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1 ' .-,;:' FROM A LOCAL TRADE' '" . 1
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TO A NATIONAL BUSINESS
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HE Spencer Heater Company has been building factory additions every year
for nine years, but has never yet been able quite to keep up with its orders
during the selling season.
Its story is one of advertising, ambition, energy and more advertising.
In 1905 a young man just out of Yale came into control of a small shop in Scran ton
which was making heaters. He was the son of wealthy parents, and could readily have
gone -into an established business where hard work could have been avoided. But he
had a feeling that he wanted to make good on his own account.
He decided to go to work himself and build up the heater business.
The heaters are good, but they had never been sold very much outside the local
territory, in spite of the fact that they had been on the market for 15 years.
'. - The' first year he spent in interesting the trade in getting representation among
plumbers and steamfitters throughout the country. Then he began to advertise the
" heaters in a modest way. The Saturday Evening Post has been used almost from the
first, and in recent years has been the backbone of the campaign. At times local
newspaper advertising has been done to link up with the national work. That business
has for ten years showed an increase of 25 to 70 each year.
In 1910 when the heating business as a whole was 30 behind it made an increase
of 42 over the year before.
By 1911 the sales were ten times as large as in 1905, when the advertising began.
In 1912 there was a gain every month over the corresponding month the year before.
In 1914 the increase was 26, while non-advertising competitors, together with
' other manufacturers in many lines, were suffering considerable reduction in business.
During the last four months of the year the time of the greatest depression this
company was compelled to work both day and night shifts.
Its field of operation has been broadened from that of a local trade to that of a
national business, with branch offices in many cities. i
In spite of extensive annual additions to the factory equipment, it has never been
able to make up enough heaters to carry it through the selling season of the late summer
and autumn without "back-ordering."
And still the advertising goes on, because each year's advertising is not only creating
demand for the season to come, but is increasing the hold on the trade and building a ,
greater and greater prestige which is the best insurance for prosperity in the future.
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Philadelphia has many manufacturers of stoves and furnaces.
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THE CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY, INDEPENDENCE SQUARE, PHILADELPHIA
The Ladies' Home Journal The Saturday Evening Post The Country Gentleman
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