In his book "Downright Upright" (ISBN 0-920474-60-8), Wayne Kelly
mentions the Otto Higel Company of Toronto as being one of the largest
suppliers of keys, actions, wires and assorted components, and it became
one of the major suppliers of piano rolls in the country.

The Higel company supplied most of the player actions used in Canadian
pianos as they were designed to simply hook up to virtually any upright
piano.  No mention of any British sales outlet, but it's probable that
they did have a major supply network around the world.

Higel's keyboards were used by pipe organ builders as well.  We used them
on our organs for many years.  Sadly, all the piano companies in Canada
are gone  (all 250+ companies).

As to the numbers of pianos produced, I should mention that the Bell
Piano and Organ company, of Guelph, Ontario, alone claimed to have built
170,000 instruments by 1928.  And D. W. Karn organs and pianos from
Woodstock, Ontario, were sold worldwide from their London, Hamburg,
Bombay, etc., offices and were very popular in Germany and Switzerland.

Nelson Denton
R. A. Denton and Son, Pipe Organ Builders
Hamilton Ontario Canada