"DETROIT, Mich., Jan. 18–McCord & Co., a Chicago corporation manufacturing and dealing in railway equipment and supplies, became interested some 12 years ago in the John F. McCanna Co., of Chicago, which was making force feed lubricators for engines of different kinds. McCord & Co. were interested chiefly in the locomotive lubricator and acquired control of the business on account of that device. Almost immediately, however, a considerable demand for lubricators of this type developed in the motor car field and the McCord lubricator soon came to be recognized as standard—in fact, at one time over 80 per cent of the American built motor cars were using them. Prior to that time McCord & Co. had acquired the business of the McKim Gasket and Mfg. Co., which made copper asbestos gaskets, which have since become known as McKim. These also were originally designed for service in the steam power field, but were quickly adopted by the car manufacturers for various joints in their motors. At a later date, or in 1906, McCord & Co. acquired a radiator business which had been started as the Stolp Mfg. Co., of Chicago, and all the above products were for a time manufactured by McCord & Co. at a factory located on West Kinzie street, Chicago. The radiator business grew by leaps and bounds and as their principal customers were located in Detroit—notably Ford, Wayne and Cadillac —when the question of increased factory facilities became acute, it was only natural that Detroit was considered as a new location. After some negotiations the present property was acquired, with a building which had been erected by the Hugh-Wallace Co. This building was of modern construction, three stories high and contained approximately 40,000 square feet of floor space. A new corporation then was formed and commenced business January 1, 1909, at this location, and the McCord force-feed lubricator, McCord radiator and McKim gasket have since that time been solely manufactured here.

      At the time the concern was started in Detroit it was employing approximately 150 men and today under normal conditions, its payroll includes about 700 men. It has some 150,000 square feet of floor space in the plant and the output has increased about 100 per cent.

      The officers of the company are: A. C. McCord, president, Chicago; Morrill Dunn, vice-president, Chicago; J. T. Schlacks, vice-president, Detroit; L. M. Hamlin, secretary and treasurer, Detroit; P. L. Barter, sales manager, Detroit.

      All the above men, with the exception of Mr. Schlacks, have been with the organization since its inception in their present capacities and, of course, Mr. McCord has been the active and guiding spirit throughout its history. Mr. Schlacks is now the resident executive in charge, having come with us in July, 1912.

      The radiator business has, of course, become McCord’s biggest line, and as far as the motor industry is concerned, there are very few force-feed lubricators now in use, but the concern still is making a great many of these for gas engines, steam engines, air compressors, etc., of all kinds and types." (Quote from 1915)

Information Sources

• Motor Age, V27, 21 Jan 1915, pg. 111