USA > Michigan > Wayne County > Detroit > Compendium of history and biography of the city of Detroit and Wayne County, Michigan > Part 35
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THE HOLLIDAY BOX COMPANY.
In the matter of industrial development De- troit in the past decade has attracted the at- tention of the citizens of the country at large, her growth in this particular being greater than that of any city of her population in America. A careful analysis of that growth will show that in the matter of specialty man- ufacturers, whose individual plants are the most important in their respective lines, this city is without a rival. Among her larger in- dustries in the specialty field, that of the Hol- liday Box Company is one of the most import- ant. This business was founded in 1878 by Mr. William P. Holliday, who for about six years previously had been in charge of the plant of D. M. Richardson, manufacturer of matches-now the Detroit plant of the Dia- mond Match Company. His first factory was
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located at 157 Jefferson avenue, and his oper- THE DETROIT STEEL COOPERAGE COM- PANY.
ating force did not exceed ten employes. His output consisted of all classes of paper boxes and his trade was confined to the local markets. His venture was successful from the start and and the Michigan Central belt line tracks, in to larger quarters, 55 Jefferson avenue.
A second removal, to the Bagley building on Bates street, soon followed. The continued growth of the enterprise resulted in the pur- chase, in 1890, of the lot at the corner of Fort and Brush streets, one hundred and thirty- eight by one hundred and thirty-eight feet. A six-story and basement factory building, equipped with the most modern machinery to be had, was erected and occupied in 1891. Built of brick and provided with the most modern safeguards against fire, having a floor space of one hundred and thirty thousand square feet, it offers employment to four hundred operatives, two-thirds of whom are girls, trained in the making of the company's products and working under sanitary condi- tions as perfect as modern factory construc- tion will permit.
This company manufacture fancy confec- tionery boxes, made from silks, satins and im- ported papers. Only the best grades are pro- duced, their line being the most expensive made in America, and their output equalling in quantity all of the other makers of this special- ty in the United States. Their product is sold through a traveling force and is marketed in every town of twenty thousand population and over in the United States and Canada. In addition to this they export annually large quantities of goods to many of the larger cities. The importance of the industry to the city is best illustrated through its wage scale, -more than one hundred thousand dollars being distributed each year in return for labor.
The company was incorporated on April 12, 1903, with a capital stock of two hundred thousand dollars, and succeeded to the business of W. P. Holliday. Its officers are : President, William P. Holliday ; secretary and treasurer, Robert W. Stewart; superintendent, George B. Streit. Personal mention of Mr. Holliday appears on other pages of this work.
In reviewing the industrial concerns of De- troit, and especially those which have most rapidly attained to a commanding place in their respective lines of manufacture, the De- troit Steel Cooperage Company commends it- self to the publishers of this volume. The spring of 1908 completes the fifth year since its products were first placed upon the market and the incidental record shows that in the closing of this period the only market in the known world in which its products had not been sold, that of China, receives a shipment of thirty car loads.
The company was organized in 1902 to manufacture glass enameled steel tanks, the process of making being the successful result of about two years of experimenting by Mr. Henry C. Wiedeman, at that time the general manager of the Huetteman & Cramer Com- pany, of Detroit. In perfecting the tank made by this process, two advantages were gained to the brewery and distillery interests of the world, the most perfect sanitation possible from the use of this character of equipment in their plants and a commercial saving in the manufacture of products and upkeep of tankage.
Associated with Mr. Wiedeman in the pro- motion of the company, were Mr. Otto Rein- valdt and Mr. Elias Aberle. Incorporation of the enterprise occurred in 1902. The capital stock of the company was one hundred thou- sand dollars, and the first officers were: Presi- dent, Conrad Pfeiffer; vice-president, Paul Weidner; secretary, Otto Reinvaldt; treas- urer and general manager, Henry C. Weide- man. A site was purchased at Sylvester street the heart of Detroit's most desirable manu- facturing district. A factory building one hundred and fifty by one hundred and five feet, constructed of steel, concrete and brick, was built and the equipment necessary for manu- facture installed. A large percentage of the machines needed were built especially for the purpose and patented by the company.
