant Sales
Manager; Henry Home. Assistant Sec-
retary and Comptroller; Joe Daurer.
Advertising Manager; Clifford Ander-
son. Chief Engineer; Roy Newstedt.
Process Engineer; William Zaiser.
Chief of the Wurlitzer designing staff:
Erv Brauer, Chief Industrial Engineer:
and Leonard Stigliani. head of the
Wurlitzer Action Regulation Depart-
ment.
Other speakers who participated on
the program were: Norman Dasen-
brook, representative of the Wood &
Brooks Co., Rockford, 111.; and John
E. Schueddig of Textileather Corpora-
tion. Toledo, Ohio.
Howard McHenry Promoted
Howard McHenry of Columbus, a
son-in-law of Carl E. Summers, has
been elected Vice-President of Summers
& Son. in charge of the Columbus
store. He formerly was Credit Mana-
ger of the firm.
Fair Trade Policy Adopted
By Minshall Esley Organs, Inc.
Burton Minshall, president of Min-
shall Estey Organs, Inc., Brattleboro,
Vt. recently sent a letter to all Min-
shall Estey dealers in which he said:
"No doubt during recent months you
have been increasingly aware of the
lack of price maintenance in some
branches of the music industry. When
price-cutting becomes rampant in an
industry, no one wins—not even the
customer. It is an accepted fact that a
merchant must receive a fair profit for
his goods and services in order to con-
tinue to serve his clientele."
"The electronic organ industry, for-
tunately, has been relatively unharmed
by this malpractice, but increasingly
keen competition may well bring the
practices of the electronic organ indus-
try down to the level of some of its
allied lines. It has always been our
aim to have Minshall Organs sold at a
uniformly minimum price in each of
our various trading areas throughout
the country. To further insure the
prestige of our product and the indus-
try, we are now registering our prices
in accordance with the permission
granted under the Miller-Tydings Act
of 1937 and the Maguire Act of 1952
of the Federal Fair Trade Laws."
"You will find attached to this letter
a pricelist setting forth the retail prices
for your area, to which you will add
state and local taxes and any extra
equipment sold with the instrument. In
the event of price changes or new mod-
els, you will be notified by mail and
the new prices established at that time
will be considered as the registered
Fair Trade price."
Young Baldwin Artist Now
Touring With Boston "Pops"
Maestro Arthur Fiedler oversaw a
rehearsal by Ruth Slenczynska, Bald-
win pianist, prior to her embarking on
a nation-wide tour February 1, with
the world-famed Boston Pops Sym-
phony Orchestra.
Twenty-nine-year-old Miss Slenczyn-
ska, who made her professional debut
at the age of four and was among the
world's foremost musical prodigies,
has been playing under Maestro Fied-
ler's baton since she resumed her ca-
reer in 1951 after a 12-year hiatus.
Maestro Fiedler will take the Boston
Pops through 20 states for 46 concerts
with Miss Slenczynska as soloist. Their
only New York appearances will be in
the St. George theater in Staten Island
on March 18th and in White Plains on
March 20th.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, FEBRUARY,
1954
Open Forum Held at Wurlitzer Plant
During Annual Sales Conference
A group of Wurlitzer executives who attended the recent Sales Conference at the DeKalb
plant. First Row, L. to R. (kneeling): Phil Bash, Leo Burnett advertising agency; Kenny
Benson, Engineering Dept.; Bob Bell, Sales Dept.; Bill Fuller, Credit Dett.; Don Ulery,
Advertising Dept.; Neilo Koski, Sales Dept., George Anderson, Chief Cost Accountant.
Second Row, (seated): Joe Daurer, Advertising Manager; Walter Benson, Ass't. Sales
Manager; Henry Home, Ass't. Secretary and Divisional Comptroller; J. A. Miller, Super-
intendent; R. F. Waltemade, Vice President in Charge of Manufacturing Divisions; R. C.
Rolfing, President; Hugh Stewart, Vice President and Sales Manager; J. E. Rolfing, Ass't.
Manager; W m . A. Zaiser, Chief of Designing Staff; Ralph Sperry, Technical Advisor; Cliff
Andersen, Chief Engineer. Third Row (standing): D. R. Manchester, Sales Manager,
Organ Division; Roy Newstedt, Process Engineer; Dick Morford, Service Manager; Bob
Kirschbaum, Sales Dept.; Jean Smith, Secretatry to Joe Daurer; Myrtle Larson, Credit
Dept.; Margaret Vanamburg, Mailing Dept.; Millie Swanson, Secretary to R. F. Waltemade;
Inez Van Deusen, Secretary to Walter Benson; Helen Swanbum, Secretary to Hugh Stewart;
Beverly Kennett, Corinne Johnstone, and Betty Crooke, Sales Dept.; Spencer Swanbum,
Everett Rothschild, and Paul Copia, District Sales Managers. Fourth Row, Harry Johnson,
Clarence Knutson, Harlan Johnson, and Al Rich, District Sales Managers; Ralph Ellis,
Leo Burnett Co., Sherman Oates, Project Engineer; Reid Keene, Personnel Manager;
William Zaiser, Jr.; Dick Myrland, Engineering Dept.; John McDonald and Bill Wennlund,
District Sales Managers; and E. C. Stefani, Chief Accountant.
