Oakland logical location for Westinghouse and other industries

OAKLAND NAMED

LOGICAL CENTER

FOR INDUSTRIES

By C. E. HEISE,

S. F. District Manager, Westinghouse

Electric and Manufacturing Company

Oakland is the logical location for the establishment of a manufacturing plant which is intended to serve the western part of the United States.

In the case of the Westinghouse High Voltage Insulator Company, whose main plant is at Derry, Pennsylvania and whose product has never before been manufactured west of Chicago, a large percentage of the estimated demand for high voltage insulators, present and future, is coming from the hydro-electric industry in western states. But building a plant costing upwards of a quarter of a million dollars in a land whose raw materials have never been tried, is real pioneering. It requires much experimentation before the new materials can be entirely understood and efficiently utilized.

The Westinghouse sales organizations in the four western districts, being close to the demand, were the first to see the advantage of a western plant. The plan was promoted by the management in all four district offices and credit is due equally to our Seattle, Los Angeles, Denver and San Francisco offices, respectively. All the offices figured in the selection of the actual location for the plant, and it is largely through their efforts that the San Francisco Bay district boasts the first high voltage insulator works in the West.

There are several very evident reasons for locating an industrial plant in or adjacent to Oakland. First of all, is the central location with splendid rail and water transportation . . . [illegible text] . . . with all ports on the Pacific can be had through a number of coastwise and trans-Pacific steamship lines. Nearness to a seaport having a wonderful harbor provided by San Francisco bay, affords splendid facilities for the water shipment of materials that have to be brought here from foreign lands as well as providing the opportunity to readily ship finished products to foreign shores. This combined with the excellent rail facilities available in Oakland make an ideal situation for transportation of the raw materials needed as well as the finished products.

Among the seaports on the Pacific Coast of the United States, four command first attention, namely, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco Bay and the Port of Los Angeles. In the area west of the Rocky mountains there are approximately 7,500,000 people within 1250 miles of Oakland on San Francisco bay. Portland comes second with something less than 7,000,000 while Los Angeles and Seattle have 6,300,000 and 5,500,00, respectively. Consequently for a plant which must serve the entire West, including all Pacific ports, Oakland is the logical location.

There are other advantages for a manufacturing plant in Oakland. Living conditions for workers are the best obtainable. The residential districts of the Eastbay cities are not crowded and many large areas within easy access of the industrial sections are only just beginning to be settled. Small comfortable homes can be inexpensively built and paid for on attractive terms. A community supplied with good schools, churches, libraries, amusement and shopping centers, and with wide streets and easy access to the open country, attracts small home owners and good steady workers. And good reliable workers owing comfortable homes are a great asset to any industry.

Again, the mild and invigorating climate of the San Francisco bay district with a cool even temperature averaging 50 degrees the entire year round is another splendid working asset.

The reasonable price of suitable tracts of industrial property combined with a low tax rate is a very important factor in determining the location of industries in the Oakland district. Furthermore, the friendly attitude, the enthusiasm and the co-operation of business men, city officials and Chambers of Commerce, all lend their material assistance in making Oakland and vicinity a desirable place to locate industries.

It is not possible at this time to announce the detailed plans of the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company for the future development of its Emeryville property. However, tentative plans have been drawn which contemplate the investment of several millions of dollars in additional buildings and equipment. It is the intention to keep this development program moving steadily towards completion.

Only fourteen months ago, the entire section of which the Westinghouse twelve-acre tract is a part, was vacant pasture land. Today a great industrial center has already been created there. The insulator plant was one of the first of this group.

The new building now being erected by the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company is much larger than the insulator plant and will be utilized as an assembling and service shop and a zone warehouse. The building is just nearing completion and is of sufficient size to require two spur tracts running into the central aisle to provide ample loading and unloading facilities.

The new building is three stories high of concrete and steel construction and the building alone without tool equipment represents an investment of about $500,000.

An impelling reason for our company locating large manufacturing facilities in the West is that the Westinghouse organization as a whole believes in the West and is confident of its stability and increasing prosperity. The wonderful growth of hydro-electric power development and transmission under the able guidance of the capable and sincere executives who are directing the progress of the great electrical power companies, makes it certain that ample power, which in this day and age is so essential to industrial development, will always be available to take care of the growing needs of the West.

With a full appreciation of the future possibilities and an earnest desire to serve the electrical needs of this growing empire to the best possible advantage, the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company is glad to invest its money and become an integral part of its industrial life.