Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-10
BIC FIRM IS To
MAKE PIANOS HERE
STARR COMPANY TO HAVE A
COAST BRANCH
Concern Built Up Richmond, md, and
Will Aid Growth of Los AM
eeles-Pianos Will Be
Cheaper

Planists of the Pacific coast are look =
ing with pleasure to the not far distant
day when sufficient pianos will be made
on the coast instead of being sent by
freight half way across the continent.
Promises of the establishment of a
branch of the Starr piano factory in or
near Los Angeles presage well for the
speedy fulfillment of such hopes, and
at no far distant day residents of the
Pacific coast region may be using the
home product.
While the new venture is as vet in Il
formative stage the names of the men
backing it are sufficient guarantee that
nothing short of success will satisfy
them. The Starr Piano company, with
its main factory in Richmond, Ind. has
for thirty-fve years manufactured
pianos, till now more than $4,000 of
them are in use. Beginning in a humble
way, the concern gradually expanded,
and with it grew the city of Richmond.
OF this expansion a Richmond news
paper says: What the Starr piano has
been to Richmond it will no doubt be to
Los Angeles and the far west, and the
city of sunshine and flowers is to be
congratulated on acquiring the head
quarters for the western manufacture
and distribution of so progressive a
house.
The company will establish Wholesale
offices and WareroomS in this city,
which it will make the distributing
center for its trade OH the coast.
Advantageous to AngeIenos
The advantages of a factory and
salesrooms in this city are many. The
expense of the instruments is consider
ably lessened by their manufacture on
f1,l G1II 1, IT,.
Cincinnati, Chicago or any of the large
centers is almost 80 per cent of the
price of the instrument. With factory
on the coast, although the action. plate
and hardware would have to be shipped
from eastern points, the great expense
of freight would be done away with.
permitting the manufacturers to sell
their product much cheaper.
Then, too frequently the question or
time enters as a Weigthy consideration.
Getting the pianos from the east re-
quires much time, and long waits will
be done away with by their manufac-
ture here.
The Pacific coast branch has been in
corporated under the law of California
and will do business separate from the
old company.
The officers for the new division viii
be Henry Gennet, the president; H.
Shuman Jones, vice president, and
Harry l.. Nolder, secretary and treas
urer. Mr. Nolder and Mr.. Jones will
be the resident managers of the Pacific
branch.
Mr.. Jones will be the general travel
ing representative and Mir. Nolder will
have charge of the wholesale depart
ment.
Both men have been connected with
the home factory at Richmond for
many years. During the past twenty
years Mr.. Jones has visited every parI
of the country in behalf of his concern
and is known to the trade all over the
United States. Mr.. Nolder has special
lied on the mechanical work of the fac
tory ana there are few details of the
great business that have escaped his
retentive brain.
Although the new concern will not he
the first to manufacture pianos on the
Pacific coast it is by far the largest.
At the present time small quantities of
the instruments are being turned out
by different concerns, but the Starr
company's plant will be much larger
than any of these.