28 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



J^eW Home Chicago Machinert^ Exchange 



While Chicago has loug stood at the head 

 in the manufacture of furniture and a gen- 

 eral line of noodcnware, and as a consequence 

 lias been the largest consumer of woodworking 

 machinery of various descriptions, it has re- 

 mained for a Norwegian, Waldemar Giertseu, 

 owner of the Chicago Machinery Exchange, to 

 conceive of and put into operation what might 

 l>e called a woodworking machinery exhibition 

 building. After years of etfort in the wood- 

 working machinery line, Mr. Giertseu has put 

 him.self into position where it is possible to 

 complete this plan. 



The qualities of the man and of his accom- 

 plishments with the Chicago Machinery Ex- 

 change have been previously taken up in these 

 pages, but so remarkable have they been that 

 it is not at all out of place to again review 

 (he history of his phenomenal success. 



Afr. Giertseu began his local career in a 



lloor space. Eventually the firm took over the 

 entire building of which it originally occupied 

 hut a ]iart of the first, floor, and for some 

 time past even these quarters have been mucli 

 too cram))ed for the business on hand. 



It was with these conditions before him 

 that Mr. (iiertsen acquired a new site, where 

 he could erect a building of bis own. to take 

 (are of hi.s business in a way which would 

 uiake possible future advancement with no 

 ristrictions. The site, 100 by 200 feet in di- 

 mensions, is located on Washingt^ia ijonlevard, 

 I'.ear Ann street. Upon this is being erected 

 i! thr^e-story building of mill construction, 

 «liich will have a floor space of 60,000 square 

 feet. Everything, from ofSce equipment to 

 lacilities for manufacture and repairing, will 

 be modern and up-to-date and will be in.stalled 

 ^vith a view to facilitating, to as great a 

 ilegree as possible, the ability of the concern 



NEW QUARTERS UE I'HICAOU .\l All I IM)!! V EXClIANliE 



stove factory in (liicago, starting at the very 

 first rung in tlie ladder, but it was not long 

 before he had climbed to a responsible posi- 

 tion with the old firm of J. A. Fay & Co. The 

 firm was later acquire<l by Manning, Maxwell 

 & Moore, and for eleven years Mr. Giertsen 

 was one of its most valuable and faithful em- 

 jjloyes. His ability, however, soon asserted 

 itself in a desire for independence, and on the 

 first of .luly. 1110(1. iKiving interested a friend 

 financially, Mr. Giertsen acquired the old Chi- 

 cago ilachinery Exchange. The original busi- 

 iie.'S of the company consisted in dealing in 

 second-hand machinery, but this stock was 

 soon replaced by a complete line of the best 

 types of woodworking machines. Since then 

 the business has grown constantly and unin- 

 terruptedly. To take cai-c of this increasing 

 trade it was necessary to acquire adilitional 



to liandle its trade. The location of the 

 building is ideal for a high-grade machinery 

 store, being of easy access both from the 

 Madison street car and from the Oak Park 

 elevated train, and but a ten minutes' ride 

 from almost any point down town. Further- 

 more, Wasiiington boulevard will undoubtedly 

 be the main thoroughfare from the downtown 

 district through the West Side to the outljHng 

 communities. 



Were the history of the Exchange not a 

 record of actual accomplishments, it would 

 undoubtedly seem a fairy story to some. The 

 rennirkable success of the Exchange is un- 

 doubtedly due to the quality of the goods 

 handled, the unusual facilities for the best 

 service on all sales and the exceptional re])uta- 

 tion Mr. Giertsen has acquired for fair ileal- 

 iug with all customers. Only concerns sjiecial 



izing in woodworking machinery of various 

 types are represented, and only the best types 

 of these machines are handled. The Exchange 

 handles the entire trade of this section for 

 Baxter D. Whitney & Sons, the Hermance Ma- 

 chine Company, Greaves Klusman Company, 

 McDonough Manufacturing C^ompany, Porter 

 Machinery Company, Beech Manufacturing 

 Company, Crescent Machine Works and the 

 West Side Iron Works. The standard of the 

 goods manufactured by these firms is so widely 

 recognized as to scarcely necessitate mention. 

 It is certain that they represent the cream of 

 the trade among woodworking machinery man- 

 ufacturers. . It is Mr. Ciiertsen 's object to 

 keep on hand a full line, with duplicates, of 

 nil the patterns of the various firms repre- 

 sented, enabling liim to give the very best of 

 seivice. 



Mr. Ciiertsen says that besides carrying on 

 the business of the Exchange as in the ohl 

 plant, lie will invite manufacturers of special 

 woodworking machines to take space and desk 

 room in the new building at a nominal rent. 

 'I'lie Chicago Machinery Exchange will guar- 

 i.r.tee to give the exhibits the best of atten- 

 tion, keeping the machines clean and in pre- 

 sentable order at all times, thus offering to 

 such manufacturers an advantageous propo.si- 

 tion in that it will bring.prospective customers 

 to tliat liuildiaig when in search of any kind of 

 woodworking machinery. He expects, he says, 

 to e\entually make it the woodworking ma- 

 chinery exposition building of Chicago. 



As he plans now-, Mr. Giertsen will have 

 represented from fifty to one hundred manu- 

 facturers with the understanding, however. 

 |liat no two conflicting lines will be repre- 

 sented. It will therefore be necessary for any 

 iu;inufactnrer contemplating taking space to 

 get in touch with the Exchange at the earlie-st 

 ])Ossible moment. Mr. Giertsen is planning to 

 move in the first of February. 



Several concerns have already applied for 

 floor space, but none have as yet been ac- 

 cepted, as it is the intention of the manage- 

 ment to make a thorough investigation of 

 every jiroposition offered before actuall}' 

 renting either desk or exhibition room. Thus 

 customers will be ah.solutely insured of pur- 

 chasiiig from the best manufacturers in their 

 respective lines by going lo the exposition 

 building. Furthermore, no machine will be 

 exhibited without its merits having been 

 passed upon by the Exchange. It is only nec- 

 essary for any one contemplating taking up 

 spaee to i|ni|i :i line tn the Exchange, wliieli 

 will pniiii|itl.v post tlieni as to the way in 

 wliieh it uislii's to liamlle applications. 



Besides guaranteeing to keep all machinery 

 in exhibition in first-class condition, Mr. Giert- 

 sen will carry insurance on all exhibits, will 

 have an attendant constantly on hand to take 

 care of such oflSce details as telephone mes- 

 sages, and besides will have a salesman in 

 constant attendance, who, during the absence 



