Information Regarding Benedict Mfg.Co.

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Information Regarding Benedict Mfg.Co.

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A topic for recording information regarding the various companies linked to M.S. Benedict (Benedict Mfg. Co., Benedict & McFarlane Co., T.N. Benedict Mfg.Co., Hamilton Mfg.Co., Benedict-Clark Silver Co., Benedict-Dunn Co. and Benedict-Proctor Mfg.Co.).

If you have any details of the above companies, advertisements, examples of their work, etc., anything that you are willing to share, then here's the place to post it.
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SILVER-PLATED WARE AND METAL GOODS

THE fourth export catalogue of the Benedict Manufacturing Company comprises 40 large pages of illustrations showing the very extensive line of silver-plated, hollow and flat ware, tinned knives, forks and spoons and metal specialties of various kinds made by this concern. This catalogue is printed in both English and Spanish, and the price of each article is plainly printed beneath the illustration so as to make the book easy for reference.

This concern is said to operate the largest plant in the United States devoted exclusively to the manufacture of silver-plated ware and novelties. Its factories cover an entire city block and include a separate building for each of the three distinct lines produced, namely, hollow ware, flat ware and novelties.

The first 19 pages of this catalogue are devoted to illustrated descriptions of silver-plated hollow ware, comprising tea sets, fruit dishes, table vases, bread trays, cake baskets, candlesticks and candelabra, ice pitchers and sets, table casters, berry and fruit dishes, shaving sets, prize cups, etc.


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The line of silver-plated flat ware made by this concern includes teaspoons, table spoons, dessert spoons, knives and forks, by the dozen or gross; and also a great variety of sets, including 26-plece sets in cloth-lined drawer chests. The firm also manufacture a great variety of child's sets, consisting of knife, fork and spoon in a cloth-lined box. The accompanying illustration shows one of these sets made in double Malacca plate. The firm also make a variety of articles in Karnak brass, including jardinieres, fern dishes, desk sets, tobacco jars and smoking sets, clocks, candlesticks, etc. Another line consists of jewel boxes in a great variety of styles, and still another of clocks in numerous ornamental designs. The firm also make a variety of articles in Florentine brass; and make a specialty of double-tinned knives, forks and spoons. These are sold for export at the following prices per gross: Teaspoons, $1.00; coffee spoons, 90 cents (12 gross in a case); table spoons, $1.95; knives, $7.50; dessert spoons, $1.50; medium-sized forks,$2.15(six gross in a case).

The last five pages of the catalogue describe a special assortment of 24 pieces, including fruit dishes, cake baskets, jewel boxes, clocks, etc., carefully selected as sample articles of the firm's entire line. This assortment is recommended to those merchants who desire to obtain an idea of the quality of these goods without too great an expense. The coat of the outfit complete is $80.50, less discount. The gross weight packed for shipment is 85 pounds, net weight 40 pounds. Each article in this assortment is separately illustrated so that the merchant can get a clear idea as to what he is purchasing. For copies of this catalogue, together with export discount sheet, address The Benedict Mfg. Co., Dept. D, East Syracuse, N. Y., U. S. A.


Source: Dun's Review - September 1911

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M.S. Benedict Mfg.Co. - East Syracuse, N.Y. - 1899

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"The Benedict's Silver Anniversary" is the style of a high-class booklet published by the Benedict Manufacturing Company, East Syracuse, N. Y. The mission of the booklet is to stir up the dealer to handle “Benedict” silverware— the product of this concern—and in that respect it should have accomplished its object, judging from the character of the publication. It describes in an intelligent way the advantages of these wares as merchandise; how to stock a department with them; how to make interior and show-window displays; and how to advertise them; each topic being illustrated with attractive cuts. Toward the end are given several lists of goods representing $I50 to $400 stocks. Size, 7 x 10½ inches; pages, 24.

