[Vintage-Audio] Re Voice Of Music. What Happened?

[Gerry Steffens]

Duane, here is the rest of the previously quoted article.  It answers =
your
questions regarding Victor A. Miller.

The following brief history was written by V-M Corporation President =
Victor
Miller for the January 1996 V-M =93Collector=92s Voice=94 Newsletter:

"Fast Forward" ..... Through a few high spots of V-M Corporation's =
history!
It is inspiring to see the effort Gary is putting into keeping the =
products
and legends of V-M going this many years after our bankruptcy in 1977.  =
I
consider it a privilege to contribute in some small way to this tribute =
to
the dedication, skill, loyalty, and decades of hard work of employees,
suppliers, distributors, dealers, and independent service centers who =
made
up the V-M action team.  A special "thank you" is due the loyal
manufacturers who kept including our record changers and/or tape =
transport
mechanisms in their products - and to the consumers who bought those
products as well as items sold under our own name.
Benton Harbor was the scene of record changer manufacture before V-M
Corporation existed. My father Walter Miller, was an electrical engineer
building up New Products Corporation, a custom die cast operation, =
through
the heart of the depression of the 1930's. He had also started Modern
Plastics Corporation, a custom plastic molding company in 1937. The
reputation of those two companies for quality, service, and value led to =
his
being approached to produce record changers for the blossoming =
phonograph
market.

Commencing in 1940, New Products Corporation produced the Erwood "blade"
type record changer. Some 2,300 of these cumbersome units were being =
shipped
daily by the time World War II cut off all consumer product manufacture
(shortly after the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor).

V-M was created as a separate entity in 1944 and distinguished itself =
early
on by producing initial quantities of one of Dad's classified wartime
inventions. When the war ended, this separate entity jumped into the
production of record changers just as soon as such consumer product
manufacture was permitted.

In addition to phonograph manufacturers, early customers began to =
include
independent service shops and electronic parts distributors. This then =
led
in the early 1950's to designing and building amplified phonographs,
consoles, and tape recorders - and selling tape transport mechanisms to
other manufacturers. We had "binaural" sound in our tape recorders as an
adaptation by late 1955. Then came "stereo" tape recorders, stereo =
record
changers and stereo phonographs by 1958.

Our best year for sales and earnings was 1962, but we were serving an
industry that subsequently got wiped out so far as U.S. manufactured
products were concerned. As the battle got tougher, we tightened our =
belts
and hung in, trying to also apply our technological skills to special
motors, amplifiers, etc. These we had hoped would become standard =
products
used by many U. S. manufacturers, resulting in lower costs and a more
competitive position.

>From 1971 on, we were on a shoestring. In spite of everyone's =
dedication,
that string broke in 1977. When we could no longer produce, we filed for
bankruptcy in the interest of protecting general creditors to the extent =
we
could, from various predators. With the permission of the court, we
converted what we could to cash for the benefit of employees and =
suppliers.

V-M remains a registered corporation in the State of Michigan, but is no
longer engaged in manufacturing activities. Service parts and manuals =
are
now available from V-M Audio Enthusiasts at 37530 E. Meadowhill, =
Northville,
MI 48167. Let me say that it is great to have this opportunity to =
express my
appreciation for the confidence manufacturers, distributors, dealers,
service shops, and consumers placed in our products and in the men and =
women
who built them. Many thanks! God bless you all!=20

Victor A. Miller
January 1996
Revised: January 2000=20




Victor A. Miller, son of Walter Miller, is the president of the VM
Corporation founded by Walter Miller.

Gerry


Collecting & Restoring since 1959
Gerald Steffens P.E.
Oronoco, MN


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