Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1922-02-01
The Fletcher Company. Inc.

To trace the history of this BUSH
ness from it's small beginning about
1907, to what has become a really
important industry in our community,
lis of special interest to Orleans peo-
ME.
81 1t began with a small mail order
Fbusiness in post cards. The equip
EmeutY consisted of one small case of
40 tills and kitchen table, while Mrs
Fletcher did most of the work at her
home on Willoughby avenue. Very
soon more room and more assistance
were required. Mr.. Fletcher built an
addition to his house where four or
five people attended to what was real
ly mail order business done through
agents who were secured by judicious
advertising. His business was con-
Quoted under the name of the Orleans
Post Card Co. Meantime another
branch of the post card business was
developed by the Whipple, French Co.,
largely through the efforts of Mr..
Fletcher, who was associated with
that firm for about ID years. This
was more of jobbing business with
the retail trade, which was reached
largely through travelling statesmen.
This branch was for some time con-
uuCIou III Tie w IL PIC UIOSh. IL ooOh
developed that printing press was
needed and the first one was bought
about 1910. More room was needed,
and in March, 1914, Mr.. Fletcher
bought the Guild block and used the
second story in connection with the
previous quarters.
In 1918 Mr.. Fletcher sold his inter-
est in the Whipple, French Co., to B..
E. Converse and later took over the
post card branch which he continued
under the name of Fletcher & Co.
In November. 1918, they bought the
three-story building now occupied,
and very soon transformed the exter
ior and surroundings from an eye
sore to a credit to the street and viii
age. Here they have over 5000
square feet of floor space, well light
ed with convenient modern office, and
another building in the rear for stor-
age purposes Four floors in the
main building are reached by an ele-
vator-
The rapidly increasing business
seemed to demand a reorganization,
and in March 1921, a stock company
was formed under the name of the
Fletcher Co. Inc. The keen foresight
and business sagacity of Mr.. Fletcher
makes him the central figure Of this
unique business. Other stock is held
by Mrs. Edith Stoddard, a sister of
Mr.. Fletcher, whose natural ability
and long experience in Office work
makes her an expert in that depart
ment Frank w. Hardy gives special
attention to the sales end of the work,
and spends the greater part of his
time on the road.
Earl C. Hardy, an enepertic young
man of ability, is the master printer.
He spent considerable time at the
Wentworth Institute in Boston, and is
well fitted for this particular work.
The stock of the company is held by
these four people. Each is well adapt
ed to his or her part of the work. The
business now gives employment to IL
people. Two travel nearly all the
time as statesmen. In addition 44 sets
Of samples in the hands of A sales
men. in nearly every state in the
Union, are now taking orders for later
shipment, LARGELY for tags and seals
for next Christmas and 1923 calen-
lars. The work Of these al is most
" done in the first few weeks of the
new year. They now have about 700
ca'endar customers on their list.
Thar have modern printing plant
in which they use five presses, all
lri-cn by electric power. Two of
thaze arc Of the Miller automatic
t-p~ and are almost h-lman n their
.ne1n.ng intelligence. One has q ca
pac;tv of 1860 impressions per hour
and the other 2700 They feed
themselves. count the pieces printed
and ring a bell for more when the
,unpy is exhausted. These two
s-esses are now running night and
aay on tags and seals. These are
| made in colors and require four to