Source: Hardware - 25th September 1908

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The Benedict Mfg.Co. - East Syracuse, N.Y. - 1909

'KARNAK BRASS'

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Benedict Co. Men Going to Australia

The Benedict Manufacturing Company, manufacturers of silverware, and located in East Syracuse, N. Y., will send its general sales manager, C. C. Graham, and its assistant sales manager, J. F. Kane, to Australia. These men will start about the middle of October, going by way of San Francisco, then via Honolulu to Sydney. From Australia they will go to Japan, from there extend their trip around the world, returning from London some time in the late spring.

The Benedict Manufacturing Company is now the busiest it has been at any time in its history. It has put on nearly 200 additional hands in the last month and is working each department on night schedule. It is advertising for help in the leading silverware manufacturing centers of the country, Meriden, Conn.; New York City; Newark, N.J.; New Haven, Conn.; Rochester, N.Y.; Niagara Falls, N.Y.; Cincinnati, O. and Toronto, Canada.

The Benedict Manufacturing Company is represented by 22 salesmen throughout the United States and Canada, and they all report business in their territories exceedingly good, and predict big business in all lines for next spring.


Source: Geyer's Stationer - 21st October 1909

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M.S. Benedict Mfg.Co. - East Syracuse, N.Y. - 1902

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Inventing Advertisable Specialty When Line Lacks Distinction

How Benedict Manufacturing Company's Improvised Novelties Lifted Sales of Its Plated Ware and Made Also a Permanent Place for Themselves


By Charles W. Hurd

It is customary for an advertising agent, when the product under discussion seems to have no features than can be readily dramatized in print, to advise his client that the necessary individuality may be imparted to the package instead, or else conveyed by means of a trade character, a slogan, a type of illustration, a copy angle, jingle, or method of promotion.

Doubtless virtually everything of merit is advertisable, but there are the important elements of time and money to be considered, too. So the wise agent, meditating economy, often passes over the apple of the prospective advertiser's eye and suggests some humble Cinderella of a product that has bigger immediate possibilities, because, say, of filling an express want, or absence of competition. Such an article is then pushed to the front at very little outlay, wins the trade's support, from yielding a better profit, and ends by drawing the whole big line after it.

These consequences are so important and probable, when properly presented, that it may be the part of real wisdom, if there is no such specialty at hand, to invent one.

Four or five years ago the Benedict Manufacturing Company, of Syracuse, N. Y., woke up to the fact that it had a real problem on its hands. It was not as yet an advertising problem. But it had reached a point where it had begun to consider advertising as an escape from conditions which were pressing more and more heavily on it.

The house was a large and successful one. Its factories turned out metal goods, chiefly silverplated hollow-ware, premium silverware and silver-plated soda fountain supplies in such volume that it required the services of a large force of salesmen to dispose of them. But the goods were generally unbranded and business consequently was largely on a price basis. When competition developed, it became harder and harder to keep up with its record, as every live house wishes to do.

"We were willing to do almost anything to get our salesmen an easy entre'e to buyers and make it possible for them to sell more goods," said L. E. Barnes, the sales manager, in describing the conditions.

The house had no special message for the buyers; that was the trouble. And a worse one appeared to be that there was nothing in the line about which to excite them. The buyers in this case mean the jewelers and department stores, which constitute the market for plated ware. Design and price were the two largest factors in the sale, and both of them counted only after the buyer could be persuaded to see the goods and compare them with the rival product. They could not make the doors fly open. And price competition constantly threatened to carry the business to ever lower levels.

The first conscious endeavor the company made to escape from this tyranny took the form of improving its designs. The quick response of the trade opened the company's eyes. It saw the way to distinction. In 1911, following the idea, but with its eyes still fastened on the factor of design, it brought out a line of novelties in a special metal finish, called Karnak Brass. The designs of these desk sets, smoking sets, calendars, fern dishes, clocks, etc., were suggested by a decorative motif taken from the Egyptian temple.

