Western Electric’s purchasing people constantly study world markets,
prices and potential sources of raw materials and finished products.
They work closely with suppliers that provide equipment and supplies
that Western itself does not make, so that these will meet the Bell
System’s high standards. Western also helps them develop better
production methods.
[Illustration: _A fingertip view of a “2A” transistor, one model of
the astonishing electronic device invented by Bell Laboratories and
now being produced by Western Electric._]
In a recent year Western Electric purchased from 28,000 large and small
suppliers located in over 3,000 towns and cities in all the 48 states.
Purchases included, in addition to all kinds of raw materials, finished
products ranging from pencils and pen points to automobiles and
telephone poles.
Western Electric operates 29 distributing houses through which materials
flow to the Bell companies. Each house is set up to meet the supplies
requirements of the telephone company it serves. It works closely with
the telephone organization to deliver the goods promptly and
efficiently. Each distributing house maintains a repair shop to
recondition service-worn telephone apparatus so that it will give good
service again, or, if not economical to repair, to dismantle it for
salvage. In a recent year the repair shops reconditioned over
$155,000,000 worth of used equipment for the telephone companies,
including 5,400,000 telephones.
Highly trained Western Electric men install central office equipment for
the Bell telephone companies. Altogether, Western Electric is able to
supervise all steps in making the equipment ready for use, from purchase
of raw materials to finished installation. This assures the telephone
companies that new apparatus will give the best possible service.