Corporate structure question

[Guido]

A question was posed on the Studebaker Truck Talk site that caused me to review my M Series Parts Catalog. On "PAGE NO. II" there is a listing of the various Parts Depots of the company. The top grouping is under "The Studebaker Corporation" (14, mostly in the eastern half of the country), the next under "The Studebaker Sales Corporation of America" (7, still mostly in the east except Denver), the next being "The Studebaker Pacific Corporation" (3, California and Oregon) and finally (The Studebaker Corporation of Canada, Ltd.).

I can understand the separate Canadian corporation, but why the three domestic corporations?

A turkey overloaded Decimal Dude

[avantilover]

As a guess, I'd say the Studebaker Corporation was the "holding company" with the others being subsidiaries. Studebaker sales obviously was responsible for Eastern sales, and Studebaker Pacific was likely the West Coast business responsible for production; sales; and distribution.

Hope this helps, though there are accountants (Beancounters) onlist that would have more knowledge than me.

John Clements
Avantilover, your South Australian Studebaker lover!!!
Lockleys South Australia

[avantilover]

As a guess, I'd say the Studebaker Corporation was the "holding company" with the others being subsidiaries. Studebaker sales obviously was responsible for Eastern sales, and Studebaker Pacific was likely the West Coast business responsible for production; sales; and distribution.

Hope this helps, though there are accountants (Beancounters) onlist that would have more knowledge than me.

John Clements
Avantilover, your South Australian Studebaker lover!!!
Lockleys South Australia

[556063]

The only thing that I can GUESS is that the area covered by the "Sales Corporation of America" and "Pacific" companies were covered by a captive distributor that had a contract to represent Studebaker to the dealers in the area. Or, they could have been separate organizations set up by the company to make factory representation more accessible and local in those markets. Possibly a holdover from the wagon building days that was streamlined out as long distance communication methods improved.

Kevin Wolford
Plymouth, IN

55 Champion
60 Lark VI Conv.
63 Avanti R1

[556063]

The only thing that I can GUESS is that the area covered by the "Sales Corporation of America" and "Pacific" companies were covered by a captive distributor that had a contract to represent Studebaker to the dealers in the area. Or, they could have been separate organizations set up by the company to make factory representation more accessible and local in those markets. Possibly a holdover from the wagon building days that was streamlined out as long distance communication methods improved.

Kevin Wolford
Plymouth, IN

55 Champion
60 Lark VI Conv.
63 Avanti R1