Colonial Studios Inc.

With a surplus of factory space available after the closure of some of Holyoke's mills, companies from other cities were finding space opportunities for their businesses in Holyoke. One of these companies was Colonial Studios Inc., whose history is now retold.

The story of the Colonial Studios begins in 1923 with the formation of a partnership called Bertha Studios. The partners were Richard S. Roos and Edward J. Murphy. The primary activity of the business was creating, producing, and distributing greeting cards through its sales offices in Kansas City and San Francisco, as well as mail order. The company was located in Springfield's Fuller Building at 395 Dwight Street.

In 1932, the partnership was dissolved, and the two former partners conducted business under their corporation, Colonial Beauty Studios Inc.

In 1941, the business, now known as Colonial Studios Inc., announced it would be moving from Springfield to the Pratt & Austin building at 642 South Summer Street, at the southeast corner of Jackson Street. Pratt & Austin had recently acquired the building of the former Goetz Silk Mill. Colonial Studios would occupy the second floor, while Pratt and Austin would be situated on the first floor. Each company would have 23,000 square feet of factory space.

Colonial Studios would employ 50 workers at the opening of its Holyoke plant. Julian S. Friede was President of the company, and Helen L Hawthorne, Treasurer and Secretary. They were also part owners of the building with Pratt and Austin. The real estate company was Jackson Realty Inc.

Colonial Studios was now closer to their Holyoke paper suppliers for the production of greeting cards. Pratt & Austin was one of the company's suppliers.

The machinery was transferred from Springfield, installed, and the business commenced operations on March 30, 1942. By 1946, 100 were employed during the peak season from mid-July to after Christmas, and 40 during leaner periods. The company added the third floor to its plant, and factory space increased to 35,000 square feet.

The company performed all the tasks from converting the paper into cards to producing the card boxes. The equipment included printing presses, cutting machines, and a linotype machine.

The company produced 50 million Christmas greeting cards in 1945. The company was growing its line of cards to include other holidays, as well as illness, sympathy, and other occasions. The company also produced personalized stationery of various sizes and designs. Color inks and gold lettering were available, as well as gift boxes.

In 1947, the company was sold to William G. Hamilton and Albert M. Grafmueller of New York. In January 1950, the owners announced that the company would relocate to Greenwich, Connecticut, upon the expiration of its lease on May 1, 1950. The new location was a new building and would enable the company to operate on one floor in modern quarters.

Citations:

Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican, Union, Morning Union, and Evening Union; publication dates and pages are shown.

Holyoke Shirt Company

 Many businesses started out small, either in the Cabot Street Mills, Whitcomb Building, or Whiting Street Building, or the Beebe-Holbrook complex. The Holyoke Shirt Company opened in the latter complex, and here's its post-World War II story.

After the war, the demand for many goods and services resulted in more business start-ups. The Imperial Shirt Co. of New York City leased 18,000 square feet of space in the Beebe-Holbrook Mill Complex from Holyoke Water Power in June 1946. Holyoke Water Power had remodeled and sectioned the sprawling former paper mill to accommodate small businesses. 

Imperial Shirt Company would open a factory named the Holyoke Shirt Company. This plant specialized in finishing men's shirts. The makings of a shirt would arrive at the mill in pieces, and factory employees would sew the pieces to complete the product. The work was performed for several large shirt manufacturers. The shirt's materials were rayon and wool. A factory store would also be opened to serve the public.

Morriss Kogon, formerly of 38 Coit Street in Holyoke, was named the plant manager. He was previously the Assistant Manager of Lesnow Manufacturing in Easthampton. The new plant was scheduled to commence operations in August 1946 and be fully operational by October 1, 1946. Initially, the plan was to have 25 sewers producing 600 shirts each day.

By 1947, the plant employed 75 sewers and produced 1,800 finished garments daily. Mr. Kogon's plan for the following year was to have a total staff of 250 sewers producing 7,200 shirts daily.

By August 1954, the number of orders was slumping. The plant was down to a skeleton crew of 25. Men's shirts were not being produced. Instead, the company was making robes and other clothing for women. Mr. Kogon indicated he was seeking new orders and had no intention of closing the mill. He attributed the dropoff in orders to the higher labor rates in the northern states compared to their southern competitors.

In September 1954, Mr. Kogon was named manager of the new Midland Shirt Company in Union, Mississippi. Midland was formed and moved into the former Lebanon Shirt Company, which had recently ceased operations. Mr. Kogon and his family moved, and the Holyoke Shirt Company closed down.

 Citations:

Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; The Union Appeal, Union, Mississippi; The Sun Herald, Guilford, Mississippi; publication dates and pages are shown.

Morris Kogon, President of the Holyoke Shirt Co.