The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-12-07

/ better shape and bought the Taylo
| a. crate plant, on the river. II was
big bargain, Just $4,000, and II wa
here that we had the real beginning
at this place seven years, until 1911
| making wooden boxes"
| = About that last year the consignees
| BOX company got into difficulties, afte
the death of Mr.. Remlin, its local head
| and Mr.. Andrews. was asked to liqui'
date IL; he closed II up in two years
then II was that the first plant of tn
| Acme Box company was put UP on tn,
present site on Rossville avenue Thii
building was first used in the sprinl
of 1912.
start In Paper Box Line.
From then until 1914 the company
kept on making wooden boxes, doing &
business of about 100000 per year
Mr.. Andrews said that they saw the
handwriting on the wall, however, ir
respect to wood boxes; 1t was the time
when paper and corrugated boxes were
making their first inroads into wooden
containers in the favor OF the mercan-
tile world. There was a big fight on
and officials of the Acme company saw
clearly that the larger future was In
the making and developing of tho pa
per line.
So in 1914 o. B. Andrews, r. r. Pres
ton. and Y. c. Patten organized the
Andrews Paper Box company, with a
capital of $4,000; the Acme company
built plant for the new concern and
rented. It to it, and the concern was
started in making paper containers.
It soon overwhelmed its parent, so that
in the second year the paper box side
of the house doubled the sales of the
wood end of the business.
Love Of Chickens HelpcI Him.
Now, Mr.. Andrews had been chicken
fancier from childhood, and It came in
good stead to him about this time, for
he invented poultry container which
is now used all over the world, This
was In 1916. Live birds are sent in It
to the various poultry shows, and are
said to arrive In perfect shape. As an
outgrowth of this, and OF the parcels
post plan OF sales of foodstuffs direct
by mail from producer to consumer,
very successful egg box for parcel post
trade. They may tell you that there
is nothing In the producer to- consumer
by-mail movement, but it isn't So"
said Mr. Andrews. "why, last month
alone we put out 100000 such egg con-
tainers."
The concern soon determined to add
another line. and to do so in 1916 or
gained the o. r. Andrews company,
with Messrs. Patten, Preston Lyerly
and Andrews the main stockholders.
Then 1t was that the present building
Flooded, and Consolidate,
The very next year the flood hit the
concern and caused II loss of about
$50, 1000. Following this came a con-
solidation of the three companies
Acme, Andrews Paper Box and o. p.
Andrews company-into the latter, as
they were in reality overlapping any,
way. That gave a capital OF $400,0 900.
a floor space of twelve acres, and other
commensurate development They in
stalled their own sawmills. bought their
own timber tracts and became prac-
tically elf-sustaining from start of the
processes of manufacture to the very
end.
The company had been so hard hit
by the 1917 food that steps were taken
to reduce damage in the future, with
the result that the flood of 1918 cost
spring did but 81 200 damage. In or
der so to reduce the damage, all dam
aEeable machinery has been elevated
far above flood levels. new buildings
reared high above the land, and stocks
in such a shape that they can be moved
in two or three hours. To-day a flood
would do us very little damage" said
Mr.. Andrews. my interest in a levee
is not nearly so selfish as has been
charged"
More Expansion.
After he got out of the army in
1918. o. B. Andrews, determined to
AXE up another line, that of fiber
paper; the capital stock of the concern
was increased 100000. and depart
nent of this type introduced. 1t is the
only one south Of the Ohio river; the
total capital of the concern was now