The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-11-12
SPLENDID HOME
OF BIG CONCERN
OPEN TO PUBLIC
New 9-Story Structure of Greg
DRY, Mayer & Thorn Co. Typi-
cal of Advancement
PLACE OFFERS LAST WORD
IN BUSINESS EFFICIENCY
Every Device for Saving Time,
Labor and Money Incorporated
In Its Equipment

There was book-binder, who heat
ed his pot of glue over little kero-
sene oil lamp.
There was q printer. who thought
he was lucky enough II he had one
complete set Of each Of the different
styles OF type he needed. This print
er probably thanked civilization for
the press that would print as quickly
as he could feed II by hand.
Today the book-binder has glue
pot that IL heated by electricity which
turns on automatically when the glue
has been heated to certain degree;
the printer has more than q dozen
complete sets OF each OF the different
type styles he uses; and he has also
presses that feed themselves three
times as fast as the hand can feed
them.
The glue-pot, the type. and the
press are merely q few examples OF
modernity In one certain line of man.
ufacturing. There are no less than q
half-hundred others, packed into the
nine stories Of steel and concrete on
Cadillac-sQ. that represent the new
home OF the Gregory, Mayer & Thorn
Co. Tuesday and Wednesday were
set aside as formal opening days for
the new business structure.
What the crowds saw who were
usbered through the massive building
was model OF time-saving and EN-.
cheney In the making OF blank books
and printing, and all that Is new in
stationery, desk and ONCE furniture,
and fling devices.
Seventy-two thousand square feet
of floor space are devoted to the man
ufacturing. storing and display OF
stock. One floor Is used exclusively
for mahogany furniture, such as IL
used mostly In dens. Another IL COW
cred with ONCE furnishings Of oak.
while still another holds nothing but
oak and steel filing devices.
To one whose conception OF the av-
eraee print shop Is gained from a
view OF q. dusty and not too neat
partment Of Gregory. Mayer q Thorn
co. is q revelation. Almost every.
thing that was wood in the old print.
Ing plant Of the firm. has given way
to steel Steel cases. steel tables
IL Is best described by saying steel
everything" Each man who sets
type has complete sets OF all the type
styles for his own exclusive use. This
does away with the necessity Of one
printer walking to another's case for
type.
The cylinder presses. dozen auto
mates. and other machinery cover
much of the space In the printing de-
partment. A larger press that win
print sheets measuring 80 by 80
inches, Is to be installed soon.
The book-binding division has been
organised on much the same scale.
Sheets of paper pass from one hand
to another. through one machine to
another, until they are turned out, q
finished bank ledger or other blank
book.
In the store rooms for stationery
they cover more than a hoor-tables
have been dispensed with. They have
been found guilty Of being obstruc-
tons. Instead, boxes OF paper, piled
high as a mans head, are placed on
little platforms. A newly-patented
device on rollers is pushed under q
platform which IL to be moved: a
lever is pushed, and the platform is
raised from the ground and wheeled
away.
The fire escape OF the new building
does not have to be reached by crawl.
Ing through a window. II Is merely
a stairway, built OF concrete, brick,
eteei. and other material that will not
burn.
A huge chute extends from the top
floor to the basement. This will be
used exclusively for sending scrap
paper from the various departments
to the basement. There Il VIII be
baled.
why spend money building q big
chute to save scraps CT paper?" n the
usual question Of the visitor.
The answer IL that In q printing.
binding and stationery business like
Gregory, Mayer & Thorn Co.'S, there
are about % tons of scrap paper TO
be disposed Of each month-and rs
tons OF paper is worth a considerable
sum.
No less than $50 men and women
are employed in the new building
and. according to Robert w. Hamli-
ton, member of the firm, the war
mas mad absolutely no effect on the
business Of the firm.
I'VE did more business last month
than for the corresponding period OF
1913" he said.
The firm which has given to De-
troit one OF the largest buildings de-
voted to business OF its kind IN this
country, has been in existence Is
years. II started In what one of the
members termed a loft" on Wood
Following are the members
Of the company: William p. Gregory.
Alfred j. Mayer. Charles n. Thorn.
Robert f. Barrie, and Robert w. Ham.
ilton