Q: Using wood, metal and leather, this Kansas company has been making musical instruments for a century. What's the name of this company -- celebrating its 100th anniversary this year -- and where is it located?
A: The Reuter Organ Company in Lawrence
The Reuter Organ Company in Lawrence is celebrating its 100th anniversary. In 1917, Adolph Reuter joined Earl Schwarz to establish the Reuter-Schwarz Organ Company in Trenton, Illinois. In 1919, when an organ was commissioned for the Masonic Temple in Lawrence, Kansas, local business leaders urged the newly established firm to relocate to Lawrence. The invitation was accepted and the company has been in Lawrence ever since.
Earl Schwarz left the business shortly after the move and the company was renamed The Reuter Organ Company. According to Reuter's website -- reuterorgan.com -- the company that completed a single $1,800 contract in 1917 is now a multimillion-dollar international firm with organs in the United States, Canada, Taiwan and Korea. With more than 2,240 new organs installed in churches, synagogues, concert halls, schools and homes around the globe.
Read more about The Reuter Organ Company here: http://www.reuterorgan.com/history.html