River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-03-06
200, 900 CARS PER YEAR
N. A. Hawkins, General Sales Manager Of the
Ford Motor Company, Tells
The company's Story

DETROIT, MICH, Feb. 21-Just
what it means to manufacture
100000 complete automobiles in IL
months was told by N. A Hawkins,
general sales manager of the Ford
Motor Company, at the dinner OF
the Adcraft Club and the Board of
Commerce at the Cadillac Hotel
last night. In story bristling with
big figures and full of the romance
of business Mr.. Hawkins touched
upon the marvellous growth of the
Ford plant from pigmy to giant.
Ten years ago the company was cap
italized at $685. and did an annual
business of 100000. To day it is
the largest automobile factory in
the world; has a capitalization of
$50, 100000 and Ell / S annually
5000, 100000 worth of automobiles
in all parts of the world.
Ford profits" said Mr.. Haw-
kins, ARE equivalent to maximum
industrial earnings on a capital
ization of 5000, 900, 900 and on this
basis could probably, before its
twentieth anniversary, return the
equivalent of this amount to its
shareholders. The January sale of
Ford cars were nearly 100000 or
more thGa twice the gross receipts
of the Grand Trunk railway system
for the same month. In the last
four months we did a business of
nearly $50, 900, 900 and of those
months were not very good ones.
HIGHLY EFFICIENT ORGANIZATION
"The Ford Company has all the
elements of successful enterprise.
1t manufactures a useful article; its
company is properly organized; it
is amply financed, entirely within
itself, to successfully carry on its
operations; its business policy is
clear and we'll defined; its manage
ment is capable, tactful and honest;
its factory is we'll designed, fully
equipped and suitably located; it's
product is perfect in design and
quality; its selling force is effic-
lent, the largest of it's kind in the
world, and backed by plain, honest
advertising, with complete service
to owners.
THE Ford is an organization of
all young men. Not an executive
head has been added to a single
department of the business in more
than 6 years, during which time the
output and annual sales have
nearly doubled each year. ALI this
great business has been built up
from an original cash capital Of
only $4,000 and without ever bor-
rowing dollar or issuing any pap
er. We use the banks only as de-
positories to lock up money and
earn interest, and this year in plan
ming a production of 100000 cars
we never consulted a banker.
1--WE are at present employing in
our factories and at our branch
houses l8,061 men, and all day
workers, not piece worker in the
plants, and disbursing monthly
about $500, 900 for payrolls. Every
day, except Saturday, is pay day,
and our average runs between
$50, 900 and SIS, 900 daily.
"Our factory, which now covers
practically IS acres, is about as
complete and up-to-the-minute as
modern architecture and latest
machinery and labor-saving ap-
pliances can make it.
"Our going inventories of raw
materials, parts, accessories, etc.,
are running along now at an aver
age of about 81, 900, 900, and, mind
you, every car that we build each
day is shipped the same day, so
none of this amount is for finished
cars. Our total net assets are close
to SIS, o0O,0O
June "a last schedule Of man
ufacturing our 1913 output was
decided upon. To handle this pro-
duction we require 10000 lamps,
300, 900 wheels, 800, 900 tires, 10000
tons of steel, the hides of 400. 600
cattle to furnish the leather for up-