Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-12-04
New Concern Takes Over
Springfield Metal Body Co.

The tremendous demand OF automo-
bile buyers for the Springfield type
of car. is emphasized by the announce
ment that new concern called the
Springield Body company has been in
corporated with a capitalization of
81 200, 600 to take over the business of
the Springfield Metal Body Company,
of Springfield, Mass.
The new corporation will be headed
by w. l.. Fry, New York city, as presi-
dent: vice-president and director of
sales, E. w. McGookin, Detroit, Mich;
vice-president and chief engineer,
Hindsale Smith. Springfield, Mass;
treasurer, A. p. Smith, Springfield,
Mass.
The board of directors includes as
members Walter l.. Fry, L. w. Nc
/ Gookin, Hindsale Smith, A. P. Smith
and Frederick Fuller.
About year ago w. L. Fry presi-
) dent of the new corporation, became
interested in the old company. At
! that time. the general public was just
/ beginning to realize that an enclosed
car was a great luxury in the winter
time and to grumble about the high
| price of limousine bodies. Manufac-
| turers were quick to recognize th.h
demand and all sorts of cheap, make
shift winter-tops appeared on the
| market.
|
combined the beauty. comfort. and
utility of both the limousine and tour
! ing car without sacrificing any of the
advantages of either one, was the con-
vertible body manufactured by the
Springfield Metal Body company.
| The great demand in eastern cities
for this type of body by users of high
priced cars, together with its already
apparent popularity among owners of
medium priced automobiles. convinced
| Mr.. Fry of the practicability of the
convertible body as u business propo-
sition.
He realized, however. that the trend
of the automobile business was toward
medium priced cars and that in order
to reach this market which was grow
ling by leaps and bounds, he must
! lower the price of convertible bodies.
/ His problem was, therefore, one of
organization-of securing men of
proven ability to handle quantity pro-
! duction and a large volume of sales.
| Just how we'll Mr.. Fry analysed the
possibilities of the market for con-
vertible bodies and solved his problem
of organization is best shown by the
, tremendous increase in business Sc
cured by the Springfield Body Com
lpany, amounting to 5000 per cent. in
about 120 days. which in turn necessi-
| tated re-incorporation with an in
creased capitalization.
| The convertible body made by this
| company is one of the most popular
on the market and is being used by
isome of the biggest automobile con-
Germs in the country. The Studebaker,
Maxwell, Chandler, Mitchell and
Paige-Detroit companies all furnish
Springfield convertible bodies as regu-
lar equipment on their cars.
| All the officials of the new corpor-
alton are men with established repu-
! tations for having done big things
| in their particular lines of work. Some
of them are particularly well-known
! in automobile circles. The Smith
brothers invented, designed and con-
structed the first metal bodies used on
Iautomobiles They also built the first
| isiX-cylinder motor constructed in this
country.
E. W. McGookin, vice president and
director of sales. who is directly re-
sponsible for the great increase in
! business during the last four months,
| is known as one of the most successful
distribution experts in the country.
| His own individual sales in seven
years, were major factor in increas-
| ing the capital OF another concern
from $4,000 to $11.0O0,000.
That the increase in business Sc
cured by this company is not even
. larger than the phenomenal record of
/ 1000 per cent. is solely because of the
! lack OF manufacturing facilities which
lis responsible for the loss of over ST.
100000 worth of business during the
last few months. Plans are under
way. however. for the erection of an
enormous production plant in Detroit,
but this will not interfere with the op-
Grafton of the Springfield plant which
Will continue to run full capacity as
long as there are no further labor
TROUBLES.
1t has been reported that a large
amount of the stock of the new COM
pany has been taken up by both New
York and WeStern investors