The Three Tumblers Podcast

Note: The following is a republished excerpt from the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company’s Lockwood – The story of its past, the basis for its future. Published in 1953, and based almost entirely off of literature produced for Lockwood’s 1952 sales convention, it recounts the history of the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company from 1834 until 1952.

By 1953, the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company, then a division of the Independent Lock Company with both being headquartered in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, fielded branch offices in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, and Selma, Alabama along with five manufacturing plants in Fitchburg and one in Selma.

We have made no changes to this excerpt and what you see is exactly how it was printed in 1953, albeit in a different medium.

Chapter Eight, The Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company 1950 to 1952

AS THE YEARS roll by, Lockwood continues to witness the truth of the old adage, “Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.” It’s contract sales distribution system, extremely weak in 1940, has blossomed out into a great Lockwood tree from the little acorn planted in 1941. Lockwood’s strategically selected contract accounts are really hitting the ball for Lockwood all across the country. The brand name Lockwood, has constantly increased in acceptance and demand. There is much to take real pride in. The most widely publicized of outstanding buildings equipped with the Lockwood hardware in this period has been, of course, the United Nations group of buildings New York City. It was the highest possible endorsement that the hardware used was Lockwood throughout this most important group of buildings in the world. it was particularly gratifying to receive the commission to equip State Center at Los Angeles, Statler’s most ambitious and costly group of buildings. The greatest lift, from a company standpoint, was that the fine Lockwood hardware used on nine previous Lockwood installations for Statler proved so satisfactory that Lockwood was again selected against the most severe competition.

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Note: The following is a republished excerpt from the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company’s Lockwood – The story of its past, the basis for its future. Published in 1953, and based almost entirely off of literature produced for Lockwood’s 1952 sales convention, it recounts the history of the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company from 1834 until 1952.

By 1953, the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company, then a division of the Independent Lock Company with both being headquartered in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, fielded branch offices in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, and Selma, Alabama along with five manufacturing plants in Fitchburg and one in Selma.

We have made no changes to this excerpt and what you see is exactly how it was printed in 1953, albeit in a different medium.

Chapter Seven, The Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company 1946 to 1949

IN 1946, with the end of the war, Lockwood activities gradually returned to peace-time production. The huge back log of projected building made it obvious the building industry was entering a period of lush business. With this in mind, Lockwood began to strengthen its fence.

Pin Tumbler Assembly.

First it produced an up-to-date catalog presenting a new approach to the listing of builders’ finishing hardware. Next it embarked on a program of advertising in trade and architectural magazines with which hundreds of thousands of readers are now quite familiar. Realizing that because of the pent up demand for new schools and hospitals, as well as for other types of buildings, there would be many places where architects could not secure the advice and assistance of a hardware consultant, Lockwood created another “first” when it published a condensed issue in Sweet’s Architectural File in 1946. This practice has since been repeated in each annual edition of Sweet’s and has been extremely effective in familiarizing architects with the Lockwood line.  Continue reading →

Note: The following is a republished excerpt from the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company’s Lockwood – The story of its past, the basis for its future. Published in 1953, and based almost entirely off of literature produced for Lockwood’s 1952 sales convention, it recounts the history of the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company from 1834 until 1952.

By 1953, the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company, then a division of the Independent Lock Company with both being headquartered in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, fielded branch offices in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, and Selma, Alabama along with five manufacturing plants in Fitchburg and one in Selma.

We have made no changes to this excerpt and what you see is exactly how it was printed in 1953, albeit in a different medium.

Chapter Six, The Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company 1941 to 1945

THIS PERIOD was featured by major changes in sales policy and sales personnel. One weakness in selling policy up to that time had been direct bidding on contract work, which was uneconomical and unsound.

After a long and thoughtful consideration and despite the likelihood of losing business because of inadequate distribution, the company faced the issue and established a definite sales policy of selling its products (except in New York City where, up to the time of printing, it has not yet been fully possible) strictly through franchised distributors. This step is recorded as courageous at that particular time because of the lack of distributors to pick up the business dropped. Business, while better than in the years described in Chapter Five, was certainly not that much better that the move could be well afforded. Continue reading →

Note: The following is a republished excerpt from the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company’s Lockwood – The story of its past, the basis for its future. Published in 1953, and based almost entirely off of literature produced for Lockwood’s 1952 sales convention, it recounts the history of the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company from 1834 until 1952.

By 1953, the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company, then a division of the Independent Lock Company with both being headquartered in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, fielded branch offices in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, and Selma, Alabama along with five manufacturing plants in Fitchburg and one in Selma.

We have made no changes to this excerpt and what you see is exactly how it was printed in 1953, albeit in a different medium.

1932. Present Plant No. 1 in Fitchburg, Mass. Acquired at the time Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company was moved from South Norwalk, Conn.

Chapter Five, Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company 1932 to 1940

THIS development period, from the time the plant was moved from South Norwalk, Conn., was a critical one in determining the future progress of Lockwood. The next few years were a period of transition. One of the first requisites was a new catalog which was published in 1932. It was soon realized by the new management, however, that if Lockwood was to be a real factor in the industry, a complete overhauling was necessary. A program was started which has continued to this very day and projects itself far into the future. Continue reading →