Carborundum Corporation “Shaping the World”

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You You The first object man shaped were tools for survival Simple nature formed rock and bone were his only tools and weapons Until hunger drove him to reshape them into the axe the arrow and the knife Water was drunk at the common water hole alongside the animals Until man shaped the vessel to carry and store water where he lived He took shelter in caves and trees Until acute distress urged him to shape a dwelling that provided some comforts besides bare safety and when climate changes and animal migrations created an environment hostile to his life he Was forced to move on and gradually he shaped the means to facilitate his mobility It started with the reshaping of a rock a small thing But in perspective it was a vision of something beyond the tooth and claw The power of man to shape his world in the service of human needs With shaping came knowledge with knowledge new goals New techniques for forming wood iron stone were developed More varied and intricate structures and finishes evolved Aesthetics became a criteria along with craftsmanship Art was added to every day Beauty to usefulness Growing demands encouraged quicker and better means to shape form and mold Soften, harden, nail, cement, rivet, flatten and finish the surface, interior, edges, corners, curves, points, holes and slots Of the things men made The Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Age of Steel and Aluminum, of Glass and Plastic, the Age of the Atom All were built on the shapes and technology of a time The standard of achievement in all the sciences and arts is dependent on advanced methods of forming and shaping Without this the physical objects of our civilization could not have evolved Our civilization rests on this simple fact Our industries could not exist without abrasives Without the wheels, the belts, the loose abrasives to shape, size and finish a wide range of materials From massive castings to the most delicate mainspring in a space flight timing mechanism The Carburundum Company produces and sells a complete line of abrasives Serving all markets, rendering enormous service to industry as well as the home There are three major kinds of abrasives Bonded, coated and loose The organization of the company follows the kinds of abrasives made Bonded abrasives, making a multitude of different sizes, grades and shapes of grinding wheels, sharpening stones and specialty items Coated abrasives, producing belts, discs, cones, rolls and sheets Electro -minerals, making basic electric furnace products, abrasive grains and powders for blasting, polishing and barrel finishing And for the manufacture of bonded and coated abrasives and grinding compounds Carburundum sells in many ways The manner of selling is based primarily on the most important need of the specific market Primary trading areas include and center around major industrial cities like Detroit, Pittsburgh or Chicago Which have 75 % of the estimated national potential for abrasives Secondary trading areas include the next 20 % of potential in and around moderate sized industrial centers like Seattle, Norfolk or Memphis Carburundum distributes its products through various channels Through direct sales, industrial supply distributors, industrial supply jobbers or merchandising resellers Its customers number in the hundreds of thousands Carburundum sells industry, government or individual consumers in the specific way that best serves them Large or small, using the method most beneficial to its customers, its own organization or its resellers Making, selling, specifying, giving technical and engineering assistance required in the use of abrasives are all part of Carburundum's work It serves industry and mankind It helps to shape the world The organization of Carburundum is based on the kinds of products it makes and sells Since there are three major kinds of abrasive products, the company has established its organization with three abrasive divisions Bonded abrasives, coated abrasives and electro minerals Looking at a visual flow chart of the organization we find the following The office of the president, providing creative leadership for the company Reporting to this office are the four functional staff divisions Marketing, finance, industrial relations and research and development Also reporting directly to the president are the three abrasive divisions of the company Bonded, coated, electro minerals Each abrasive division is responsible for the development, manufacture, sale and profit of its products Taking a typical example of this divisional plan, here is an illustration of the relationship of one division to its customers The coated abrasives division has its own sales branch, which includes headquarters sales management and an independent field sales force Tracing its relation to the eventual user, we find that headquarters sales are handled by sales management Selling direct to customers and to specialized national and regional resellers who in turn sell to the customer In the field, the district sales manager heads a force of salesmen and sales engineers who work with resellers as well as selling and servicing direct customers Although Carbondam's field sales forces are specialized by product, bonded, coated, loose, there are some exceptions as follows The merchandising branch with its own headquarters sales management and field sales force sells the products of the three abrasive divisions to its particular markets The second exception to product specialization is in the industrial market, where salesmen of the bonded abrasive division usually also serve the electro minerals division The third exception occurs in territories where the potential cannot support specialization and a general salesman sells all products to all markets Another basic consideration of Carbondam sales organization is geography Carbondam has geographically defined sales districts, each served by a district sales office and warehouse In each district, there are assigned district sales managers, one for bonded and electro minerals, one for coated, and one for merchandising, along with the required number of divisional salesmen and sales engineers There are two basic rules which govern the assignment of industrial salesmen.

These are, first, only one divisional salesman is assigned to one customer Second, only one divisional salesman is assigned the responsibility for one reseller.

These rules are inviolate and always followed In addition, there are two basic principles which are used in the assignment of industrial salesmen whenever possible They are, first, that only one divisional salesman is assigned within one geographical area And second, that only one divisional salesman is assigned to cover the customers of a reseller Another major factor in Carbondam's organization for sales is in the marketing division, which functions in many ways It acts as an advisor to Carbondam executives dealing with overall marketing policies and programs for all the divisions It coordinates the marketing of the divisions and reviews and reports on their progress It also provides services which deal with sales training, market research, advertising and sales promotion, public relations, and administers the district offices and warehouses Carbondam is organized to help its resellers and consumers to aid and guide industry in using abrasive products to serve its many needs and help solve its problems Thus making each consumer a customer for Carbondam Thank you

Identifier

F.2010-01-0195

Date Of Production

circa 1960

Abstract

A sponsored film made by the Goldsholl Associates for the Carborundum Corporation, a Niagara Falls based producer of industrial abrasives. Through a mix of live-action and animation, the film describes how abrasives help "shape the world" as well as the organization or structure of the company. It begins with black and white images that depict the history of man's creation of tools, shelter and mobility from the bronze age to the twentieth century. The second half of the film illustrates the three types of abrasives (bonded, coated and loose) in addition to the company's distinct divisions and trading areas or distribution.

Format

16mm

Extent

275 feet

Color

Sound

Optical

Reel/Tape Number

1/1

Has Been Digitized?

Yes

Language Of Materials

English

Element

Genre

Carborundum Corporation “Shaping the World”

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