146 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[December 1, 1912. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN AKRON. 



By a Resident Correspondent. 



THE sixth building to be either built or remodeled by the Good- 

 year Tire and Rubber Co., was started November 16. This 

 will be 100 X 260 and seven stories high, the construction to be 

 absolutely fireproof, of briclc, steel and reinforced concrete ; esti- 

 mated cost, $100,000. They are constructing two new factory 

 buildings, remodeling a factory building, an office building and an 

 employment office. The total approximate cost will be $400,000. 



* * * 



The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., of South America, has been 

 organized under the laws of Maine with a capital stock of $3,000,- 

 000. The object of the incorporation as given in the certificate 

 is to operate rubber plantations in South America and to manu- 

 facture the raw product. Several years ago F. A. Scibcrling, 

 president of the Goodyear Co. made an extended trip through 

 South America, where he studied the rubber supply thoroughly. 



It is understood that the Goodyear company has representatives 

 in Brazil who are thoroughly investigating this rubber field. The 

 Brazilian government is offering certain exemptions from taxation 

 and bonuses to rubber factories, which were described in detail 

 in the June issue (page 427) and the October issue (page 2) of 

 the India Rubber World. 



C. W. Seiberling, vice-president of the Goodyear Tire and Rub- 

 ber Co., says : "Our sales for the fiscal year ending November 1 

 approximate $25,000,000. The contracts indicate that for the com- 

 ing season we will supply to car makers 200,000 sets of tires. The 

 demand for Goodyear tires has compelled us to add three new 

 buildings. The company has acquired the entire property of the 

 Akron branch of the Great Western Cereal Co., located on East 

 Market street, just west of the company's present buildings. 

 These buildings will be used for storage until such time as it is 

 necessary to utilize the ground for manufacturing purposes. The 

 three latest additions aggregate 335,300 square feet of floor space, 

 which brings the total to date, 1,935,300 square feet, which 

 equals a factory 60 feet wide, one story high and six miles long. 



* * * 



The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., Limited, of Bowmanville, 

 Canada, has built two additional buildings, doubling its 1911 ca- 

 pacity. The company has purchased and remodeled a large hotel 

 in Bowmanville to be used as a club house and has erected a new 

 office building in Toronto. In March, 1912, the capital stock 

 was increased to $2S0,(XX), and in October it was again doubled. 



* * * 



Four hundred members of Cleveland's Chamber of Commerce 

 — all leading business men of that city — recently made a trip to 

 Akron on a special train, for the purpose of visiting the B. F. 

 Goodrich Co.'s factory. The entire trip occupied si.x hours, two 

 hours of this time being devoted to the inspection of the great 

 Goodrich plant. The visitors were received by C. B. Raymond, 

 H. E. Raymond and other officers of the company, and were 

 divided into twenty different parties, each party with its own 

 guide, so that the tour of inspection might be intelligently made 

 and all questions answered that naturally would arise. 



California, located at 1175 B street, with Mr. Schoenraub in 

 charge. 



Mr. R. W. Hainer, of the Goodrich company, has been elected 

 general manager of the Electric Rubber Reclaiming Co., Barber- 

 ton, O. The machinery is in place and the company is putting out 

 standard goods. 



* ♦ * 



The American Tire and Rubber Co., at their directors' meeting 

 on November 18, passed a resolution requesting the stockholders 

 at the next meeting to increase the capitalization from $200,000 to 

 $500,000 to supply the needs occasioned by the growth of their 

 business. A new addition, 40 x 50, consisting of two stories and 

 a basement north of the present plant, has been built for the 

 manufacture of solid tires. Machinery for reclaiming rubber 

 and for the manufacture of steam packing is being installed. 

 The reclaiming is said to be a mechanical process and the com- 

 pany claims for its packing that its longitudinal fabric is com- 

 pressed in such a manner that it has a marked tendency to re- 

 tain its original form, thus giving it added expansion qualities. 



* * * 



The St. Louis Tire and Rubber Co., whose incorporation was 

 mentioned in the November issue of the Indi.\ Rubber World will 

 have the following officers : J. -A.. Swinehart, of Akron, Ohio, 

 first vice-president and general manager, in full charge of the 

 manufacturing end; H. C. Barker, of Carter, Collins, Jones and 

 Barker, president and general counsel ; William H. Glasgow, 

 treasurer ; and the following directors : C. C. ColUns, vice-presi- 

 dent of the Missouri Lincoln Trust Co. ; Roy F. Brittain, assistant 

 general counsel of the Cotton Belt R. R. Co. ; Alfred E. Einstein, 

 vice-president and general manager of the Union Electric Light 

 & Power Co.; and C. N. Skinner, of Bu.xton & Skinner. In solids, 

 the company expects to manufacture the "Krotz" tire, and a new 

 pneumatic tire, every layer of the fabric of which bears an equal 

 amount of strain. The company has bought fireproof buildings, 

 already built, and will be in a position to place its goods on the 

 market within a short time. 



* * * 



On November 12 a disastrous fire of unknown origin totally 

 destroyed the palatial summer home of F. H. Mason, first vice- 

 president of the B. F. Goodrich Co., at Turkeyfoot Lake. The 

 loss is estimated at between $50,000 and $100,000. The fire is 

 presumed to have started in the upper part of the house and was 

 not discovered until it 'had gained a headway that could not be 

 checked. The house was totally consumed within two hours. 

 The blaze was discovered by one of the servants, and all escaped 



injury. 



* * * 



At a recent meeting of the stockholders and directors of the 

 Miller Rubber Co., reports read by department heads showed an 

 increase of this year's business over last year's of 60 per cent. In 

 order to handle the immense volume of business and to be in a 

 position to fill the many orders received for next year, the com- 

 pany is now erecting a new factory building ISO x 75 and three 

 stories high. The land adjacent to and formerly belonging to the 

 Franz Body Co., has been leased by the Miller Rubber Co. 



"The Goodrich" for November is called the "Fire Chiefs' Num- 

 ber" and is given almost exclusively to fire department news. 



The B. F. Goodrich Co. is making a more thorough develop- 

 ment in its system of training salesmen. Donald Hotchkiss, who 

 has had charge of the Richmond branch, will have charge of the 

 training of salesmen under the direct supervision of the heads of 

 the sales department. 



B. G. Work, of The B. F. Goodrich Co., has bought a home on 

 Fifth avenue. New York, and will divide his time between Akron 

 and New York. 



The B. F. Goodrich Co. has opened a new store in Los Angeles. 



A. report of the Akron Chamber of Commerce shows that 

 Akron has 144 industries employing 34,700 persons and has an 

 aggregate capita! of more than $142,000,000. 

 * * * 



In view of the indisposition manifested by the local transporta- 

 tion company to provide the necessary accommodation for the 

 growing needs of Akron, a proposal is being considered for the 

 city to build the required extensions. According to the opinions 

 of prominent citizens, by having a system of its own, the city of 

 .A.kron will be in a position to take over the local company's lines 

 in 1924. when its franchise expires. 