The summer of 1903 saw the first tanks placed upon the market. They were received
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with marked approval, and, although an un- tried and unproven feature of brewery equip- ment, a business totaling eighty thousand dol- lars was secured the first twelve months from the time their first order was secured. One of their first customers, the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association, of St. Louis, the world's largest brewers, placed an order for thirty-two of the largest storage tanks ever constructed, viz : ten feet in diameter by sixty-eight feet in length, each having a capacity of one thousand one hundred and forty barrels. Each suc- ceeding year had brought an order for more equipment from this company, which is con- clusive evidence not only of the practical value of this class of tank, but also of the high standard of quality of the product.
Financial demands of a business that had grown beyond the expectations of its owners made a reorganization necessary; and in 1905 a number of Detroit's well known business men of wealth were interested in the enterprise. Complete reorganization resulted and the offi- cers of the practically new concern are as fol- lows : President, Colonel Frank H. Blackman; vice-president, Hon. Hoyt Post; secretary, DeWitt H. Taylor; assistant secretary, Otto Reinvaldt; treasurer, William Harry; assist- ant treasurer, H. C. Wiedeman. The controll- ing spirit in the enterprise, Henry C. Wiede- man, to whose indefatigable energy and well directed business efforts the success of the company is mainly due, has since its start sat- isfactorily filled the position of general man- ager. He is in control of the sales, finance and general business departments of the com- pany. Mr. Otto Reinvaldt, his associate in the formation of the company, is in charge of the purchasing and manufacturing depart- ments.
The company maintain branch offices in New York, Chicago and Seattle, and a foreign office in London, England. An average force of one hundred and fifty men is employed, sixty-five per cent. of whom are skilled me- chanics, and the company distributes annually in wages one hundred and fifty thousand dol- lars. The growth of this enterprise is best illustrated by a comparison of the business
done in 1903, its first year, and that of 1907, its fifth. That of 1903 totaled eighty thousand dollars; that of 1907 reached the pleasing ag- gregate of six hundred thousand dollars. Ad- ditions to the original building have from time to time been built, until in 1908, the factory stretches on Beaufait avenue northward seven hundred feet from Sylvester street, and has a width of one hundred and five feet, this being the largest single structure devoted to indus- trial use in the city. The reputation of its products and the magic of the words "made in Detroit" are necessarily of much value to the city, while the money disbursed in wages is an important item in a commercial way. The financial strength of those in control and the business acumen displayed by those in charge of the company presage a successful future and expansion.
THE NEWTON BEEF COMPANY.
Occupying a position of marked relative im- portance in comparison with the representative concerns of the sort in Detroit, this company is clearly entitled to consideration in this pub- lication, one of whose chief functions is the entering of a general review of the leading in- dustrial enterprises which are contributing to the upbuilding of the "Greater Detroit."
The controlling stock in the Newton Beef Company is owned by its founder, Thomas E. Newton, who is president, treasurer and gen- eral manager of the company, which was in- corporated under the laws of the state in 1901. The other members of the executive corps are as follows: William J. Streit, vice-president and manager of the retail store; William Cal- lan, secretary and office manager. The finely equipped abattoir of the company is located on Fourteenth street at the junction of the same with the tracks of the Michigan Central Rail- road, so that the best of transportation facili- ties are controlled. The annual business of the concern has already reached the noteworthy aggregate of one million dollars, representing the handling within that period of an average of twenty-five thousand head of cattle, twelve thousand lambs, and seven thousand calves.
