The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-10-18
1914 OUTPUT IS
ALREADY SOLD

Having sold in advance every cal
which it's plants can build from now
until September, 1914, Sales Manager
Benson of the Studebaker corporation
has gone on record with the predic-
ton that the coming seasons business
Is destined to reach even greater
dimensions than that Of the fiscal year
which has just closed. This statement
is made despite the fact that now and
throughout 1918, the Studebaker plants
have worked without pause n much
of the time with night shifts, Vainly
endeavoring to build as many cars as
Studebaker dealers were demanding to
fill their uninterrupted flow Of retail
orders.
I'VE have entered on our new fiscal
veal with confidence that u dealers
nave correctly estimated their local
fields in the renewed contracts they
nave made with this company-COn-
tracts on which we are nov deliver
ing Studebaker cars declares Mr..
Benson. Il am basing this prediction
on the known ability of a great body
of experienced business men who have
carefully estimated local conditions in
more than 1000 cities in the country.
I know that they are not Obligating
themselves in ways which are likely
to prove ill-advised. No such body Of
men can present so united a front on
any such estimate, without coming
very close to estimating actual COndi-
lions.
The present activities at our plants
from which we are daily shipping
trainloads of cars for fall delivery is a
further confirmation Of confidence. 1t
is also evidence that proves the wis
dom of many automobile buyers in
electing to make their choice at Il
time when they and the dealer are able
to go carefully into the details of the
cars, and when the dealer is able to
guarantee immediate delivery. This is
a tendency born Of long experience
and observation. 1t will be as difficult
to secure the prompt delivery Of a car
in May, 1914, as it was in May of the
present year. And the wise buyer is
the one who does his shopping now,
buys his car and finds himself ready
to take advantage Of the pleasant
motoring months that remain in 1913,
with the added ability to start his 1914
outings with the first warm weather
of the spring.
Particularly is this fall buying
tendency notable this fall in the case
Of closed cars. Coupes and sedans,
as we'll as limousineS are now year.
round cars in all parts of the COun-
try. They are commanding more at
tentiOn than ever before, on the part
of discriminating buyers. The electric
lighting and starting device has prov
en- the finishing touch to the absolute
satisfaction these cars afford owners
who find it necessary to go about in
all sorts of weather."
How Buyer Lowers Costs.
Between the engineer who designs
n,k-~o~Ii1o nYI tho inf OF IF-
ing genius who builds it, there inter-
venes a step which, while never Of a
spectacular sort, is nevertheless of
mighty Importance, determining to a
great extent, the price at which the
car can be proftably sold.
This step is the purchase of mater
iaI. To the man unde whose direc-
ton this task is performed, the auto
mobile buying public owes a large
share of the increasing value that is
being put into the popular priced
American automobile.
The purchasing agent is a special
list in values of materials. He knows
the reputation Of every large maker of
materials, and the capacity OF his
plant. He is a veteran student of hui
man nature-Wary resourCetul ana
Shrewd.
An example of scientific buying abil-
lIN rs lCSIC Os ~ OAN hiAL
whose department the Studebaker cor
poration buys annually many millions
of dollars worth of supplies, varying
in value from the pencil Of a stenog-
rapher to the most costly
materials and equipment.
Mr.. Reynolds experience dates oacR
twenty-six years to his first JOB IN the
purchasing department at the Stude-
baker plant in South Bend. His trans
-. l. 4Lo nI4nponhilp n1antS in De-
troit occurred several years ago and
implied a. change in detail only.
Backed by immense S~tudebaker buy
ing w Mr.. Reynolds daily enter
tains an interesting series OF callers
at his office in the Detroit ~headquar-
tiers.
Representatives of the big steel
mills, statesmen Of high grade leather
and paint, builders of automoDlle
equipment manufacturers of machine
tools. and a host of others compete fol
the. Studebaker business.
Guided by a. definite policy, Mr.. Key
nolds sits in judgment. He must DC
satisfied regarding quality; II there Is
anv doubt involved. the Studebakel
laboratory determines that by analysis
and experiment. He must be satls-
fed on the sellers inancla standlns
and ability to make deliveries accord
1n2 10 SCIlSuulSs IIS lidoI DS "hA0i
that the price, finally agreed on, /:
reasonable but will still allow tn
salesman's firm a margin of profit
This last provision makes it necessar!
for him to know the last word regard
ing manufacturing cost.
The experienced salesman is full,
aware of all these conditions. II
knows that the Studebaker contrac
will mean continuous operation 70
the manufacturer he represents, n
successful season, as a. result. Jus
how great a saving this represents t.
the purchaser of a car may be imag
ined from the fact that a manufactur
er of material or equipment is almos
always ready to quote, OF pieces order
ed in lots of $4,000, a price approx
mating one-third or less of what i
charged for the same piece at retail
list.
Davidson With S~tudebaker.
r T. n yidson who WAS FIR som