Triumphs & Trials of an Organ Builder
Building a Viable Company
From 1946 to the early 1950s, I fought hard for the
survival of Allen Organ Company. Often, the money
coming in from sales was not enough to cover expenses.
At the end of 1946, I was forced to lay off a few
employees. It was very troubling for me to have to let
good people go. I imagined the distress they must have
felt at suddenly being without a job; I felt a heavy
burden of responsibility. I know that layoffs are
commonly used by companies to solve cash flow
problems, but this tactic was not at all palatable to me.
In the years that followed, we struggled through cyclical,
downward business conditions without resorting to
layoffs. In retrospect, I believe Allen Organ Company
has been aided in establishing itself as the leading
manufacturer of institutional organs partly because of
this no-layoff policy.
Some other important Allen Organ "philosophies"
evolved during this time period. Most of the organs we
built went into churches. I sensed early on that churches
are bastions of permanence. For example, when I went
into a church, I observed stained glass windows with
the names of people long since departed but not
forgotten. Outside, the world appeared to be rather
unpredictable with its many issues, events, and interests
that emerged daily but quickly receded from relevance.
But inside these churches there was a distinct ambiance
of predictability, stability, and lasting values. I wanted
Allen organs to fit comfortably into this ambiance of
permanence. Therefore, I wanted Allen organs to be
built to last.
Our organs would carry multi-year guarantees and
could be serviced indefinitely. This was an ambitious
strategy, especially in the vacuum tube days. For
example, in the months following the end of the War,
we could only obtain military-surplus tubes. However,
these tubes were surprisingly reliable. I remember that
when commercial tube production was resumed after
the War, we tried the new tubes but encountered some
reliability problems. Through a very knowledgeable
friend at the Western Electric plant in Allentown, I
received some suggestions. As a result, we learned how
to vastly enhance tube reliability through special circuit
design techniques. Today, there are hundreds of Allen
vacuum tube organs in operation and still serving
satisfied customers well. This permanence-of-service
policy paid off. We can now point with pride to many
customers who have enjoyed our instruments for years,
even decades, without fear of abandonment.
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