After these events, the financial situation of not only the W.W. The company continued to grow until the Great Depression and then World War II. Kimball has also expanded its activities to include the production of small and large-size pipe organs (their production took place over a period of about 50 years), as well as phonographs. Gradually, upright pianos were gaining in quality and popularity, becoming part of many American homes in the early 20th century. These were average instruments, so in order to improve their quality William hired technicians from renowned manufactures such as Steinway & Sons. The first Kimball factory started to build upright pianos five years later in a factory created especially for this purpose, in response to a growing market. The various components of these instruments were bought from outside companies and assembled in Kimball’s own factory and then sold on an increasing scale. It is worth noting that in the first years he was only a dealer, he did not deal with instrument production.Īfter about 20 years, Kimball’s company also produced reed organs and sold them with great success. Kimball Company in Chicago to sell leading piano brands ( Chickering & Sons, Hallet-Davis, Emerson etc.). When the market was under threat and the economic situation in America was uncertain, he decided to change his business and sell pianos. William Walace Kimball was an American businessman who was involved in real estate brokerage.