Player Piano Co. _Is_ Durrell Armstrong
By Fritz Gellerman
A number of years ago Durrell bought into the idea of computerizing his inventory control and order-taking systems. A couple of bright young management systems fellows came on board and designed an automated, integrated, computerized, gee-whiz system.
After giving it a good try, Durrell concluded that it was rigid, cumbersome, expensive and slower than the old manual system -- a disaster. Out with the new, in with the old. I can't say that I blame him, having been through something similar myself.
A while later he decided to retire, having given years of yeoman service to the automatic music restoration hobby and "industry". But the new management at PPCo. didn't work out and he was forced to come back and take over again.
I ran into Durrell at the AMICA convention in St. Louis last year and asked him about it. He said he had concluded that the Player Piano Company was himself, and that he now accepts that he will run it 'till he drops. What will become of our hobby when that day comes I can't imagine.
The Player Piano Company has been a great source of specialized material for the automatic music hobby that is unique in the world. There have been some ups and downs, as many of us well remember, but it continues to survive because it provides an essential service.
All of us owe a great debt to Durrell, and I'm not referring to his "Accounts Receivable." I believe that AMICA and MBSI should both recognize in some formal way the contributions he has made.
Fritz Gellerman
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(Message sent Sun 19 Jan 1997, 19:42:23 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.) |
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