Otto Heineman Phonograph Supply Company, Inc.

US Record company, established by Otto Heinemann in November 1915. Originally it manufactured parts for phonographs, but Heinemann was also interested in marketing Odeon and other labels owned by Carl Lindström in the US. However, that agreement was invalidated following the United States' declaration of war on Germany in 1917, so Heinemann decided to produce his own records in the US. He purchased Charles Hibbard's studio (which had been used in the production of records for Rex Talking Machine Corporation and The Imperial Talking Machine Co.) and retained Hibbard as his recording engineer and Frederick W. Hager as his musical director. Hibbard chose the name Okeh for his new records. It was a Choctaw Indian word meaning "it is right". The word was styled "OkeH" to highlight Heineman's initials. Heinemann announced the launch of OKeh to the trade in May 1918, and they were officially unveiled at the National Music Show in New York during the first week of June 1918, with initial offerings released to dealers in July. On October 1, 1919 Heinemann officially changed the name of his company to General Phonograph Corporation