The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-01-30
FORM "A" TRUCK CO.
TO BU|LDFORDTRU
BODY ATTACHMENTS
10000 Truck Attachments
Per Year Bill Be Built
By Company Who Has
Unique Scheme

A factory to cost more than 10000 Is
being built and will be completed within
the next 50 DAYS by the Smith Form-A-
Truck company, manufacturers of the
attachment which will make a one or
one and one-half ton truck of a Ford
car. The factory, which will be of the
latest concrete and steel construction,
will be erected on property recently ao-
quired in Chicago When the new fac
tory is completed the production capacity
viii be increased to 300 alta chments a
day, or in the neighborhod of 10000 =
year. plant was opened August, 1915.
at All North Claremont avenue, the pres
ent manufacturing home of the company,
which will not be abandoned until pro-
duction has been started in the new fac
tory at Clearing. The response of the
public to the attachment was immediate
The demand jumped day by day until
great organization and larger factory
became necessary To aid the sales cam
pagn, S. d. Porter, who for 10 years
was connected with the Mccormick Har-
vestng and Machine company, Interna-
tional Harvester and later supervisor for
the United States Motor company and
the MaXwell-Briscoe company, was
brought into the organization as general
sales manager, and the services of
Charles E. Stuart, former sales man
ager of the Michigan Buggy company,
was enlisted as assistant sales manager
Stanley Fl. Twist, well known in local adj
vertising circles, was selected for the po-
siton of advertising manager. With this
organization behind it the truck has
scored a sensational success. Represen-
tat haC nv he
all over the United States. According to
Mr.. Porter orders are coming in by tele-
graph and by mail. During the last week
distributors were located in New York
and in the south. /. A. Woodland will
represent the company in the latter field
and H. j. Flint the former. The eastern
headquarters are located at 1884 Broad
way, New York. No location for the
southern center has been selected. 1t is
probable, however Birmingham or At
lanta will be chosen. The Smith Form-A-
truck is the sensation of the year from
a commercial car standpoint, said Mr..
Porter yesterday. We already have done
more than 100000 worth of business
While we are being pressed more and
more to make deliveries we have been
able to keep our production equal to the
demand. We have shipped the attach
ments in a days notice. OF course, we
have the jump on the market.
a hurry is of concrete and steel. We
shall be ready to remove our equipment
to Clearing and augment it with addi-
tional stock within 60 days
As soon as we are installed we will be
ready to handle easily a 10000 a year
production. We were fortunate in being
able to buy our materials at low cost and
have plenty to do US for the next year.
We saw the demand would be heavy and
prepared to meet it.
We now are shipping from 25 to 30 cars
a day. This will be doubled by Febru-
airy l.
Nothing could be more efficient and
simple than the operation of our attach
ment. 1t can be attached to any Ford
chassis and costs less than half what
the ton-trucks now on the market sell
for. 1t will do all that any truck of it's
capacity will do and at a much lower
original and operating cost. 1t may be as
cheaply maintained as the touring car Of
its class.