Music Trade Review
Issue: 1916 Vol. 62 N. 21 - Page 57
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
53
HERZOG ART FURNITURE CO. SHOWS WONDERFUL GROWTH
In Fifteen Years This Expertly Organized Concern Has Progressed from a Small Frame Build-
ing to a Mammoth Factory Doing $1,500,000 Worth of Business Yearly
Only fifteen years ago a young man born on
a farm in Frankenmuth started a new factory
in Saginaw, Mich. He located in a frame build-
ing converted from a barn into a mill at the
corner of Adams and Niagara streets, and the
organizer employed only six people. They used
a wheelbarrow to deliver freight to the freight
station. Tt was the Herzog Art Furniture Co.
and the founder was John Herzog.
The company's output this year will approxi-
mate $1,500,000, of which they already have on
the books as unfilled orders ahead over
$1,000,000 for future delivery. This large volume
of business ought to mean a good measure of
prosperity for the company, in spite of the tre-
mendous increase in the cost of raw materials.
This anticipated prosperity is being divided with
the employes throughout the office and factory.
Bonuses for Employes
Recent announcements have arranged for a
distribution of large bonuses among workmen
and foremen. Every operation is being gradu-
ally put upon a bonus plan of wage payment
which will eventually enable the workmen to
average greatly increased wages in proportion
to the amount of good work they produce.
Plans are already drafted by the company for
a picnic in midsummer and a banquet in the
fall as soon as the organization has earned
them. These will be financed by the company,
although earned by its employes.
The Herzog Art Furniture Co. has for fifteen
years been a large trade school, wherein have
been developed highly trained mechanics and
cabinetmakers. Practically all of the foremen
and sub-foremen in the organization have been
developed from the workmen in the factory,
and with its continued growth the company is
pursuing a general policy of recruiting officers
and leaders from among its own employes. This
company is now adding to both its day and night
forces at least 150 more employes for every
branch of the work.
6,000,000 Feet of Lumber
The working conditions surrounding the em-
ployes of this firm are extremely pleasant. All
the building sections are so narrow as to afford
excellent ventilation and lighting. There are
330,000 square feet of floor space, or 4,500,000
cubic feet of building space, in their buildings.
They cut up nearly 6,000,000 board feet per an-
num in the very best grades of lumber, and
work into their product some of the choicest
veneer logs now held in the country. On one
day recently over twenty-seven carloads of raw
materials were delivered to this plant.
After the lumber has been air-dried in an ex-
tensive hardwood lumber yard it is kiln-dried
in a number of steam kilns, wherein the oper-
ator has complete control of the humidity, the
temperature and the circulation of the air. When
the lumber has been reduced in a few days to
a given percentage of moisture content it is
transferred either to the dry shed for storage or
to the mill.
Five hundred thousand feet a month or over
20,000 board feet a day are dimensioned in a
cutting department which has all the most mod-
ern equipment available." Conditioning the lum-
ber after it has absorbed moisture from the glue
is accomplished in a special kiln before it is
planed, and this careful treatment of the lum-
The Ohio Veneer Co. I
CINCINNATI, O.
Importers and Manufacturers of Figured
Mahogany and Foreign Woods for high-
grade piano cases and cabinets.
^^^^^^^ m N*w York Office and Sample Room | 1
ber is undertaken throughout the plant in order
to prevent such troubles as warping and check-
ing.
Invent New Machinery
John Herzog, general manager, and John L,.
Jackson, president, have not been content with
the standard makes of machinery in use in the
furniture industry, and from time to time have
invented new machinery for the furniture manu-
facturers and built it in the Jackson & Church
factory. Among such inventions now in general
use by manufacturers throughout the industry
is a curious "finger jointer" that face-planes the
dimensioned stock to take all wind or warp from
the boards.
In the machine rooms the parts are shaped to
the variety of patterns afforded by the 500 dif-
ferent articles in their line. Then the surfaces
are sanded and polished. There are special
machines for sanding mouldings, both curved
and straight, disc sanders for sanding flat edges,
belt sanders of several varieties for following
the curves of legs, upright belt sanders, spindle
sanders and drum sanders. Many handsaws
and jigsaws are employed on the extremely
artistic designs here produced. Here is to be
found the development of a very high grade of
skillfulness. There follow the regular machines
that every furniture factory employs such as
routers, dovetailers, locking machines, tilting-
table, mitre-saws, automatic turning lathes, etc.
Yet here and there are home-made machines
not found in other factories of this industry,
invented and patented by Mr. Herzog, which
permit this factory to turn out styles of fur-
niture that other manufacturers cannot make
at all or could make only at a prohibitive cost.
Use $15,000 Glue Annually
In the veneering processes marvels of tech-
nical development.and efficient performance are
to be seen. Although a pound of glue is made
to spread as far as is possible to do and yet
produce an absolutely reliable quality of work-
manship, yet the value of glue alone consumed
in a year would almost amount to $15,000. Here
are a number of Beaters and drying kilns for
carefully conditioning the glued-up stock, out of
these departments are turned oaks, mahoganies
and walnuts with wonderful grains and flakes,
that lend a surpassing elegance to some of the
product. These are reasons why this furniture
finds a ready demand throughout the United
States and is attracting a steadily increasing
foreign business.
