The Detroit times., 1914-11-11
lENDID HOME
l)F BIG CONCERN
open TO PUBLIC
New 9-Story Structure of Greg
'ory, Mayer & Thorn Co. Typi-
cal of Advancement
PLACE OFFERS LAST WORD
/ IN BUSINESS EFFICIENCY
very Device for Saving Time.
| Labor and Money Incorporated
In Its Equipment

ia There was a book-binder, who heat
< "a his pot OF glue over little kero
( eene oil lamp.
There was a printer. who thought
!. he was lucky enough II he had one
& tomplete set OF each OF the different
r .6tyles or type he needed. This print
a. probably thanked civilization for
\ the press that would print as quickly
q Is he could feed II by hand.
Y. Today the book-binder has a glue
pot that is heated by electricity which
, furns on automatically when the glue
1 as been heated to certain degree;
B fae printer has more than dozen
d mplete sets OF each of the different
'.type styles he uses; and he has also
8 trrr sses tkat feed themselves three
'efirnes as fast as the hand can feed
~ EN-. a... " .- .- .a.a.. -
Y The giue-pot.| the type. and the
,ress are merely a few examples OF
X modern.ty in one certain line OF man
<r,facturing. There are no less than a
.half-hundrei others. packed into the
mine stories of steel and concrete on
{ Cadillac-sa that represent the new
( home OF the Gregory, Mayer K Thom
'.Co Tuesday and Wednesday were
set aside as formal opening days for
the new business structure.
what the crowds saw who were
trskered through the massive building
+ \ as a model of time-saving and eth.
&ciency In the making Of blank books
md printing, and all that Is new In
sfationery. desk and Office furniture,
ind fling devices.
Seyenty-two thousand square feet
=6f f1oor space are devoted to the man
<1tfacturing, storing and display OF
<tock. One floor is used exclusively
(or mahogany furniture, such as Is
ICED mostly in dens. Another Is COW
&red with ONCE furnishings OF oak.
<rhile still another holds nothing but
'oak and steel filing devices.
To one whose conception Of the av-
6raxe print shop is gained from a
tjew OF q dusty and not too neat
<blent OF other days, the typo" de-
<6nrtment OF Gregory, Mayer & Thom
>o Is a revelation. Almost every.
xhinx that was wood In the old print.
- plant of the firm. has given way
10 steel Steel cases. steel tables
~ A hest described by saying steel
.&4erything." Each man who sets
: Iype has complete sets of all the type
&1tyles for his own exclusive nse. This
oes away with the necessity of one
e1nter walking to another's case for
Ihe cylinder presses. dozen auto
notics. and other machinery coyer
>uch OF the space In the printing de-
1rtment. A larger press that win
lint sheets measuring 36 by 50
nches, In to be installed soon.
The book binding division has been
rxanixed on much the same scale.
heets of paper pass from one hand
another, through one machine TO
&uother until they are turned out,
HIshed bank ledger or other blank
>ook.
IN the store rooms for stationery
hey cover more than foor-tablts
I'VE been dispensed with. They have
ZEN found guilty of being obstruc-
Inns Instead. boxes OF paper, piled
jRh as a mans head. are placed on
l)tIe platforms. A newly-patented
cvice on rollers Is pushed under
10tform which r. to be moved:
1yer IN pushed. and the platform Is
n'sed from the ground and wheeled
&way.
The FIRE escape OF tie new building
noes not have TO be reached by crawl
<|og through window. II Is merely
I'D stairway, brilt of concrete. brick,
tteei and other material that viii not
tasrn
a huge chute extends from the top
100r to the basement This will be
used exclusively for sending scrap
DoDer from tie various departments
\ - the basement There II Will be
baled.
~Why spend money buIlGing big
Irhute 10 save scraps OF paper" is the
( Qsral question Of the visitor.
The answer Is that in a printing.
<b'nding and stationery business like
Gregory, Msver & Thorn Co.'S, thee
Iefe about Is tons OF scrap paper to
be disposed Of each month-and %
Ions OF paper is worth considerable
Bum
b No less than 250 men and women
are employed In the new building
and, according to Robert W. Hamll.
{on. q member OF the frm. the war
4 nns had absolutely no effect on the
4 business OF the firm.
We did more business last month
than for the corresponding period OF
<1913," he said. 49,.
The firm which has given 10 De-
(roit one OF the largest buildings de-
voted TO business OF its kind in this
.couutry. has been in existence 16
years. II started In what one OF the
Dembers termed loft" on Wood
Verd-ave. Following are the members
the company: William B. Gregory,
Ikred J. Mayer. Charles II. Thorn.
bert +. Barrie. and Robert w. Ham.
ANLEY NOT LIKELY
TO ASK FOR RECOUNT