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In by-products the output includes an average of fifty thousand pounds of tallow and seventy- five thousand pounds of fertilizer each month. The business of the company is largely directed in supplying the hotel, restaurant and steam- boat trade of Detroit and the local retail meat markets, and in addition to this the company holds contracts for supplying meats to the gar- rison at Fort Wayne and the state prison, at Jackson. In the abattoir and delivery service thirty-five employes are retained, and an aver- age of thirty thousand dollars annually is rep- resented in the company's pay roll. The sales of hides reach an average of one hundred thou- sand dollars annually, and every department of the enterprise is conducted with utmost care in the conservation of sanitary conditions, thus insuring an output which defies criticism and constitutes its own advertising. The ice plant has a capacity of twenty-five tons daily, and the storage rooms afford accommodation for five hundred head of dressed cattle, three hundred sheep and two hundred calves. In 1907 a department for the handling of pork products was added to the plant, and this fea- ture of the enterprise is proving most success- ful in operation. The wholesale headquarters of the company are maintained at 41 Cadillac Square, and the retail store is located at Stall 4, Central Market. A sketch of the career of the president and also one of the secretary of the company appear elsewhere in this volume.
THE NEWBERRY BAKING COMPANY.
The enterprise conducted under the above title is of more recent establishing than certain others of the kind in the city of Detroit, but its precedence is acknowledged and the business already ranks among the first of the order in the Michigan metropolis.
The Newberry Baking Company was organ- ized in 1906, in May of which year it was in- corporated under the laws of the state, with a capital stock of ten thousand dollars. The principals interested in the incorporation were Lewis Newberry, Charles E. Petrak, and Mrs. A. Newberry, and the officers of the company at the present time are as here noted : Lewis
Newberry, president; C. E. Petrak, vice-presi- dent; and Mrs. A. Newberry secretary and treasurer. A sketch of the career of the presi- dent and founder of the business appears on other pages of this work. The plant of the company is located at the corner of Fourteenth and McGraw avenues, where the building oc- cupied is one hundred and fourteen by one hundred and forty-six feet in dimension, and two stories in height. The company has also erected an addition to the main building, and this is sixty feet square. The equipment of the plant throughout is of the highest modern type, and the sanitary provisions are perfect in every possible detail. The ovens have a capa- city for the output of fifteen thousand two- pound loaves of bread a day, and the factory is given over exclusively to the manufacturing of bread, which is sold at wholesale only. The trade of the company extends throughout De- troit and its suburbs. Seven delivery wagons are in service, and in the factory of the con- cern is employed a force of twenty men, en- tailing the expenditure of about twenty thou- sand dollars annually in wages. The man- agement of the business is distinctively pro- gressive and aggressive, and the result has been an exceptionally rapid growth in the volume of trade controlled. The interested principals are men of established business reputation and pro- gressive ideas, and the success of the enter- prise represents a natural sequel.
W. M. FINCK & COMPANY.
An industrial concern of importance and one that has contributed materially toward the commercial prestige of Detroit is that whose title initiates this paragraph. The enterprise is one of the largest of its kind in the Union, and the products of the establishment include over- alls, special lines of service coats, trousers, etc. The company was incorporated in 1902, with a capital stock of sixty thousand dollars, and the officers of the same are: William M. Finck, president and secretary, and James L. Lee, vice-president and treasurer. Mr. Finck has the personal supervision of the manufacturing department of the business, in which he has
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had long and intimate experience, and Mr. Lee has charge of the sales, credit and finance de- partments and also of the buying of material used in the manufactory. The large and finely equipped plant of the company is located at 1156 Gratiot avenue, and the main building is seventy by one hundred feet in dimensions, is constructed of brick and is three stories in height. The factory building, at the rear of the structure just mentioned, is seventy by one hundred and fifty feet in dimensions and is two stories in height. In the factory employment is given to a force of eight hundred operatives, and the output is known for its superiority in every respect. It has been stated with much of consistency that Mr. Finck, president of the company, is the man who has made Detroit famous for union-made overalls. The enterprise was established by him in 1890, and from a modest inception has been built up a business that in its line stands second to none in the