Radio today (Jan-Mar 1939)

MEN WHO ARE STABILIZING RADIO-PARTS SALES (One of a series) The history of Robert F. Herr, manager of the parts and service division Robert F. Herr of Phileo Radio & Television Corporation, is very much like the history of Phileo itself. Though only 38 now, Bob Herr's career began more than twenty-one years ago with the Philadelphia Storage Battery Company. He has been identified with Phileo batteries or Phileo radios ever since. However, his first stay with Philadelphia Storage Battery was very brief. He joined the company in March, 1917, but left as soon as he was 18 to enter the Army. After seeing service at the front in France, with the anti-aircraft forces, Bob returned directly to Philadelphia and resumed what he had been doing before the World War had interrupted him — working in a testing laboratory for storage batteries. Philco's parts and service division started with Bob Herr, and Bob has been the dominating force ever since. After serving an apprenticeship in the lab, testing storage batteries, he moved on to radio batteries when they became important commercially. From that point, he soon took charge of testing of socket powers when Phileo moved into that field. During the interim, Bob had been continually studying at night, both at home and at school. Educational work When Phileo moved into the radio field, Bob Herr found his knowledge stood him in good stead. He spent five years traveling into every nook and cranny of the U.S.A., engaged in "educational" work with Phileo distributors. In fact, he and Sayre Ramsdell, now vice-president, and Harry Boyd Brown, now national merchandising manager, were the trio who took the first Phileo radio set, the old Model 511, around the country for presentation at dealer meetings. From these years of traveling, Herr discovered the parts requirements and service needs of the radio retailer. When he returned to Philadelphia, dealers and distributors began to write in, asking for parts and information on service. Philco's parts and service division rapidly began to form around this flood of inquiries until it now does an annual business totaling millions, with almost 15,000 different parts in stock and 125 men working on some phase or another of parts merchandising. Completely directing all this activity is Herr, the original parts and service division. Bob's second and third biggest interests in life are ocean fishing during the summer, and indoor tennis during the winter. What's his biggest interest? You guessed it — radio. TESTIMONIALS TELL ALL Almost every radio dealer has listened to grateful words after he licked interference on a receiver. But it remained for the Sico Electric Radio Co.. 258 Lexington Avenue, New York City, to get it in writing. In the front of their window, Sico displays six impressive testimonials from thankful Murray Hill residents. The framed letters feature Sico's ability to analyze purely local condition? that play hob with Gotham reception. One puff mentions a check for $225 in payment of a job, which is sure to impress prospective service customers. The Utah Service-Pak consists of this cabinet plus a stock of 79 essential replacement parts. Sold only through recognized jobbers. pVERY active service man ■*-J should have one of the new Utah Service-Pats — for building bigger profits and maintaining a normal stock of essential parts economically. The new Service-Pat provides important economies—it saves time and space — it reduces costs — it safeguards parts — it permits a perpetual inventory to be kept easily. Ask your jobber to show you the attractive kit — it is 17" x. 39" x 10". In one convenient, complete, easy-to-keep-up miniature stock room you can stock practically all your replacement parts essentials. The following high-grade Utah parts are included: 35 Assorted 10Watt Vitreous Resistors, 6 Assorted ^o-Watt Adjustable Vitreous Resistors, 16 Assorted Volume Controls, 6 Volume Control Switches, 3 Assorted Chokes, S Assorted Audio Transformers, 3 Assorted Universal Output Transformers, 4 Assorted Power Transformers, 1 5" Electrodynamic Speaker. The Utah Service-Pak also accommodates condensers, vibrators, etc., to complete the stock of essential parts. So service man should be without this kit of minimum stock essentials. The Utah Service-Pak Is Priced So Low You Can't Afford to Be Without It. Tear this page out as a reminder to ask your jobber to show you the new Utah ServicePak. If he doesn't have one, write us direct for complete information. UTAH RADIO PRODUCTS CO. "JS £ 93 CHICAGO, ILL • Cable Address, UTARADI0CHICAGO 29 February, 1939 53