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Speciolry - 6/4 No. 2 ond Better Common Ponderosn

Selected - Blqnked - Grqded Resowed - Mqchined to WP.2 or 4

P.O. Box7l4 o Ghico, Coliforniq o TWX: CZ-66-U

Towmolor Buys Gerlinger; To Operole os Subsidiory

Cleveland, Ohio, Oct. 2-Lester M. Sears, chairman, and C. E. Smith, president, of Towmotor Corporation, today announced the acquisition of Gerlinger Carrier Company of Dallas, Oregon, manufacturers of large capacity forklift trucks and straddle-type industrial trucks. T1-re purchase was consummated through the exchange of Torvmotor stock for all outstanding Gerlinger stock.

It was further stated that Gerlinger Carrier Company would be operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Towmotor Corporation. It is contemplatbd that production of certain Towmotor parts and assemblies destined for West Coast delivery will be shifted to the Dallas, Oregon, plant.

Both Towmotor and Gerlinger were established in 1919 and, during their respective 37 years of progress, they have been responsible for the development of a broad line of materials-handling equipment, resulting in substantial labor and cost savings for all types of industry.

Towmotor Corporation manufactures gasoline, Diesel and LP gas-powered, fork-lift trucks, with capacities from 1,500 to 15,000 pounds. The combination of Towmotor and Gerlinger will make available to industry the widest range of lift trucks and carriers on the market, with capacities up to 40,000 pounds, plus special accessories for handling every type of product.

Plans are underway to develop additional sales and service outlets for Gerlinger products through the 70 Towmotor sales and service representatives and nine factory service branches located in major cities' It is estimated that the combined gross sales of Towmotor and Gerlinger will approximate $37,000,00O in t957 '

C. E. Smith will be chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the subsidiary. Victor O. Williams' who has headed Gerlinger as executive vice-president, wili be president of Gerlinger' Both Sears and Smith emphasized the nation-wide sales and service advantages of tl-re joining of the two companies and stressed the advantages that would accrue through the availability of the combined engineering experience of the two companies in developing new equipment and techniques.

(TeII' thern you saw it in The California Lumber Merchant)