The company, under the name of Kimball International still makes furniture. The competition perhaps from other manufacturers and changes in tastes meant that Kimball International finally shut its doors in 1996. Sadly, by the mid-1990s piano sales were dwindling. During this illustrious period Kimball, under the Jasper Corporation, manufactured ‘console’ pianos, uprights, and grand pianos. This was an amazing feat and perhaps supported the company’s claim to be the “largest piano maker in the world”. In all probability, Kimball would have closed its doors permanently without this buyout.Īs extraordinary as it may sound, Habig’s initiative was a huge success and from records, it is possible to see that Jasper/Kimball was shipping orders in the region of 250 pianos every day from the factory. They became immensely successful as a result. Habig bought out the Kimball Company in 1959 and the pianos from 1961 onwards were created in West Baden Springs, Indiana. Kimball was under a great degree of financial strain by the end of this decade and received Arnold Habig’s offer with open arms. Habig, by many accounts, was a clever and entrepreneurial man who was keen to see the Jasper Corporation expand. A furniture manufacturer by the name of the Jasper Cooperation (founded in 1950 by Arnold Habig), was making plans to fully exploit the exceptional woodworking skills of its employees. By 1922 Kimball had stopped making reed organs.Īn important change came to the Kimball Company in the late 1950s.

Perhaps Kimball had been astute enough to realise that as the 19 th century drew to a close, so too did the interest in reed organs: pianos were the way forward. 1887 was the year that saw Kimball construct a huge, five-story factory dedicated to the production of pianos. With sufficient funds behind him, Kimball was able to extend his business to include pianos. They were credited with being the largest organ manufacturer in the world at this stage of their history. The Kimball factory was an impressive one and production was at a fever pitch trying to meet the demand for the organs. Kimball was not focusing on piano manufacturing at the time, instead, they made reed organs at a rate of around 15,000 units per year. Working out of his home, Kimball began to rebuild his business, and by 1882 the Kimball Company was officially recognised and complete. For Wallace Kimball, it meant that his small business and most of his assets were lost to the fire. The fire is thought to have begun in the southwest of Chicago and given the wooden construction of many buildings and prevailing wind, some 100,000 people found themselves homeless. In October of 1871, a terrible fire raged through the city of Chicago killing somewhere in the region of 300 people and destroying over three square miles of the city. Kimball continued to deal in pianos from other manufacturers at this stage including popular names such as Chickering & Sons and Hallet & Davis.

At this time, as far as records go, Kimball was dealing in pianos rather than an established manufacturer of pianos.įrom the jewellery shop, Kimball is thought to have moved premises to the Crosby Opera House in Chicago, Illinois, USA. These pianos were made by the company known as W.W Kimball and Company, who if the stories are to be believed, traded at first from the back of a jewellery shop. They have manufactured some of the finest instruments on the market from modest beginnings in the business, as far back as 1857. Kimball is a name that resonates throughout the world or pianos as a producer of quality pianos.

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