White built a plant to manufacture orchestral woodwinds in 1917. Many of the earliest saxophones supplied by Cleveland Musical Instruments were made for military bands as the United States entered World War I. The First World War interrupted the trade of the Czech instruments, so White sought a domestic supplier in the Cleveland Musical Instrument Company in 1916. Kohlert Company, then located in the Czech province of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After the import rights for Buffet products were lost to Carl Fischer of New York in 1910, White started importing woodwinds from the V. White sought to expand its offerings to woodwinds starting in 1908, importing Evette & Schaeffer saxophones and clarinets manufactured by the Buffet Crampon Company of France. He worked with White to further develop instruments. Reynolds, a talented brass instrument maker at the J.W. White later designed other brass instrument models, including cornets and baritones.
It became the company's first successful model when it was adopted by Al Pinard, then a famous trombone player. White designed a trombone for Thomas King, a local player. White Company' in 1893 by Henderson White, an engraver and instrument repairman.
