The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1922-01-01

One of Ardmorc's flourishng young
industries and one that is furnishing
a pay roll to an ever increasing force
Of employees is The Peerless Steel com
pany in the northeast part of the city
This institution was founded but a
few years ago, and from q modest be-
ginning has broadcncd out until today
the company is able TO take care Of
all the oil field business in the south
orn Oklahoma fields.
The Peerless Steel company was in.
corporated on May 81, 1918, the incor-
porators being w. g. Hassett, V. H.
Smith, \. J. Gardclla and James Glen
The company was originally organized
with the idea that there was need
OF plant in this city which could
handle the repair work at the various
refineres situated here. and that could
fabricate and erect steel plate and
structural steel work which is utilized
in great quantities at oil rcfineries
and in the oil fields
At the first meeting Of the stock.
holders of the company the following
men were selected as directors: w. B.
Hassett p. C. Dings, Max Westheimer,
a. j. Gardella and G. II. Armstrong.
The directors elected as the officers
Of the company w. j. IIasset, presl
dent; A. J. Gardella vice president
V. II. Smith, secretary and assistant
treasurer and James Glen, treasurer.
From the time that the corporation
was organized until the close OF 1913
most of the work handled was repair
work for the rcfineries, cutting down
and erecting Tiveted steel storage
tanks and the fabricating and building
Of several horizontal riveted steel stor-
age tanks. The company purchased n
| tract Of land of approximately ten
acres, located on the west side OF the
Santa Fe railroad, between 11th and
18th avenues northeasc, and at that
point constructed o steel building and
| installed machinery TO be utilized in
fabrcatng steel plate aud structural
steel. The sales for the year 1913,
or rather that portion Of the year
during which the company operated
amounted to s54,Gl6.SO.
In January 1919 Mr. Glen resigned
and LETT the employ OF the company.
Shortly after Mr.. Gardella also resign
ed. At that time II. b. Fell was made
vice president and selected as general
manager and treasurer. The number
Of directors was also increased from
five 10 six and Messrs. b. A. Simp-
son and IT. Il. Fell were elected as
the new directors.
| During the first part Of the year
1919, the company made a contract
with the Trans Continental Oil com
pauy TO erect six 80 900 barrel tanks
ar Desdcmona, Texas. This was one
Of the largest contracts which the
company has had and they completed
the work during that year. When the
! Hewitt oil field came in late in the
| spring OF 1919 the Peerless Steel com.
psny started handling bolted steel
tanks which are the standard tanks
| used as stock tanks in the oil fields
and the latter part OF that year es.
tablished . branch at Wilson, Okla,
in order 10 enable them 10 look after
the business in tho Hewitt oil field
to better advantage. During this year
work was performed in Oklahoma
Texas and Louisana. and the com
pany gradually developed and grew,
the sales for the year 1919 amounting
10 s35G.S5O.O0.
On July I, 1919 ]. VI. Woods was
elected secretary to succeed V. II.
! Smith who resigned.
Buys Out Walters Company
. In 1920 the Peerless Steel company
bought out the National Tank COM
pany OF Walters, Okla. who operated
branches IN the oil fields at Walters.
Cement and Duncan and immediately
established their branches at those
points, thus enabling the company 10