1 ▁million ▁key boards , ▁according ▁to ▁Music ▁Tr ades ▁magazine . ▁The ▁Stra ube ▁P iano ▁Company ▁had ▁its ▁own ▁golden ▁era , ▁from ▁about ▁ 1 9 0 4 ▁to ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁from ▁several ▁pers pect ives . ▁The ▁company ▁fl our ished ▁as ▁an ▁innov ator ▁of ▁player ▁pian os , ▁rapidly ▁grew ▁into ▁a ▁high - volume ▁producer ▁of ▁prem ium ▁and ▁afford able ▁pian os , ▁and ▁earned ▁acc laim ▁for ▁its ▁concert ▁grands . ▁ ▁Stra ube ▁P iano ▁Company ▁developed ▁influ ential ▁business ▁models ▁based ▁on ▁innov ative ▁management , ▁promotion , ▁advert ising , ▁and ▁pr icing . ▁Its ▁company ▁execut ives ▁and ▁plant ▁super int end ents , ▁particularly ▁E . R . ▁Jacob son ▁( pres ident ) ▁and ▁William ▁G . ▁Bet z ▁( super int endent ▁and ▁invent or / inn ov ator ), ▁were ▁influ ential ▁industry ▁ex ponents ▁who ▁held ▁leadership ▁roles ▁in ▁industry ▁organizations . ▁The ▁company ▁produced ▁prem ium ▁pian os ▁under ▁the ▁Stra ube ▁name — but ▁also ▁manufact ured ▁Hamm ond , ▁Gil more , ▁and ▁Wood ward ▁br ands , ▁some ▁of ▁which ▁sold ▁at ▁lower ▁prices , ▁but ▁were ▁still ▁of ▁high ▁quality . ▁It ▁distributed ▁all ▁models ▁nation ally , ▁and ▁its ▁players ▁intern ation ally , ▁particularly ▁in ▁Australia . ▁▁ ▁Found ers ▁– ▁ ▁Van ▁Mat re ▁& ▁Stra ube ▁The ▁Stra ube ▁P iano ▁Company ▁was ▁the ▁out g row th ▁of ▁Van ▁Mat re