The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1920-01-08
CLEANERS ACQUIRE
ARMOUR ELEVATORS
Will Go Into Grain Buying on a
Large Scale.

Farmers in the Cleaner organl-
cation in Michigan and neighbor-
ing states have completed the pur-
chase of the Armour q Co., inter-
ests in Michigan. according to an
announcement by Grant Slocum,
founder and head of the Cleaners,
of which there are more than TO-
600 in Michigan alone. The deal
hands over to the farmers not only
the biggest and best elevators IN
the United States, but complete
business organization, the nead-
quarters being in Grand Rapids,
formerly under the name oil the
Lewellyn Bean Company.
The Cleaner corporation with a
capital stock of half a million will
take over the buying and selling
ends of the business at once, and
Fred Lewellyn, president OF the
Lewellyn Bean Company, with his
entire staff, in their present capa-
cities, will join forces with the
Cleaners. The Gleoner Clearing
House association, with headquar-
ters on Russell-st, Detroit, now
owns and operates Id buying sta
tions and elevators. with an es-
tablishment in New York city and
numerous others contemplated.
The great Cleaner chain is en-
tirely cooperative, and many
thousands of Cleaner farmers are
stockholders, sharing the work
and the profits. By acquisition
of the Armour & Co. terminals,
the farmers control not only the
production of the food products
but also to large extent the mar
keting to the consumers.
''Altho some farmers have made
profits this year, especially close
to the city centers, thousands
have failed" says Mr.. Slocum
"And they have been practically
forced to go into marketing bust
ness in order to keep their heads
above water. The farmers have
been hit as hard or harder thar
any other class by the increased
cost of everything, especially la
Dor and manufactured products
With control of terminals, the
Cleaners hope to stabilize the
farming business as we'll as tt
give the public a square deal"
Mr.. Fred Lewellyn has been en-
gagged in cooperative work with
farmers for many years, and tn,
company of which he has beer
president handles more than any
other two organizations in Mich
igan. He has worked on the be
lief that by sharing the elevator
profits with the farmers create
and better business is built up.
The Grand Rapids terminal ant
bean plant is the most complete o
it's kind in the nation. The mos
modern equipment has been in
stalled for picking, polishing
washing, drying, etc., and for tn
handling and storing of all pro
ducts of Michigan farms. The Bi,
Rapids terminal elevator and beal
plant, is the largest in northern
Michigan and is equipped with tn
latest machinery for handling o
grain, beans and other farm pro
ducts. The Big Rapids plant vii
be terminal to serve farmers o
northern Michigan thru local &C
operative elevators and shippin
stations.
1t is expected that many COOP
erative elevators owned and opel
ated by farmers will come int' th
Cleaner system, which is so plan
M oil -.
protected in lean years by tn
stronger members of the chair
The leaders of this movemer
hope by this means to check tn
numerous failures occurring to il
olated cooperative plants. A nun
Der of elevators are expected 500
to come in on the plan.
For years it has been the hop
Of the Cleaners" says Mr.. SlC
cum, that some day men exper
enced in business, men who hav
spent their lives in terminal maj
kets, handling food products fc
the world, would recognize til
tremendous handicap under whic
the farmers were working, an
join with them in handling an
distributing food in the most e.
fcient and honest manner, an
thus help solve a great nation:
problem of the day-high cost {
living. The Cleaners were til
first to organize cooperative ell
vators in Michigan. But the
recognized that isolated unit
competing with one another, wei
not working toward solution
the problem. Thus the great eel
tralized system has been wrougl
on a solid foundation"