Being novelties, they carried a good margin of profit for the dealer. This, and the appeal of novelty and design, gave the house something special to make a noise about. It sent the trade an introductory letter or two and a broadside, and when its salesmen took to the road they found a satisfactory harvest waiting them, both in the novelties and the more staple goods. It was the latter, of course, which the house had in mind to push hardest.

ONE SPECIALTY FOLLOWED ANOTHER

The success of the experiment emboldened the company to go further. Karnak Brass was followed next year by Viking Silver, and after that by Benedict Plate and other finishes. Each of the lines had its distinctive finish, historical motif and trade name. They had been started to secure prestige for the house and enable the salesmen to sell its big output of plated ware, but they were becoming an important element in the sales by themselves. The novelty of each year did not altogether displace the offerings of previous years; it probably even helped to keep them alive.

By the time the year 1914 was reached the company had learned a lot about the secrets of distribution. It had long studied the effects of the advertising done by the other silver-plating companies and had begun to think about entering the lists itself. It talked with an advertising agent.

The immediate result was a modest trade skirmish. Six mailing pieces, alternating with letters, carried the profit appeal fo a list of 3,000 dealers.
The campaign cost $1,200 and more than paid for itself in mail-orders alone, to say nothing of the excess business closed by the salesmen.

These solid results and the prestige which was felt to accrue determined the company to carry the experiment still further. The following year it brought out a new line called Athenic Bronze. Six thousand dealers, or twice the previous number, were bombarded with trade matter, and to move things along the latter part of the year medium sized space was taken in several women's publications.

This was the house's first essay in consumer advertising. It was still the novelties that were being pushed and still the more staple lines for whose benefit chiefly it was being done. The novelties were developed and brought forward, it will be recalled, because there was nothing in the old lines sufficiently distinctive to offer a leverage for exploitation. All this was done with an eye to the dealer.

Now when it came to the consumer the conditions were relatively the same. The various novelty designs and finishes were interesting enough, but were they sufficiently distinctive in comparison with scores and hundreds of other novelties, some of them advertised, to sell advantageously during a short holiday season? They might be, but why take a chance? Not merely the success of the novelty, but the prestige of the whole Benedict line and the good will of the trademark were, in a measure, at stake.

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Accordingly, a coupon offer was attached to the ads in the women's publication. To anyone returning the coupon with her own and her dealer's name given would be presented free a paper knife of Athenic Bronze, the metal finish advertised. This was the distinction-creating device evolved. Through the stratagem of promising something for nothing, the woman was influenced to read the ad carefully, write for the knife, handle and examine it when it arrived, remember the name of the finish and either visit the store to see the line, or recall it when she did pay a visit and see it.

INQUIRIES WERE AMMUNITION FOR SALESMEN

The plan worked to a charm. The few ads are said to have pulled no fewer than 27,000 requests for paper knives. With the latter when they were sent out went a pleasant message from the house. It was astonished to receive in return hundreds of letters of acknowledgment. Women wrote that they had been so pleased with the gift that they had gone down to their dealers and bought a clock, or vase, or desk set of the same finish.

These letters and the original requests were turned over to the Benedict salesmen to refer to the stores, or sent the latter direct. In some cases as many as 500 coupons went to one store. Backed by the advertising and bearing such substantial tokens of its power as these letters, the salesmen had no trouble in "wedging in" any of the stores, and opened many new accounts.

"In 1914," said Mr. Barnes, comparing results, "our sales were below the ten-year average. In 1915, the first year of the increased advertising, our sales were the second largest in the history of the company. It is true that general business conditions were better and that our export business also showed an increase, but it is undeniable that the advertising did much to spur our salesmen and dealers to greater efforts."

The company had thus fairly launched its advertising campaign and, thanks to the employment of the same principle of picking a novelty to advertise and give point to the campaign, it had continued to register success.

