The morning news., 1897-08-07
A CURIOUS BUSINESS EXTENSION.
From Cartridges 10 Soap, Candles
and bicycles.
English Letter to the American Manufac-


English Letter to the American Manufac-
turer.
Some remarkable facts which have just
come out in the annual report of one of
the Oldest manufacturing companies in
Birmingham, are just now exciting some
attention, as Illustrating the surprising
straits to which the managers of some Of
our old-established concerns are finding
themselves put to keep their works going
and provide a dividend for shareholders,
and the amazing departures they are max
ing with this object.
The concern in question is that long
recognized in this country as Nessrs. Key
nocks', Limited, and has lately been re
constructed. The original and fundamen-
tai business of the concern was the man.
ufacture of ammunition for military and
sporting purposes. Keynocks' cartridges
of course. are still known all the world
over but they are by no means the only
product of the company which have at
tanned worldwide renown and it seems
not unlikely that in the early future the
company's name will be carried to the
ends of the earth in connection with ar
tcleS of a different character.
As manufacturers Of gunpowder, nitro
glycerine and other explosives Keynocks
are compelled to handle chemicals on a
rather extensive scale, and incidental to
the cultivation of this industry the com
pany finds itself in possession of a number
of valuable by-products, which it has now
been prompted TO utilize for commercial
purposes Thus, during the last year
complete works on an extensive scale have
been erected at Birmingham for the man
ufature of soap, candles and glycerine.
The glycerine department has been at
he Il -f,~r a1It -,
company's own requirements for the man
ufacture of nitro o-glycerine at Arknow, on
the Irish coast Some additions are now
being made to the distilling& &lant, and
when these are completed the company it
Is announced viii supply chemists and
druggists with chemically pure glycerine
for which large and increasing demand
exists.
The manufacture of candles, also, has
been carried on for the last eight or nine
months the company having bought an
established connection. Another new de-
velopment which dates only from the be-
ginning of this month, is the manufacture
of soap, for which Keynocks possess the
only large works in the neighborhood of
Birmingham. Soap and candles and glyce-
rine, however, do not exhaust the list of
Keynock's new metamOrphoses. Works
for the manufacture of cycle components
have lately been erected, and the manufac-
ture or these fittings VIII be commenced
almost Immediately.
KeYnocks apparently aim at becoming
the Whiteleys or universal providers of
our manufacturing industry, and if the
company continues to expand on its pres
ent lines it should soon number among its
customers as many grOcers and druggists
and cycle makers as il now does gum
smiths. mine owners and ammunition deal
ers. AS cartridge makers, of course the
company have long been accustomed to
roll their own metal strips and sheets, and
! should not be surprised to see a consid-
cradle development in this department, by
and by, when the manufacture of brass
and copper tubes and wires, and the va
rious finished goods of which tubes and
wire are constituents. show a little broad
er margin of profit. II remains yet TO be
seen, of course, If manufactures so va
rious, not to say dissimilar, can be sue
cessfully conducted under one manage
ment in these times of keen and inteili-
gent competition, and whether this policy
Of attacking new branches may not pro-
yoke reDrisalg.