It is nowadays rare for a furniture factory to
have many carvers, but the Herzog factory has
perhaps the largest group of carvers to be found
anywhere. Furthermore, they are trying to
develop carvers from apprentices and attract
news ones from the outside. The same thing
is true of the work in the cabinet departments,
where the parts are all glued up in presses and
the assembled cases are cleaned and put in first
class condition in the white. In most of these
departments young men in the manual training
One Reason
for our continued suc-
cess and steady growth
is the fact that we use
the best grade of Pig
Iron obtainable.
••Mi
Grand Central Palace Bldg
Lexington Ave. and 46th St.
G. H. VAUGHAN. Eastern Representative
Matawan Steel & Iron Co.
MATAWAN, N. J.
And when you're satisfied
that we've the best punch-
ings on the market, cut
clean and accurately from
the best of material in cellu-
loid, cloth, felt, fibre,
leather, paper, rubber or
whatever you want, give
us credit and send your
orders to
C.E GOEPEL*Co
137 E A S T I3 T -* ST.
N E.W YORK
or the trade school get excellent experience by
spending their summer vacation in this factory,
there to acquire practical experience.
The cases in the white are ready for the ap-
plication of every known variety of finish that
has yet been developed. There are Adam
Browns, Burly Walnuts, Circassians, Enamels,
Silvergrays, etc. The finishing department alone
is more than three city blocks long. Here are
seen recognizable and wonderful shapes that
are tables, desk, piano benches, dressers, bed-
room suites, record cabinets, phonograph cases,
etc. A show room is being equipped over the
office, which will shortly be opened to the
public and where visitors will always be wel-
HARDWARE SHIPMENTS DELAYED
The congestion of the railroads is interfering
very seriously with the delivery of piano plates
and other piano hardware manufactures, not only
in New York but in other important manufactur-
ing centers, such as Chicago, etc. A shipment
of piano plates made by a concern in Ohio re-
cently took nearly thirty days to deliver, being
most of that time tied up on the railroad.
From week to week manufacturers are hoping
that the railroad congestion will be relieved
somewhat, but instead of bettering, conditions
seem to grow worse, at least so far as shipments
of piano hardware are concerned.
William R. Casey, formerly a salesman for
the Hext Music Co., Denver, Colo., has joined
the staff of the Sharp Music Co., that city, as
sales manager. Mr. Casey's appointment was
featured by the Sharp Co. in large advertise-
ments in daily papers.
INVISIBLE
HINGES
Illustrated Catalog S
mailed on request.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
53
HERZOG ART FURNITURE CO. SHOWS WONDERFUL GROWTH
In Fifteen Years This Expertly Organized Concern Has Progressed from a Small Frame Build-
ing to a Mammoth Factory Doing $1,500,000 Worth of Business Yearly
Only fifteen years ago a young man born on
a farm in Frankenmuth started a new factory
in Saginaw, Mich. He located in a frame build-
ing converted from a barn into a mill at the
corner of Adams and Niagara streets, and the
organizer employed only six people. They used
a wheelbarrow to deliver freight to the freight
station. Tt was the Herzog Art Furniture Co.
and the founder was John Herzog.
The company's output this year will approxi-
mate $1,500,000, of which they already have on
the books as unfilled orders ahead over
$1,000,000 for future delivery. This large volume
of business ought to mean a good measure of
prosperity for the company, in spite of the tre-
mendous increase in the cost of raw materials.
This anticipated prosperity is being divided with
the employes throughout the office and factory.
Bonuses for Employes
Recent announcements have arranged for a
distribution of large bonuses among workmen
and foremen. Every operation is being gradu-
ally put upon a bonus plan of wage payment
which will eventually enable the workmen to
average greatly increased wages in proportion
to the amount of good work they produce.
Plans are already drafted by the company for
a picnic in midsummer and a banquet in the
fall as soon as the organization has earned
them. These will be financed by the company,
although earned by its employes.
The Herzog Art Furniture Co. has for fifteen
years been a large trade school, wherein have
been developed highly trained mechanics and
cabinetmakers. Practically all of the foremen
and sub-foremen in the organization have been
developed from the workmen in the factory,
and with its continued growth the company is
pursuing a general policy of recruiting officers
and leaders from among its own employes. This
company is now adding to both its day and night
forces at least 150 more employes for every
branch of the work.
6,000,000 Feet of Lumber
The working conditions surrounding the em-
ployes of this firm are extremely pleasant. All
the building sections are so narrow as to afford
excellent ventilation and lighting. There are
330,000 square feet of floor space, or 4,500,000
cubic feet of building space, in their buildings.
They cut up nearly 6,000,000 board feet per an-
num in the very best grades of lumber, and
work into their product some of the choicest
veneer logs now held in the country. On one
day recently over twenty-seven carloads of raw
materials were delivered to this plant.
After the lumber has been air-dried in an ex-
tensive hardwood lumber yard it is kiln-dried
in a number of steam kilns, wherein the oper-
ator has complete control of the humidity, the
temperature and the circulation of the air. When
the lumber has been reduced in a few days to
a given percentage of moisture content it is
transferred either to the dry shed for storage or
to the mill.