For the campaign last fall several improvements were planned. Nothing better could be found for distinction, it was thought, than the premium offer. But a variation was planned that had several advantages. The advertising bait chosen was a perpetual calendar in Athenic Bronze. It had been regularly sold by dealers for 55 cents, but was offered to the readers of the advertising at 25 cents. They were to get it at their dealers instead of sending to the advertiser. That was an arrangement that pleased the dealers, who also found it agreeable to receive a profit on the calendar.

More sales strategy was worked out in connection with the ladies' visit to the stores. Several different kinds of display were made, all of which were described to the dealer in a campaign booklet, and the visitors themselves unconsciously, but, according to plan, were led to make interesting demonstrations. A shelf or mantel was provided, with several ornaments ranged on it. A showcard informed the public that certain arrangements, not mentioned, were alone artistically correct. Ladies were invited to satisfy themselves as to the truth of the statement, and, of course, when thus challenged, could not resist the temptation to try. Each was promised a descriptive booklet if she succeeded, and naturally received it, anyway. The purpose of the demonstration was to get them to take the ornaments in their hands and thus examine them.

The periodical advertising last year reached 6,230,000 readers with fairly large space. It was explained in advance through an eight-page circular to 8,000 dealers. They were to have the somewhat unusual profit of 50 per cent (on the selling price). Several trade helps were provided, among them a novelty catalogue associating the line by photographic reproduction with Berkey & Gay furniture.

Another was a circular letter carrying a booklet and Athenic Bronze paper knife for the dealers to send their mailing-list, at ten cents per name. Quite a number of dealers had tried it the year before and on the report of their experience several hundred dealers were induced to give it a wider test, with the best of results.

The dealer campaign, like that on the consumers, proved the best ever conducted by the house. Before last year it had never been found possible to sell the trade before July. The advertising and trade work last year started the dealers buying as early as May 1. That moved the manufacturing season back two months, and by so much assisted the company's determination to make the manufacture and advertising of the specialties a year 'round proposition. The season starts even earlier this year.

These effects as well as the increased sales are the fruit of the campaign for distinction. It has procured the salesmen easy access to the dealers. The latter's cooperation for the whole line is enlisted by the interesting manipulation of the specialties by the company for their benefit. And the Benedict trade-mark is taking its place in the public consciousness. It might have been possible to secure the same results by advertising the plated ware outright, even in the face of competitive advertising, but it would have called for many times the appropriations actually made, and left the company without the peculiar distinction which it enjoys.


Source: Printers' Ink - 15th February 1917

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M.S. Benedict Manufacturing Company - East Syracuse, N.Y. - 1902

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The Benedict-Proctor Company, Ltd., of Toronto, Ontario, recently purchased the splendidly equipped manufacturing plant of Depier & Woodman Company, located at Allison, Ontario, Canada. They will manufacture an extensive line of silver plated holloware, art novelties and plated jewelry. An office and show room will be maintained in Toronto and their travelling force with Mr. L. G. Proctor as sales manager will thoroughly cover the entire Dominion.

Source: The Metal Industry - August 1913


The Benedict-Proctor Manufacturing Company, of this city (Toronto), is a subsidiary of the Benedict Manufacturing Company of Syracuse, N. Y. Their factory was started here less than a year ago. Their business here has been enlarged by the purchase of the Defries-Woodman Company of Alliston, Canada. The entire plant has been moved to Alliston, which will be enlarged to handle the company's entire foreign trade. The company will manufacture jewelry and silverware. The plant at Syracuse is working to full capacity.

Source: The Metal Industry - October 1913

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The Benedict Manufacturing Company - East Syracuse, N.Y. - 1912

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The Canadian factory branch of the Benedict Mfg. Co., East Syracuse, N. Y., known as the Benedict Proctor Mfg. Co., Ltd., has in less than three years outgrown its plant and facilities at Alliston, and taken on new and larger quarters at Trenton, Ont. The Benedict-Proctor Co., started in a modest way on Church St., in Toronto, five years ago. Later it found it necessary to increase the facilities and moved to Alliston, and now after three years in Alliston, find it necessary to again increase their facilities by equipping a large modern plant at Trenton.

Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 6th June 1917

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M.S. Benedict Manufacturing Company - East Syracuse, N.Y. - 1906

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Harry L. Benedict a Full Partner in the M. S. Benedict Mfg. Co.

East Syracuse, N. Y., Feb. 15.—Harry L. Benedict has been admitted as a full partner with his father, M. S. Benedict, in the firm known as the M. S. Benedict Mfg. Co., makers of silver plated ware, of East Syracuse. H. L. Benedict connected himself with the business several years ago, and shortly afterward was given charge of the factory at East Syracuse. Two years ago a new building was erected, and the entire plant of the company was removed to the factory, Mr. Benedict taking full charge of all departments. The company have, they say, a force of 22 traveling salesmen, their territory extending throughout the States and Canada. Large orders are shipped abroad.

Over 200 hands, they also say, are employed at the works in East Syracuse. A branch office is operated in New York city, while a full stock of goods is carried at Chicago to supply the western trade.


Source: The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review - 22nd February 1899

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CHICAGO

M. S. Benedict, of the M. S. Benedict Manufacturing Company, is back in town after a fortnight spent at the factory in Syracuse.

Source: The Jewelers Review - 31st May 1899

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Benedict Mfg. Company - East Syracuse, N.Y. - 1922

'TABARD SILVER'

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Exhibits at the A.N.R.J.A.

The Benedict Mfg. Co., East Syracuse, N. Y., had an extensive exhibit at the convention. A small display was maintained in room 278 of the main exhibit floor in charge of A. F. Saunders while a much larger exhibit was made in room 850 with Wm. A. Van Patten in charge. Salad bowls, candles, coffee sets, vegetable dishes and most all table holloware were shown in the Georgian and Adam patterns of the Benedict Period Plate. A large line of desk sets and smokers' articles in Tabard Silver, Tabard Brass and Tabard Bronze, were shown.


Source: The Jewelers' Circular - 6th September 1922

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THE EXCERPTA COFFEE POT

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The coffee pot shown in the accompanying cuts is offered by M.S. Benedict Mfg. Company, East Syracuse, N.Y. The pot is made in 2½ pint and 2 quart sizes, of the best hard white Brittamine metal, and heavily silver plated. It is provided with a trap that fits the top of the pot, through which boiling water is poured upon pulverised coffee contained within a sack. The principle upon which the pot is constructed, it is explained, absolutely prevents the escape of the aroma, and the essence thus preserved imparts to the beverage a delicious flavor. As the extracting process of pot is instantaneous the entire strength of the ground coffee is referred to as being secured with saving of at least 25 per cent. in the coffee used. It is pointed out that the coffee is as clear as wine without the use of eggs, effecting a material saving in the course of a year. Coflee can be made at the table, it is remarked, as well as in the kitchen, or anywhere so long as boiling water is to be had: also that as no steam escapes the beverage remains hot throughout the meal. The makers allude to the pot as artistic in design, an ornament to the best appoint table, and as warranted to wear for ten years.


Source: The Metal Worker, Plumber, and Steam Fitter - 9th January 1904

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Benedict Mfg. Company - East Syracuse, N.Y. - 1920

'ADAM VERD''

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A New York City publishing house, who give premiums with each subscription received, have just closed a contract with the M.S. Benedict Mfg. Company, East Syracuse, N. Y., for silverware amounting exactly to $90,625. This is said to be the largest order ever placed by an individual house for this kind of goods. The company are given the entire year of 1904 to fill the order, making equal shipments every day. The same house have also taken from the Benedict Company $12,000 worth of goods for the holiday trade. This large order, together with other business booked and much prospective trade, means a busy year for the Benedict Company. Employment will be given to 225 men and women. The spoon department will be enlarged by adding a considerable amount of new machinery.

Source: Iron Age - 31st December 1903

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