Regina Company

Three years later, at the age of 35, Brachhausen expanded his enterprise to America by establishing the Regina Music Box Company.

After sailing to America in September 1892, he leased some space in Jersey City, and with financing from Knauth, Nachod & Kuhne in Leipzig, Brachhausen set up shop in partnership with Riessner and Johannas J. Korner.

[1] Regina established a nationwide distribution network by offering a 50% wholesale price to department stores and other retailers.

In 1897, Brachhausen patented an automatic disc changer, and Regina established a service for installing and maintaining their coin-operated music boxes.

The company had 325 employees, and even as Symphonion established an American branch, Regina thrived as the market leader.

Competition from the phonograph jeopardized the company in the early years of the 20th century, and in 1902, it dropped "Music Box" from its name and started to diversify.

In 1946, Regina's stick vacuum, the ElectrikBroom, made its debut; reaching its peak sales in the 1960s and 1970s and retaining profitability until production ceased in 1994.

In the 1980s, CEO Donald D. Sheelen led a group of employees who purchased Regina for $38 Million in a leveraged buyout.

The “tools on board” idea, “cyclonic” vacuum technology, and the modern easy to use steam cleaner were all the brainchild of Don Sheelen.

Regina used a phonograph mechanism manufactured by the American Graphophone Company, which evolved into Columbia Records.