Advance-Rumely Corp., La Porte, Ind.—This company was established in 1853 to manufacture threshers, and was incorporated in 1887. Prior to 1915, its line included threshers and clover hullers, steam traction engines, and the Rumely Oil Pull tractor using kerosene or fuel oil. In 1911, M. Rumely acquired the properties and assets of Advance Thresher Company , Battle Creek, Mich. (established in 1885 to manufacture threshers) ; Gaar, Scott & Co., Richmond, Ind. (established in 1836 to manufacture threshers); Northwest Thresher Co. Stillwater. Minn. (threshers), and American Abell Engine & Thresher Co., Ltd., Toronto, Can. (threshers—name changed later to Canadian Rumely Co.). As constituted in 1911, the M. Rumely Co. was a single-line consolidation of thresher companies similar to the International Harvester combination of binders in 1902. M. Rumely set up the M. Rumely Products Co. and transferred to it the branch houses and other distribution properties of the M. Rumely, Advance, Gaar-Scott, and Northwest Thresher companies to market and export M. Rumely products.
In 1915, M. Rumely Co. was in financial difficulties, and M. Rumely Co. and Rumely Products companies were reorganized as Advance Rumely Co. In 1927 its line included grain threshers, clover hullers, corn shredders, steam engines, Oil Pull tractors, combine harvesters, light trucks and fuel and water tanks and trucks.
The M. Rumely Company, LaPorte, Ind., has increased its capital stock from $3,000,000 to $22,000,000 through reorganization and the merger with it of Gaar, Scott & Co., Inc., Richmond, Ind., and the Advance Thresher Company , Battle Creek, Mich. The three companies are manufacturers of threshing machinery. The capitalization is larger than that of any other manufacturing concern having its headquarters in Indiana and the consolidation makes the new company the third largest threshing machine company in the world. The capital stock is divided into $12,000,000 common and $10,000,000 preferred. The M. Rumely Company was established in 1853 with $250,000 capital; Gaar, Scott & Co. in 1836 and the Advance Thresher Company in 1885. The total assets of the new company are given by the appraisers at $21,281,306, of which current assets are $16,177,784. The three plants employed about 4000 men. In 1912 they then acquired the Northwest Thresher Co.
The company was acquired in 1931 by the Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co.
ADVANCE-RUMELY COMPANY
History:(1922)
Incorporated under Indiana laws, December 14, 1915, for the purpose of acquiring the business, property and assets formerly owned by the M. Rumely Company and its subsidiary companies. The M. Rumely Company was incorporated under the laws of Indiana, December 5, 1887, succeeding a business established in 1853. The company’s business consists of the manufacture of agricultural implements, such as threshers, separators, hullers, etc., and in adapting the use of the steam engine for plowing purposes. It also manufactures a new type of internal combustion engine, primarily for plowing purposes, using kerosene and the heavier oils instead of gasoline and the other expensive fuels The_company’s plants are located at La Porte, Ind., Toronto, Canada, and Battle Creek, Mich. In 1911, they acquired the properties and business of the Advance Thresher Company, established in 1885, and Gaar, Scott & Co., established in 1836, and in November, 1912, of the Northwest Thresher Co. , of Stillwater, Minn.; also operates plant of American-Abel Engine & Thresher Co., Ltd. (now Canadian Rumely Co., Ltd.), of Toronto, a Canadian corporation, acquired in 1902, by interests allied with Advance Thresher Co.
Management:
Officers: Finley P. Mount, Pres.; J. Abrams, Vice-Pres.; W. I. Ballentine, Vice-Pres.; A. H. Berger, Vice-Pres., Compt. and Sec.; J. R. Kohne, Treas.; E. M. Thomas, Asst. Comptroller.
Directors: Finley P. Mount. W. E. Taylor, Maurice Fox, Lucius Teter, J. A. Patten, R. G. Hutchins, Jr., Howard Coonly, Stephen S. Stratton C. McK. Lewis, J. W. O’Leary, Ralph Van Vechten.
Annual Meeting: Second Monday in April.
Main Office: La Porte, Indiana
Information Sources
- Iron Age, 30 Nov 1911 page 1202
- Encyclopedia of American Steam Traction Engines by Jack Norbeck, 1975 page 226
- Steam Power on the American Farm by Reynold M. Wik, 1953 page 251
- Moody's Manual of Investments: American and Foreign, 1922, page 1309
- Report on Manufacture and Distribution of Farm Implements, 1948, pg. 48