Union. Growth, progress and success have been the concomitants of the industry and the advanced policy and absolute reliability of products in- sures a consecutive expansion in the business each successive year, as the goods turned out constitute their best advertising. From a brochure issued by the company are taken the following pertinent statements: "Our success has been phenomenal, and our many friends at- tribute it to the superiority and merit of our productions. We are constantly on the alert for articles of superiority, having realized the importance of manufacturing the best article in the country, thus establishing a foundation for permanency which tends to steady growth and expansion." All styles of overalls are manu- factured, as well as coats of denim, corduroy, cottonade, canvas, etc. Particular study has been given to securing economy in production and in conserving the highest possible quality in the output. The company has established a reputation for fair and honorable dealings, and the reliability of all products is assured. As showing the progressive ideas of the concern it may be stated that the factory utilizes forty- two yards of cloth in the manufacturing of a dozen of average size, while the record of com-
petitors in the same production is for the use of only thirty-five yards. The excess allows for shrinkage and greatly improves the wear- ing quality of the garments. Thus the highest grade of products is turned out at a price that meets all competition. All garments of this factory are union made. The goods of the company are sold in all sections of the United States and Canada, and they are placed largely in a direct way, through advertising sent out from the headquarters. This method in itself conserves economy and enables the company to give its customers the advantage of superior goods at the price of those of inferior quality and workmanship. It is gratifying to note the upbuilding of so prosperous an industry,- one founded on honor and conducted on the plan of giving full value received in every transaction. The average annual expenditure of the company in wages and salaries is fully two hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars, and this statement is significant when we revert to the fact that in 1902, when the company was organized, its total force of employes numbered only seventy persons, including the office corps. Other data of interest in this connection may be found in the sketch of the career of Mr. Finck, president of the company.
THE STERLING & SKINNER MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY.
In the manufacturing of steam, water and gas fixtures and appliances of brass this com- pany has built up a large and thriving business and gained precedence as one of the leading concerns of the kind in the Michigan metropo- lis. The company was incorporated in 1902, and its operations are based on a capital stock of thirty-five thousand dollars. The following officers, each peculiarly well fortified for the executive duties devolving upon him, control the affairs of the company : Ruluff R. Sterling, president ; Edward J. Roney, vice-president ; Frederick G. Skinner, secretary and treasurer; and George W. Bowe, superintendent. The president of the company has charge of the sales of the concern in all territory west of Detroit; Mr. Roney is superintendent of the foundry and the manufacturing of the rough
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products; Mr. Skinner has charge of the office and finances of the company and also of the sales in the eastern territory; and Mr. Bowe is the general superintendent of the factory and gives special supervision to the finishing de- partment.
The factory of the company is located at the corner of Russell street and North Grand boul- evard and the plant occupies an acre of ground. The main building was erected in 1902, is three stories in height, substantially constructed of brick, and has an aggregate floor space of twenty thousand square feet. The foundry building is one story in height and fifty by one hundred feet in dimensions. The mechanical equipment and all other facilities are of the best modern type, making possible the rapid turning out of work of the highest grade. The trade of the company extends throughout the United States and Canada and also into the principal European countries. Of the one hundred and fifty employes full seventy-five per cent. are skilled artisans, and the average annual pay roll represents an expenditure of about seventy- five thousand dollars. The company insistent- ly maintains all of its products at the highest standard of excellence, and its reputation in this regard results in the trade of the concern showing a constantly expanding tendency.
THE CLAYTON & LAMBERT MANU- FACTURING COMPANY.
Under the above title is conducted another of those manufacturing industries to which the Michigan metropolis lends her hearty support, conducive, as it is, to the general and commer- cial prosperity of the community and enlisting in its prosecution both ample capital and skilled labor. The company are manufacturers of gasoline torches and furnaces for electric, steam and gas fitters and tin and sheet-iron workers, and the enterprise is one of the largest of the kind in the west.
