The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1912)

48 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. TO DOUBLE PLANT^OF VICTOR CO. Old Buildings to Be Enlarged and New Buildings to Be Erected to Meet Demands from Dealers — Plans Call for Expenditure of Million Dollars — Will Have Great Resources. Despite the vastness of the plant of the Victor Talking Machine Co., its seeming ability to take care of a volume of business in talking machines and records, almost beyond conception, it is nevertheless a fact that the company has found it necessary to arrange for the enlargement of the plant to almost double its present capacity for the purpose of properly handling the business now on the books or in sight. The matter of increasing the size of the plant manufacturing department, through to Front street, which will make this one of the largest manufacturing buildings in America. Buildings Nos. 6 and 7, now used entirely for storage, should be torn down to permit of building No. 8, cabinet factory, being carried through to Front street. An entirely new building, specially constructed for, the purpose of the shipping department, to take the place of buildings Nos. 9 and 10, to be erected on Market street, extending from Front to Second street. This new shipping department will save the company much loss and inconvenience now caused by having the shipping department so far removed from the factory. After the removal of the shipping department to the proposed new building on Market street, build cover the requirements of this branch of the business. In submitting these plans Mr. Johnson said: "At first glance the changes enumerated above may appear to be radical and even extravagant, but I do not hesitate in stating that the suggested improvements and additions are absolutely neces sary and should be completed as soon as possible. It is true that some of the buildings recommended to be torn down would be quite serviceable for ordinary manufacturing purposes, but the greatest economy and highest efficiency is so necessary to the future of the Victor Talking Machine Co. that there should be no hesitancy on account of the large outlay involved. I feel that the present time is the great opportunity to put ourselves in an impregnable position as not only the largest THE PLANT OF THE VICTOR TALKING MACHINE CO., CAM TEN. N. J. was taken up by the board of directors of the Victor Co. on and at the annual meeting of the stockholders of the company held on February 16, Eldridge R. Johnson, president of the company, announced the following plans : Building No. 3 to be enlarged to six stories (as shown in accompanying illustration), to increase capacity of record plant. Building No. 2 to be torn down and replaced by an extension of buildings Nos. 1 and 3, machine ings Nos. 9 and 10 will be materially enlarged and rearranged to meet the requirements of an up-to-date warehouse where materials for all departments can be received and properly stored pending their use in the manufacturing departments. A new building is needed immediately for the record material and grinding department, now located in buildings Nos. 14 and 15. Plans are under way for a building specially constructed to and best manufacturers" of talking machines, but as the most economical manufacturer." "To you who are not familiar with the vast extent of these additions to the Victor factories," says the Voice of the Victor, "let us impress their magnitude on you by stating in cold print that on the completion of these buildings we will more than double the floor space of our present plant. Their completion and equipment will entail an expenditure of upward of a million dollars.'' EDISON 0PENSJ5LECTRIC SHOW In Minneapolis by Pressing Button in Orange — Talking Machine Companies Who Will Exhibit — Jobbing Business Heavy, Is the Report — W. J. Dyer & Bro. Enlarging Talking Machine Department — Strong Columbia Trade — General News of the Month. v Special to The Talking Machine World.) Minneapolis and St. Paul, March 9, 1912. Thomas Alva Edison, the creator of the talking machine from his laboratory in Orange, N. J., will press the button which will open the Northwestern electric show March 16 in the National Guard Armory, Minneapolis. Thomas A. Edison, Inc., will have three booths in the big show, one occupied by the Minnesota Phonograph Co., with business machines and the general line of instruments. Lawrence H. Lucker, president of the Minnesota Co., reports a highly satisfactory retail and jobbing business in both the Victor and the Edison goods. "When a dealer in a little country town will order eight Amberolas at one time, you may know the talking machine trade is not languishing in the Northwest," remarked Mr. Lucker. "Such orders are not unusual. The Edison Opera machines are having tremendous sale. I can't describe the success any other way. "It's fully as good with the Victors. We are more than a hundred orders behind in the small Victrolas. This week we received a carload of the $15 and $20 machines and they will not last at all." W. J. Dyer & Bro., the veteran St. Paul dealers, are altering the third floor of the big building so as to give the retail end of the talking machine department a floor space of 40x150 feet. The wholesale department long has been crowded and the house for months has been away behind in Victor orders because of inability to obtain instruments as ordered. The Metropolitan Music Co. in Minneapolis finds that it must give more time and space to the talking machine department. This section is nicely housed in one of the most desirable quarters in the building. "We have had the finest business in Columbia machines during the past four months that we have experienced since opening here," declared J. H. Wheeler, Northwestern manager for the Columbia Phonograph Co. "The jobbing trade literally is growing with leaps and bounds and We are giving it our best attention, as th"e collections are unusually sure and prompt. We are having much success with the Creatore band rceords and the Zenatello records; they go just like hot cross buns in Easter." I understand that the retail store in St. Paul, of which A. W. White is the manager, is doing an exceptionally fine business. F. J. Weyel, manager of the Dictaphone departxnent of the Columbia agency in the Northwest has placed the Duluth agency with Chamberlain & Taylor. GET A TRANSFER. If you are on the gloomy line, Get a transfer. If you are inclined to fret and pine, Get a transfer. 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