The growth of Eastern Specialties Company was due in large part to its status as one of the largest producers of high-quality paper rolls in the country. By 1952, the company had come a long way in the paper converting business. At its inception, the product line included adding machine rolls, along with tabulating machines, die wiping, teletype, mailing and addressograph rolls. The growth in the business machine and communication industries resulted in a tripling of Eastern Specialties’ sales during the 1950s.
By the mid 1950s, the company produced hundreds of rolls for various uses. This included plain, printed, ruled and carbonized rolls. The quality of its products was superior to that of its competitors, providing an advantage in the marketplace.
More space was needed, and the company added an additional 40% of space at the 5 Appleton Street plant in 1956. The mill now had 27,000 square feet of space. A new department was formed to produce oiled paper teletype and teletypesetter tape.
In the late 1950s, the company was routinely awarded contracts from the Government Services Administration to supply its products to federal agencies, further bolstering its revenue.
Further expansion occurred in 1960, when the company leased an additional 12,000 square feet, bringing its plant size to nearly 40,000 square feet. At the time, Lawrence P. Desmarais was President and General Manager, Raymond H. Desmarais Vice-President, and Richard Nickerson Treasurer. Raymond and Lawrence Desmarais were the sons of the company’s co-founder, Paul Desmarais, who died in 1953.
In October 1963, the company unveiled an odorless, carbon-free paper for its multi-carbon rolls. The product, called ESCOPY, produced a permanent image resistant to heat and humidity. The copy could be stored indefinitely and retain its original print quality. Eastern Specialties introduced the new product development at the National Trade Paper Association’s New York Convention.
The company was now in its 44th year of operation, and more stories will be revealed in the final chapter.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
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