The original location of the Clayton & Lam- bert Manufacturing Company was in the city of Ypsilanti, Michigan, and it was organized in 1888, when it was incorporated under the laws of the state, with a capital stock of ten thou-
sand dollars. The interested principals in the concern at the time of incorporation were Nel- son J. Clayton, Joshua Lambert, and the lat- ter's three sons,-John E., Charles R. and Bert. The company retained its headquarters in Ypsilanti until 1899, when the business was removed to Detroit, the factory being estab- lished at Milwaukee Junction until 1902, when the present premises were purchased, having a frontage of three hundred feet on Beaubien street and two hundred and seventeen feet on Trombly avenue. On this land was erected in the same year a general factory building of two stories, one hundred and seventeen by one hundred and twenty feet in lateral dimensions, and the building affords ample accommodations for the various departments, including the of- fices, shipping room, ware rooms, etc. The main foundry building is two stories in height and sixty by two hundred and seventeen feet dimensions; a portion of this structure is one story in height. The business has been built up from a modest inception to its present large proportions, and in the special line of produc- tion the concern manufactures fully eighty per cent. of all such devices utilized in the United States and Canada, while the articles manufac- tured are amply protected by letters patent. The company control also an excellent export trade, which is done through the interposition of jobbers in New York city, Boston, Phila- delphia, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Los Angeles. Of the average force of em- ployes seventy-five per cent. are skilled artisans in their respective lines,-including moulders, buffers, polishers, machinists, tool-makers, pat- tern-makers, monitor hands, platers, sheet- metal workers, press men, etc. Charles R. Lambert has charge of the manufacturing de- partment; John E. Lambert is sales promoter, and Bert Lambert has the supervision of the general accounting department.
In 1902 the capital stock of the company was increased to fifty thousand dollars, and in 1904 it was raised to its present figure,-two hun- dred thousand dollars. Mr. Clayton has been president of the company from the time of its incorporation, and the other officers are as fol- lows : Charles R. Lambert, vice-president ; John
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E. Lambert, secretary; and Bert Lambert, treasurer.
JOSHUA LAMBERT, the father, was one of the founders of the enterprise, as has already been stated. He was born in 1837 and his death occurred in 1902. He was a son of Sol- omon Lambert, who was one of the pioneers of Wayne county, Michigan, where he took up a tract of government land, about four and one- half miles distant from the present village of Farmington. Solomon Lambert was a native of the state of New York and practically his entire life was devoted to agricultural pursuits. He continued to reside on the old homestead until his death, at the patriarchal age of ninety years.
Joshua Lambert was born on the homestead mentioned and his early educational privileges were limited to the primitive district schools of the locality and period. He learned the trade of blacksmith when a youth, and followed the same in Charlotte and later in Ypsilanti, Mich- igan. In the latter place he became associated in business with Nelson J. Clayton, under the firm name of Clayton & Lambert, and from their modest little establishment was built up the fine manufacturing institution through which their names are perpetuated. Mr. Lam- bert took up his residence in Detroit in 1899, and here passed the residue of his life, whose entire course was marked by impregnable in- tegrity and honor. He was a Democrat in politics and was a consistent member of the Congregational church. His wife, whose maiden name was Maria Griffith, was born and reared in Michigan and is now deceased.
BERT LAMBERT, treasurer of the Clayton & Lambert Manufacturing Company, was born at the family homestead, at Livonia, Wayne county, Michigan, on the 10th of September, 1865, and he was affored the advantages of the public schools of the city of Charlotte, after which he completed a course in the Cleary Business College, at Ypsilanti, in which he was graduated as a member of the class of 1883. After leaving school he became a clerk in a grocery in Ypsilanti, and later he entered the employ of the firm of Clayton & Lambert. When the same was succeeded by the Clayton
& Lambert Manufacturing Company, he be- came one of the incorporators of the latter, for which he was traveling salesman for some time and of which he has been treasurer since 1896. He is a Republican in his political allegiance, is a member of the Detroit Golf Club, and both he and his wife are communicants of St. Paul's church, Protestant Episcopal.
On the 6th of September, 1893, was solem- nized the marriage of Bert Lambert to Miss Ina F. Hay, daughter of William Hay, foun- der, president and manager of the Hay & Todd Manufacturing Company, of Ypsilanti, and the children of this union are William Hay Lam- bert and Bert Lambert, Jr.
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