316 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[February 1, 1920. 





THE PERFECTION TIRE & RUBBER CO. 



ONE of the pleasaiitest e.xperiences of a recent Western trip was 

 a visit of a representative of The India Rubber World to 

 the plant of The Perfection Tire & Rubber Co., at Fort Madison 

 Iowa, one of the most progressive rubber manufacturing concerns 

 in the Middle West. This plant, comprising 380 acres of land, is 

 most favorably located on tlie main lines of the C. B. & Q. and 

 Santa Kc railroads and is an attractive example of rubber mill 

 architecture. The factory buildings are of fire-proof construc- 

 tion, with dimensions of 350 by 180 feet, affording a Hoor space 

 of 260,000 square feet. They arc equipped with automatic sprink- 

 lers and fire doors throughout and the arrangement of the 

 various departments constitute a most ingenious plan to econo- 

 mize effort and avert lost motion. Separate from these build- 

 ings are a well equipped tool house and one devoted to spreader 

 work. 



A large number of sub- 

 stantial and attractive dwell- 

 ings, costing from $5,500 to 

 $8,000, have been erected for 

 the factory executives and 

 are now being occupied by 

 them. An imposing brick 

 structure, now being built, 

 on the main street, in front 

 of the factory, will serve as a 

 club for the entertainment 

 of visitors. Each room will 

 have a bath attached and 

 dining and entertainment 

 facilities will be provided 

 for the guests of the com- 

 pany. 



The mill and calender 

 rooms, building and vul- 

 canizing departments are 

 equipped with the most 

 modern t\pes of machinery and devices known to rubber manu- 

 facturing usage. The laboratory in charge of a competent chem- 

 ist, is fitted with the latest and most approved appliances. The 

 power plant is in consonance with the general character of the 

 mill, and leaves little to be desired in point of complete and up- 

 to-date equipment. The power itself is derived from the Keokuk 

 Dam said to be the largest in the country and yielding power at 

 $0,007 per kilowatt. The present output of 700 tires and 500 tubes 

 a day will be increased to meet the growing demand for these 

 products. The company has on hand sufficient material, includ- 

 ing chemicals, crude rubber, and fabric to meet its requirements 

 until next September. 



The products of The Perfection Tire & Rubber Co., include 

 an asbestos protected tire of unique, patented structure, for which 

 is claimed unusual durability and inexpensive mileage. Another, 

 is a cord tire built on the Dickinson cord tire machine controlled 

 by the company, and is expected to prove an important factor in 

 tire production. The third is a ribbed or plain tread fabric tire 

 which has elicited favorable comment and a good demand. Per- 

 fection gray and red inner tubes and inner linings are of con- 

 struction and quality commensurate with general "Perfection" 

 standards. The favorable labor conditions in this section are 

 reflected in the fact that the 600 emplo3'es of the company are 

 100 per cent American. 



The president and general manager of the company, Preston 

 E. Roberts, who is admittedly responsible for the development 

 and present status of The Perfection Tire & Rubber Co., is a man 

 of unusual capacity, versatile and resourceful in a marked, un- 

 usual degree. The oth?r officers are R. J. Evans, vice-president 

 and F. J. Keating, secretary and treasurer. The board of di- 

 rectors comprise Rufus F. Robinson, Chicago, Illinois ; Preston 



E. Roberts, Fort Madison, Iowa; F. J. Keating, Peoria, Illi- 

 nois ; J. F. Figley, Canton, Ohio ; Edwin Telman, Peoria, Illinois. 

 R. J. Evans, Wabash, Indiana; H. M. Scambler, Chicago, Illi- 

 nois. 



The general superintendent, William T. Whitlock, was for- 

 merly with the G. & J. Tire & Rubber Co. and The Fisk Rubber 

 Co., and is an expert in modern lire production. He is ably as- 

 sisted by Curtis L. Moody. 



The Wabash, Indiana, division of The Perfection Tire & Rub- 

 ber Co., is devoted to the manufacture of mechanical goods and 

 asbestos fabrics. It comprises 100,000 square feet of floor space 

 and it is slated that the output of this division is contracted 

 on a cash in advance basis. The products are filter cloth, plain 

 cloth, wire inserted cloth, yarns, mantle yarn, tape and listing, 

 braided tubing, braided cord, twisted cord rope packing, wick 

 packing, mill board, carded fibre and a general line of mechani- 

 cal and molded specialties 

 including plumbers' supplies, 

 braided flax packing and 

 shoe soles and heels. 



.^n arrangement covering 

 a period of twenty years has 

 been made by The Perfection 

 Tire and Rubber Co., with 

 the Nemours Trading Corp., 

 who have undertaken the 

 entire distribution of "Per- 

 fection" products. 



tf*--**. 



AT THE 

 of the 



Plant of The Perfection Tire & Rubber Co., Fort Madison, Iowa 



MID-WESTERN 

 NOTES. 



By a Special Correspondent. 

 nnual meeting 

 the directors of the 

 Mid-West Rubber Manu- 

 facturers' Association, held 

 in Chicago January IS, the 

 following ofiicers were elected for the ensuing year : 



John T. Christie, president; Hawkeye Tire & Rubber Co., 

 Des Moines, Iowa; C. Wright, vice-president; Racine Auto Tire 

 Co., Racine, Wisconsin ; W. W. Wuchter, secretary ; Nebraska 

 Tire & Rubber Co., Omaha, Nebraska; George B. Dryden, treas- 

 urer, Dryden Rubber Co., Chicago, Illinois. 



-\l the annual meeting of the Nebraska Tire & Rubber Co., held 

 at Omaha, Nebraska, January S, a resolution was unanimously 

 adopted changing the capital stock of the company to $200,000 

 preferred stock and $300,000 common stock, and authorizing 

 the ofiicers to offer for sale $100,000 of the new common stock. 

 The following were reelected to the board of directors for the 

 coming year: James E. Cornish, V. E. Holm, S. C, Wolfe, 

 George W. Masson, G. C. Peironnet, Alva Smith and W. W. 

 Wuchter. The board of directors later reelected the following 

 officers for the year: Alva Smith, president; G. C. Peironnet, 

 vice-president; F. M. HoUoway, secretary; W. W. Wuchter, 

 general manager and treasurer. 



With the commencement of the new year and its new addition 

 complete and machinery installed, the Wilson Tire & Rubber 

 Co., Springfield, Illinois, has changed the policy of the company 

 from making the "Wearwell" tires to making a fabric tire of 

 Egyptian fabric guaranteed for 6,000 miles. It has also part of 

 its new cord equipment in and is building cord tires which will 

 be guaranteed for 8,000 miles. The factory output will be ap- 

 proximately 800 tires per day by the end of February. 



The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co., Chicago, Illinois, manu- 

 factures billiard tables, phonographs, phonograph records, auto- 

 mobile tires and hard rubber goods, and the output is largely 

 oversold in all departments. Five new factories for the manu- 



