Smith & Nixon in Cincinnati, Ohio, one of Steinway & Sons’ most important Midwest dealers, is on the verge of bankruptcy. William Steinway decides to buy out all Steinway & Sons pianos from Smith & Nixon, and set up Steinway & Sons-owned dealership in Cincinnati. Ernest Urchs, Steinway & Sons’ wholesale wunderkind, takes charge of the new Cincinnati store, and the new dealership is named “Ernest Urch & Company – sole representative for the celebrated Steinway piano.”