The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-05-23
A LARGE DEAL IN
 HARDWARE CIRCLES Mayberry Hardware Co, and Gray G Dudley Consolidate FORCES TO BE UNITED The New Concern WIll Be One of the Largest In the United states-cspI-
 tai Stock to Be Increased
 to s1,ooo,ooo.
FORCES TO BE UNITED

for sometime. were closed yesterday, by which the Mayberry Hardware company of this city. and the Gray 6 Dudley Hardware company of Nashville. Tenn, will unite their forces Into one big con- cern. Some weeks ago the officers of the two concerns took up this matter of con- solidation. It was gone over and fully discussed. Shorty after the discussion. R. M. Dudley, pFesident of the Gray & Dudley Hardware company; John Nj. Gray. one of the directors and John M. Gray, Jr., vice president, came to Bir- mingham. They carefully and thoroughly investigated tho situation here, and inc vestigated the plant of the Mayberry Hardware company. They were so very favorabiy impressed with tho business of the Mayberry Hardware company, and the wonderful growth and development of the mining and manufacturing inter ests of Birmingham. that upon their re- turn, they made an extremely favorable report to the board of directors of the Gray 6 Dudley Hardware company.
 Yesterday morning a directors meeting of both companies was held and the deal was closed up.
 Large and Prominent Concern.
 The Gray 6 Dudley Hardware company, although 6 comparatively young company, Is one of tho largest and most prominent concerns of the kind in this country. They are manufacturers and jobbers of hard ware, cutlery, saddlery goods. machinery,
 
 ganized only eight years ago. by the con- solidation of two of the oldest firms in Nashvilie-the Gray-Fells & Co.,, and Dudley Brothers. The rapid growth of the company Is familiar to the hardware trade, and has really been marvellous. Its capital stock. at the beginning. was $2o0- OOo; the present capital stock of the Gray & Dudley Hardware company Is s5oO.oOO. with a nice surplus.
 The Mayberry Hardware company of this city has a capital stock of s2ooooc. and has always been large dividend earner. It was started about fifteen years ago in a small way by H. H. Mayberry, the founder, and the present president of the company. MT. Mayberry was as- sisted In the upbuilding of the business. to a large extent, by his brother-in-law, T. J. Watson. The rapid growth of the Mayberry Hardware company has been source of pride and qualification to the citizens of Birmingham, and 1t is today one of the largest and most up-to-date concerns in the south.
 The New Company.
 The new company will be known as the Gray & Dudley Hardware company, and will be officered as follows: R. M. Dud- lev. president Messrs. John M. Gray, Jr., and H. II. Mayberry. vice presidents; H' H. Dudley, Jr., secretary, and J. T. Jen- kins, treasurer. Messrs. Mayoerry' Chenoweth and Watson will be elected members of the board of directors and will have charge of the Birmingham house. Some of the other prominent local capitalists, who have been identined with the Mayberry Hardware company VIII also be elected directors of the board Of the new company.
 w q stephenson, who has been with the Gray & Dudley Hardware company since 1t was organized. and who now mas charge of the mall order department or that company, will probably be induced to come to Birmingham to assist in the management of the business.
 All of the old employees of both houses will be retained and number Of new ones will be added.
 Last January the Gray & Dudley Hard ware company opened warehouse at Memphis which has proved to be a most successful venture. The new company will start out with a large house at Nashville, one at Birmingham and warehouse at Memphis, with general headouarters of the company In Nash vile. The increased capital will bring about a larger investment at Memphis which will enable the new company to properly care for the business tributary to Memphis. It can, therefore, be readily seen that the company will have mag nihcent facilities for the purchasing and distributing of merchandise. Their field will be from the Ohio river south, in- cludinE both the southwestern and south eastern country. A number of additional travelling men will be put on the road to cover certain territory which they have not been working as closely as 1t was needed.
 The Birmingham House.
 The house at Birmingham will be ope- rated on a much larger scale than here tofore. They will make a speciality of mining and manufacturing tools. sup plies and machinery for the Birmingham district, and will carry complete line of that class of goods. The company will also increase the force of travelling men from the Birmingham plant by about twelve to fifteen men. The house at Bir- mingham will not interfere in the least with the territory or business of the Nashville and Memphis houses. but will work southern Alabama. Georgia, Mis- sissippi. and also Louisiana. Florida and Cuba.
 The five factories that are now owned by the Gray & Dudley Hardware com pany will, of course, be operated by the new company. and will furnish goods to all houses. The old companies have been traveling about forty men, and this num- Der will be increased to between fifty