University of Virginia Library

THE STONE PRINTING AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY

Prominent among the manufacturing enterprises
of Virginia and of this city is the printing establishment
of The Stone Printing and Manufacturing
Company, which has the distinction of being the
largest and most modern exclusive printing establishment
in the South.

This Company originally began business in Roanoke
in 1883, on Commerce Street, occupying a floor
space of less than five hundred square feet. Later
it moved to the second story of the Gale Building,
on the corner of Jefferson Street and Railroad Avenue,
pending the completion of its special building
on North Jefferson Street.

In subsequent years, this last named building was
doubled, and then doubled again, in size, until it
eventually became apparent that very much enlarged
quarters must be provided to take care of the constantly
growing volume of business.

The present home of the Company, Nos. 116-132
North Jefferson Street, completed in the latter part
of 1907, has a frontage of two hundred and eighteen
feet, with a depth of one hundred and ten feet; giving
a total floor space in the two stories of approximately
fifty thousand square feet.

In the entire mechanical department there is no
overhead shafting or belting; all machines being
run by individual motors.

Besides the officers of the Company, there are employed
in the business offices twenty-one persons—
estimators, stenographers, bookkeepers, clerks, etc.

In all departments the plant employs about two
hundred people.

The composing room, which occupies over twelve
thousand square feet of floor space, is situated on
the first floor, and employs over fifty people. Besides
all the modern appliances and material for
rapid and up-to-date printing, this department has
seven type-setting machines, using both the Linotype
and the Monotype.

The cylinder press room occupies six thousand
three hundred and forty-four square feet of floor
space, and is equipped with sixteen presses.

The job press room occupies one thousand six
hundred and eighty-eight square feet of floor space
and employs eighteen persons. It is equipped with
thirteen presses.

The bindery, situated on the second floor, occupies
nine thousand seven hundred and forty square feet
of floor space, and is well equipped for every class
of binding.

A feature of the plant is the engraving and designing
department, where an artist is kept constantly
employed making special designs or submitting
sketches for prospective work.

The Company's business extends over the entire
South, and it also sends its products to New York and
other northern points, as well as to the Pacific Coast.

The printing of school, college, and university
annuals is an important department of the business
(dating from 1894, when the first annual was
printed), and it is probable that The Stone Printing
and Manufacturing Company has printed more annuals
than any other printing establishment in the
country.

Several years ago the Company installed a scientific
cost accounting system, which enables it to
calculate exactly the cost of each job of printing as
it goes out of the shipping department.

The Company has, since its organization, conducted
what is known as an "open shop," never
having had at any time any agreement or having
signed any scale with any labor organization.

The general policy of the Company has been to
pay according to merit, loyalty, enthusiasm, special
ability, or service rendered; without regard as to
whether an employee is a member of a labor union
or any other organization or not; and its most valued
employees have always received better wages
than the scales demand.

Present capitalization of the Company is $350,000.
Its officers are, Edward L. Stone, President; T. T.
Fishburne, Vice President; Albert A. Stone, Secretary;
G. G. Gooch, Jr., Treasurer; and Fleming R.
Hurt, Manager.