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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



I'kbruakv 1, 19J1 



THE RECORD OF MASON TIRES 



IN ihcsc days oi cietiatlon and uncertainty, of which tlic tire 

 industry is bearing its share, records of continuous operation and 

 steady expansion in production capacity and organization, both 

 at home and abroad, make encouraging reading. 



The Mason Tire & Rubber Co. began business in 1916 in a 

 four-room suite of an office building in Kent, Ohio, with a capital 



Mason tires are also made in metric sizes and are widely 

 known aljroad through the work of the export department, which 

 has kept pace with the home market and now has accounts in 

 practically every country in the world. 



The Mason organization is one of the most enterprising mem- 

 bers of the rubber industry. Its liberal policy and farsightedness 

 as shown by its early announcement of the "satisfaction — no- 

 mileage-limit" guaranty ; its national advertising campaigns and 



Fabric Mill and Plant or The Mason Tire & Ruebes Co., Ke.nt, Omn 



of $2.i0,000. The original building of the present plant had 40,000 

 square feet of floor space. This has grown under three successive 

 yearly expansions into 375,000 square feet, including the textile 

 division, comprised in eight buildings spread over a tract half a 

 mile in length and one thousand feet in depth, adjoining the Erie 

 railroad. The capital has increased, likewise by successive stages, 

 to $10,500,000 and the production capacity from 321 tires per 

 month to 42,000 per month. 



Aside from the plant that is -hown in the illustration, ex- 

 tensive housing plans arc being carried out to accommodate the 

 increase of population of Kent caused by the rapid growth of 

 the new industry. A large number of modern houses have been 

 built, including three units of a community center near the i)lant. 

 In addition to this a plot of 140 acres near the city limits lias 

 been acquired which will be improved as needed. 



The textile division includes the first cotton fabric mill ever 

 built in the Akron district. It has 10,000 spindles, cost nvcr 

 $2,000,000, and is so planned that it can be increased five times 

 over without disturbing operation in any way. This mill pro- 

 duces tire cord and fabric from the raw cotton and enables the 

 company to control that quality and uniformity of product essen- 

 tial to tire success. 



Three outstanding features of Mason tire progress in recent 

 months indicate the company's anticipation of automotive needs. 

 Chief of these is the "Mason Junior cord" — a cord tire sold at 

 approximately fabric price and designed to meet the growing 

 demand for cords. This tire can be put on the car singly, as 

 needed, for replacement of fabric tires without the danger of 

 injury to the mechanism that is common when oversize cords 

 are so applied. Other achievements are the heavy duty solid tire 

 of such design as to overcome faulty features uf old style con- 

 struction, and the Mason cushion tire for light truck work. The 

 success that all of three types have met with indicates that the 

 production capacity of everv department will be taxed, notwith- 

 .standing the successive enlargements tliat have lieen made in 

 rccnt years. 



the rapid increase of branches which now include the principal 

 cities of the country — these indicate an executive personnel with 

 its feet on the ground, and a fcirward marching intent which docs 

 not wait for fair weather. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN THE MID-WEST 



By Our Regular Correspondent 



MID-WEST RUBBER MANUFACTI'TIERS' ASSOCIATION 



THE Mid-West Rubber Manufacturers' Association held its 

 January luncheon and meeting at the Auditorium Motel. 

 Chicago, Illinois, Tuesday, January 4, at 1 p. m. 



On account of the annual meetings and dinner of The Rubber 

 \ssociation of .•\merica, whicli were held in New York Cit\ nn 

 January 10; also the fact that it was so near the holidays, tliere 

 was a small attendance but it was ve»"y enthusiastic. 



The Board of Director.s' meeting was called to order at 11 a. m. 

 After luncheon President D. M. Mason gave an interesting talk 

 on "Cost of Tire Production." 



The next monthly luncheon and meeting will be held February 

 15. at the Chicago .\thlctic .\ssociatiou, 12 South Michigan ave- 

 nue. Chicago, Illinois. 



The factory of the Zcglen Tire & Rubber Co., 1316 Raws-on 

 street, Chicag'.i. Illinois, is equipped for mantifacturing 600 tires 

 ;ii -I 1,000 innei- tubes daily. \V. L. Copley, a well-known tire 

 designer, for nine years connected with the Portage Tire & 

 Rubber Co., .Xkron, as a deparhncnt superintendent, has been 

 engaged as general superintendent of the plant. The officers of 

 the company are: J. P. Drish, president; S. Str.'.elecki, treasurer, 

 and F. J. Kalodzinski, secretary. 



The Robert.son Resilient Wheel Corporation, 1697 Broadway, 

 Xew York City, has taken a lon.g lease of space in the .Armour 

 Postal Station building. 3019 Indiana avenue, Chicago, and will 

 occupy as general offices about the first of February. This com- 

 pany's wheel was described in The Inpia Rubber Worlp. Decem- 

 ber 1. 1920. 



