Original sentence: 1918 marked several milestones for the company, as Thomas Car Works began production of brand-new streetcars; 25 were produced.All-steel bodies were produced by the company for the first time, quickly overtaking wooden designs.At the end of 1918, the company began construction on larger factory, a 30-acre facility outside of High Point allowing for both construction and repair of streetcars.During 1917, the company renovated 9 streetcars for the United States Navy in Mobile, Alabama and for the city of Montgomery, Alabama.Following the closure of streetcar manufacturer Southern Car Company,  Perley A.In the summer of 1916, Thomas Car Works was founded; with a $6,000 loan ($ in 2018), Thomas acquired the equipment of Southern Car Works at auction, opening an assembly facility in a former ice manufacturing plant in High Point.In the summer of 1916, Thomas shifted from furniture to streetcar construction, as he secured a contract to enclose existing streetcars in Charlotte, North Carolina, renovating them in a car barn.The oldest surviving bus manufacturer in North America, Thomas Built Buses traces its roots to 1916.Thomas (trained as a woodworker and engineer) founded a company specializing in fireplace mantles and home furnishings
Edited sentence: As the city was (and still remains) a center of furniture manufacturing, many workers found jobs in furniture production; Thomas initially founded a company specializing in fireplace mantles and home furnishings.In 1918, the company began production of new streetcars; 25 were produced, leading the company to build its own factory in High Point.In the summer of 1916, Thomas Car Works was founded as Perley Thomas began work in modification of existing streetcars in a car barn in High Point.Shortly after the company opened, all-steel streetcar bodies joined production of wooden bodies.The oldest surviving bus manufacturer in North America, Thomas Built Buses was founded in 1916.Thomas had become unemployed as Southern Car Company had closed its doors; the company was a streetcar manufacturer based in High Point, North Carolina.Trained as a woodworker and engineer, Perley A.With a $6,000 loan, Thomas purchased the equipment of Southern Car Works at auction, opening a facility in a former ice manufacturing plant