Will Walla Walla Become an Industrial Powerhouse?
The president of the Stockton-based Holt Manufacturing company scouts the city for a potential Northwest production hub, promising hundreds of jobs.
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If the Holt Manufacturing company of Stockton, California, decides to establish a factory in the Northwest for the construction of combined harvesters and farm machinery, Walla Walla will undoubtedly be the place favored as a location. Ben Holt, president of the company, visited the city yesterday to survey potential sites. The company, a major manufacturer of harvesters and traction engines, estimates the new plant would employ about 200 workers. Local officials, including the Commercial Club, are aggressively courting the firm, touting the city's water supply and fire protection. President Holt noted that the company is currently expanding its global footprint, recently demonstrating their machinery in Spain and eyeing future exports to South Africa.
“It would mean a big thing for your city if we decide to locate here. We have a large plant and it would mean the employment of about 200 hands.”
Benjamin Holt later went on to help merge his company into Caterpillar Inc., inventing the track-type tractor that revolutionized global agriculture. This story captures the era’s 'growth machine' mentality, where towns desperately competed to secure industrial giants—a civic struggle that continues in today’s competition for regional headquarters and tech hubs.
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