The Hytrol Story

more room for the sales and engineering departments as well. The sales area was, in fact, being doubled. Engineering also was expanded as more draftsmen and specialists were being hired. Another exciting addition to the Jonesboro plant was the new “Research and Development” area. Under the direction of the engineering team, the space would eventually accommodate a complete conveyor system to showcase all system items as well as most standard conveyors used in larger installations. The production area was being completely reworked with a new layout to streamline material flow. An enlarged shipping area was planned to handle the huge volume that was now being felt. When the expansion was finished, Hytrol’s Jonesboro plant would encompass a total of 208,000 sq. ft! In just 26 years, Hytrol had grown from a 40 x 60 foot building to this! Quality control was becoming more emphasized and was the theme in production. The rule became, “If you wouldn’t buy it, don’t ship it!” The foreman group was enlarged as more areas were created or became diversified. More equipment could now be seen on the production floor. A new roll forming machine was purchased which would now be used to form the side channels used on Hytrol’s conveyors. Sam Leone and Dan Loberg, now assistant sales manager, were both spending a lot of time on the road as field contacts were intensified. Sam estimated he was spending between 60 and 75 percent of his time traveling during that period. Sales Schools were being held almost every month. Plans were being formulated to start a “System Sales School” to deal more closely with system applications and gadgets. The Hytrol Distributor Council had their second meeting and formalized in April of 1973. The council by-laws were set up with seven members from the distributor organization and an equal number from Hytrol. This national meeting in Jonesboro was followed up with regional meetings around the United States where details of the national meeting were related and discussed. These meetings were proof that the distributor organization and Hytrol were working as a closer knit group. Communication between each one was greatly improved by the formation of this organization. Dan Loberg was instrumental in solidifying this important Hytrol and distributor organization. In October, a formal dedication was held to celebrate the opening of the new Hytrol National Conveyor Stockyard. Located in Fenton, Missouri (a suburb of St. Louis), this new building was twice the size of the former structure. The building had 33,000 sq. ft. available for a greater stock of Hytrol’s standard conveyor models. This building was also equipped with a showroom