Presto

Presto Buyers' Guide
Analyzes and Classifies
All American P i a n o s
and in Detail Tells of
Fheir Makers.
PRESTO
E.tabu,h*d iM4. THE AMERICAN MUSIC TRADE WEEKLY
Presto Year Book
The Only Complete
Annual Review of the
American Music In-
dustries and Trades.
10 cent.*, $1.00 a r-*
CHICAGO, SATURDAY, JULY 25, 1925
AEOLIAN CO. BUYS NEPONSET FACTORY
Great Modern Daylight Plant of the Hallet & Davis Piano Company Will Add Considerably
to Annual Duo=Art Piano Capacity to Keep Pace With Rapidly Increasing
Demand for Famous Instrument
Announcement is made of the purchase by the
Aeolian Company, New York, of the Hallet & Davis
Piano Company's great factory at Neponset, Mass.
Papers in this important transfer were executed this
week, though delivery of the premises to the new
owners will not be made until early in 1926.
Important announcements electrifying the music
industry concerning the Aeolian Company follow fast,
land, the two representing the highest development
in piano factory layout and construction.
The power house, concrete kilns and factory office
are in separate fireproof buildings, with lumber yard
at extreme right. The whole tract includes 11 acres
and the N. Y., N. H. & H. R. R. lines are close by
with double side tracks serving the works. In addi-
tion, the plant is located upon Neponset River with
OFFICE BUILDING.
but the trade will be greatly surprised in this pur-
chase which adds 15,000 to 18,000 additional annual
Dut-Art piano capacity and making the Aeolian Com-
pany one of the largest, if not the largest, builders
of pianos in America, while with the foreign plants
Aeolian maintains its position as foremost makers
of musical instruments in the world.
Big and Modern.
The Hallet & Davis plant at Neponset, Mass., is
a modern daylight factory, the main building being
almost 500 feet in length by 80 feet wide, and five
stories high. It is of reinforced concrete construc-
tion with large glass bays, and in design and equip-
ment ranks with the Aeolian works at Hayes, Eng-
deep water for large ships, 20 foot depth at low tide,
accommodating bulk shipments by vessels.
Show Aeolian Ambitions.
Vice-president and General Manager W. F. Alfring,
confirming the announcement, says: "Our purchase
of this modern Hallet & Davis piano building fac-
tory, perhaps the largest unit in America, is in line
with the Aeolian Company's policy to provide exten-
sions to its production facilities space with the rap-
idly increasing demand for the Duo-Art Reproducing
Piano, an interest and public appreciation which is
world-wide.
"This purchase is indicative of the fast increasing
Aeolian business which is known to all Duo-Art
dealers, whose increasing purchases have demanded
that additional building facilities be provided. Our
need for such added capacity is an important evi-
dence of our company's confidence in the future of
the piano industry and this is perhaps its greatest
significance.
"Contracts covering the purchase have been com-
pleted and approved by the Aeolian directors, and
we are to possess the property early in the year to
come. This purchase extends our facilities and ca-
pacity and no immediate changes in the company's
American plants at Garwood, N. Y., the Bronx, New
York, Worcester, Mass., or Meriden, Conn., are con-
templated."
C. C. Conway's Statement.
Speaking for the Hallet & Davis Piano Company,
President C. C. Conway issued the following formal
statement affirming the purchase:
"We have for some time been contemplating the
consolidation of all of our manufacturing activities
in our new factory at Worcester, Mass., a plant
ideally located and equipped.
"Such concentration would improve both the qual-
ity of our products and the service to our dealers as
well as enabling us to effect substantial economies.
"These plans are now made possible through the
sale of our Neponset plant to the Aeolian Company,
although possession is not to be given them until
some time next year, which will give us ample time
to make the change without any interruption of
service to our trade.
"With this program now clearly defined and
worked out, we are better equipped to more aggres-
sively concentrate our efforts in the development
and sale of the 'Angelus' and Hallet & Davis
products."
Other Evidences of Progress.
The Aeolian Company, too, is just completing three
new buildings to its Garwood, N. J., plant, the three
adding 50,000 square feet of floor space, including
what is believed to be the largest organ erecting
rooms in the country, extensions to cost $250,000,
which were built in response to an urgent need for
orders in hand, while seven new dry kilns are now
being completed.
The Aeolian factory at Meriden, Conn., where
music rolls are made, has absorbed the space released
to roll manufacturers from the sale of the company's
MAIN FACTORY, NEPONSET, MASS.
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