In following a procedure which the
Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. has pursued
for several years, the annual Sales
Conference for the DeKalb Division
was held recently at the DeKalb plant.
Present for the three-day conference
were the executives, district sales man-
agers, and key office and factory per-
sonnel of the company.
An extensive tour of the factory un-
der the direction of J. A. Miller, plant
superintendent, was the opening fea-
ture of the conference this year.
R. C. Rolfing, President of the com-
pany, upon addressing the group, de-
fined the objective of the conference
by suggesting that the meeting be con-
ducted as an open forum with every-
one having an opportunity to enter in-
to the discussions.
The various sessions of the confer-
ence revolved around discussions and
questions by those who are in constant
contact with Wurlitzer dealers and
their associates. The district sales man- -
agers brought back to those at the
plant suggestions and recommendations
which Wurlitzer dealers, their sales-
men, servicemen, and customers deemed
of interest to those at the factory.
R. F. Waltemade, Vice President in
Charge of Manufacturing Divisions,
brought out at the meeting—"this in-
formation is considered of great im-
portance in formulating the present
and future plans of The Rudolph Wur-
litzer Co. in its desire to manufacture
18
a piano which will be most favorably
accepted by the public.'"
Hugh Stewart. Vice President and
Sales Manager .and J. E. Rolfing. As-
sistant Manager, lead the discussions
during the meeting, and each phase of
the company's operation was presented
and analyzed in detail. Several key
executives representing the various de-
partments of the DeKalb Division took
part in the discussions. Among these
were: Walter Benson, Assistant Sales
Manager; Henry Home. Assistant Sec-
retary and Comptroller; Joe Daurer.
Advertising Manager; Clifford Ander-
son. Chief Engineer; Roy Newstedt.
Process Engineer; William Zaiser.
Chief of the Wurlitzer designing staff:
Erv Brauer, Chief Industrial Engineer:
and Leonard Stigliani. head of the
Wurlitzer Action Regulation Depart-
ment.
Other speakers who participated on
the program were: Norman Dasen-
brook, representative of the Wood &
Brooks Co., Rockford, 111.; and John
E. Schueddig of Textileather Corpora-
tion. Toledo, Ohio.
Howard McHenry Promoted
Howard McHenry of Columbus, a
son-in-law of Carl E. Summers, has
been elected Vice-President of Summers
& Son. in charge of the Columbus
store. He formerly was Credit Mana-
ger of the firm.
Fair Trade Policy Adopted
By Minshall Esley Organs, Inc.
Burton Minshall, president of Min-
shall Estey Organs, Inc., Brattleboro,
Vt. recently sent a letter to all Min-
shall Estey dealers in which he said:
"No doubt during recent months you
have been increasingly aware of the
lack of price maintenance in some
branches of the music industry. When
price-cutting becomes rampant in an
industry, no one wins—not even the
customer. It is an accepted fact that a
merchant must receive a fair profit for
his goods and services in order to con-
tinue to serve his clientele."
"The electronic organ industry, for-
tunately, has been relatively unharmed
by this malpractice, but increasingly
keen competition may well bring the
practices of the electronic organ indus-
try down to the level of some of its
allied lines. It has always been our
aim to have Minshall Organs sold at a
uniformly minimum price in each of
our various trading areas throughout
the country. To further insure the
prestige of our product and the indus-
try, we are now registering our prices
in accordance with the permission
granted under the Miller-Tydings Act
of 1937 and the Maguire Act of 1952
of the Federal Fair Trade Laws."
"You will find attached to this letter
a pricelist setting forth the retail prices
for your area, to which you will add
state and local taxes and any extra
equipment sold with the instrument. In
the event of price changes or new mod-
els, you will be notified by mail and
the new prices established at that time
will be considered as the registered
Fair Trade price."
Young Baldwin Artist Now
Touring With Boston "Pops"
Maestro Arthur Fiedler oversaw a
rehearsal by Ruth Slenczynska, Bald-
win pianist, prior to her embarking on
a nation-wide tour February 1, with
the world-famed Boston Pops Sym-
phony Orchestra.
Twenty-nine-year-old Miss Slenczyn-
ska, who made her professional debut
at the age of four and was among the
world's foremost musical prodigies,
has been playing under Maestro Fied-
ler's baton since she resumed her ca-
reer in 1951 after a 12-year hiatus.
Maestro Fiedler will take the Boston
Pops through 20 states for 46 concerts
with Miss Slenczynska as soloist. Their
only New York appearances will be in
the St. George theater in Staten Island
on March 18th and in White Plains on
March 20th.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, FEBRUARY,
1954
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).