Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 271, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 November 1913 — FURNITURE FACTORY MAY START HERE [ARTICLE]

FURNITURE FACTORY MAY START HERE

Brokers in the Business Wily Start Factory and Look With Favor A At This City. •Rensselaer may yet have a factory and if the present plan works out the big building constructed by the match company may be used for the making of extension tables and ultimately of other articles of furniture. The proposition reached Rensselaer from two directions. In the first .place Charles E. Simpson learned from some source that fruniture jobbers at Anderson were contemplating starting a factory and- he reported the fact to Chas. G. Spitler, secretary of the commercial club. At about the same time the inforation came from H. R. Kurrie, who had some acquaintance with the factory people. Correspondence was started and resulted in a visit here over Wednesday night of Mr. K. B. McMahan, of Anderson, who came as a representative of the IPalmer Furniture Co. Mr. McMahan met D. M. Worland, president; Charles G. Spitler, secretary, and several members of the board of directors of the commercial club, and also a number of citizens, and all expressed themselves as heartily in accord with the plan pjoposed. Mr. McMahan is not asking any subsidy. All he eares for is the free use of the factory building, which the commercial club' foreclosed some time ago. It was proposed that when the factory had expended a certain amount of money in wages the buildings be given, just as the proposition had been to give to match company. Mr. McMahan states that his company has been engaged in the Wholesale business for some twelve years, but has in the manufacturing business, although Mr. Palmer, the head of the company, had experience in furniture manufacuring prior to engaging in the jobbing business. They do not find the jobbing business satisfactory because of the frequent delay in getting their stock from factories. Mr. McMahan states that all material used in the manufacturing business is shipped in, being purchased from the large lumber firms. To start with the company would manufacture extension tables exclusively, later enlarging the business to include library tables and chhirs.

The headquarters would at once be transferred to this city if the plan to start the factory here is carried out. Mr. Paler and Mr. McMahan and their families and the superintendent and his family would come here as soon as the plans were completed and this would also be the headquarters for the ten traveling salesmen now traveling for the company. When the factory machinery was installed it would give employment to quite a number of men, just how many, Mr. McMahan states, he does not know. Soane skilled furniture makers would be required and there would be a number of laborers employed. This proposition certainly looks good and Mr. McMahan left with a very favorable impression of the opening here and of the manner in which our people expressed themselves. His plan Is not to move a big factory here. His company has no factory, but it has a business and an outlet for Its product and there is a very fine possibility for its development and it seems quite probable that the factory may locate in this city.