From Jean O'Brien, Vice-President of Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders Inc. and Kelly Monette, Tonal Finisher Received September 6, 2018. -

Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders, Inc. (formerly Berghaus Organ Co., Inc.)

Leonard G. Berghaus established his organ building firm near Chicago, Illinois, in 1967. Influenced heavily by the installation of the 4-manual Rudolph von Beckerath organ at Trinity Lutheran church in Cleveland, OH, he began building encased, mechanical action instruments, based on organs from the organ reform movement. At the same time, Berghaus began servicing organs in the greater Midwest. Professional affiliations gave birth to an informal apprenticeship, during which time he worked with John F. Shawhan, a Midwest service and sales representative for Casavant Frères, and Fred Lake, who later went on to work for Schoenstein & Co.

Today, Berghaus continues to build, enlarge, re-build, restore and service organs throughout the United States. Since 2006, Leonard Berghaus is semi-retired; his son, Brian D. Berghaus, runs the daily operations as president of the firm, building organs under the name of Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders, Inc. Tonal direction of the firm has evolved, due to the influence of changing tastes in style. In order to draw from a wide variety of wind-pressures and voicing styles, instruments are constructed using slider-action wind chests for main chests, and electro-pneumatic chests for reeds and unified stops, when necessary. Instruments range in size from 2-rank portative to 92-rank 4-manuals.

Staff members from 1967 to present:
George Anderson, Fred Bahr, Abe Batten, Frederick L. Beal, Mark Ber, Brian Berghaus, Todd Berghaus, Nick Berghaus, Tim Berghaus, Mitch Blum, Steve Bridges, Dean Christian, Kevin Chunko, Dan Dow, Steve Drexler, Peter Duys, Gary Foxe, John Gardner, Werner Grams, Dr. Rick Haas, Jeffrey Hammes, Eric Hobbs, Steven Hoover, Allyn Hoverland, Jeffery Hubbard, Daniel Jaeckel, Bill Kaffenberger, Trever Kahlbaugh, Jim Kavicky, Mark Kirchenberg, Don Klein, Fred Lake, Michal Leutch, Kurt Linstead, Patrick Melvin, Kelly Monette, Jonathan Oblander, Louis E. Patterson, Mike Pelton, Joe Poland, Steven Protzman, John Reister, Daniel Roberts, Jim Roney, Tim Roney Ray Sargent, Paul Serreseque, John F. Shawhan, Ronald Skibbe, Jordan Smoots, Jim Streufert, John Streufert, Paul Sturm, Paul Szymkowski, Gerrit Verkade, Ron Wahl, Randy Watkins.

Brian Berghaus, son of founder Len Berghaus, grew with the company and eventually became its Vice President in 1999 and President in 2004. To mark the new era of Berghaus organs, the name of the firm was officially changed to Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders Inc. around this time. [Source: from builder website]