Five hundred thousand feet a month or over
20,000 board feet a day are dimensioned in a
cutting department which has all the most mod-
ern equipment available." Conditioning the lum-
ber after it has absorbed moisture from the glue
is accomplished in a special kiln before it is
planed, and this careful treatment of the lum-
The Ohio Veneer Co. I
CINCINNATI, O.
Importers and Manufacturers of Figured
Mahogany and Foreign Woods for high-
grade piano cases and cabinets.
^^^^^^^ m N*w York Office and Sample Room | 1
ber is undertaken throughout the plant in order
to prevent such troubles as warping and check-
ing.
Invent New Machinery
John Herzog, general manager, and John L,.
Jackson, president, have not been content with
the standard makes of machinery in use in the
furniture industry, and from time to time have
invented new machinery for the furniture manu-
facturers and built it in the Jackson & Church
factory. Among such inventions now in general
use by manufacturers throughout the industry
is a curious "finger jointer" that face-planes the
dimensioned stock to take all wind or warp from
the boards.
In the machine rooms the parts are shaped to
the variety of patterns afforded by the 500 dif-
ferent articles in their line. Then the surfaces
are sanded and polished. There are special
machines for sanding mouldings, both curved
and straight, disc sanders for sanding flat edges,
belt sanders of several varieties for following
the curves of legs, upright belt sanders, spindle
sanders and drum sanders. Many handsaws
and jigsaws are employed on the extremely
artistic designs here produced. Here is to be
found the development of a very high grade of
skillfulness. There follow the regular machines
that every furniture factory employs such as
routers, dovetailers, locking machines, tilting-
table, mitre-saws, automatic turning lathes, etc.
Yet here and there are home-made machines
not found in other factories of this industry,
invented and patented by Mr. Herzog, which
permit this factory to turn out styles of fur-
niture that other manufacturers cannot make
at all or could make only at a prohibitive cost.
Use $15,000 Glue Annually
In the veneering processes marvels of tech-
nical development.and efficient performance are
to be seen. Although a pound of glue is made
to spread as far as is possible to do and yet
produce an absolutely reliable quality of work-
manship, yet the value of glue alone consumed
in a year would almost amount to $15,000. Here
are a number of Beaters and drying kilns for
carefully conditioning the glued-up stock, out of
these departments are turned oaks, mahoganies
and walnuts with wonderful grains and flakes,
that lend a surpassing elegance to some of the
product. These are reasons why this furniture
finds a ready demand throughout the United
States and is attracting a steadily increasing
foreign business.
It is nowadays rare for a furniture factory to
have many carvers, but the Herzog factory has
perhaps the largest group of carvers to be found
anywhere. Furthermore, they are trying to
develop carvers from apprentices and attract
news ones from the outside. The same thing
is true of the work in the cabinet departments,
where the parts are all glued up in presses and
the assembled cases are cleaned and put in first
class condition in the white. In most of these
departments young men in the manual training
One Reason
for our continued suc-
cess and steady growth
is the fact that we use
the best grade of Pig
Iron obtainable.
••Mi
Grand Central Palace Bldg
Lexington Ave. and 46th St.
G. H. VAUGHAN. Eastern Representative
Matawan Steel & Iron Co.
MATAWAN, N. J.
And when you're satisfied
that we've the best punch-
ings on the market, cut
clean and accurately from
the best of material in cellu-
loid, cloth, felt, fibre,
leather, paper, rubber or
whatever you want, give
us credit and send your
orders to
C.E GOEPEL*Co
137 E A S T I3 T -* ST.
N E.W YORK
or the trade school get excellent experience by
spending their summer vacation in this factory,
there to acquire practical experience.
The cases in the white are ready for the ap-
plication of every known variety of finish that
has yet been developed. There are Adam
Browns, Burly Walnuts, Circassians, Enamels,
Silvergrays, etc. The finishing department alone
is more than three city blocks long. Here are
seen recognizable and wonderful shapes that
are tables, desk, piano benches, dressers, bed-
room suites, record cabinets, phonograph cases,
etc. A show room is being equipped over the
office, which will shortly be opened to the
public and where visitors will always be wel-
HARDWARE SHIPMENTS DELAYED
The congestion of the railroads is interfering
very seriously with the delivery of piano plates
and other piano hardware manufactures, not only
in New York but in other important manufactur-
ing centers, such as Chicago, etc. A shipment
of piano plates made by a concern in Ohio re-
cently took nearly thirty days to deliver, being
most of that time tied up on the railroad.
From week to week manufacturers are hoping
that the railroad congestion will be relieved
somewhat, but instead of bettering, conditions
seem to grow worse, at least so far as shipments
of piano hardware are concerned.
William R. Casey, formerly a salesman for
the Hext Music Co., Denver, Colo., has joined
the staff of the Sharp Music Co., that city, as
sales manager. Mr. Casey's appointment was
featured by the Sharp Co. in large advertise-
ments in daily papers.
INVISIBLE
HINGES
Illustrated Catalog S
mailed on request.
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).