The primary goal creating divisions was to
efficiently manufacture and energetically market existing
products. Meadowcroft reported 1916 that the
laboratory's work was directed toward support the Edison
product line and "there little mere research done here.
The laboratory created Edison 1887 did not fit the needs
of large corporation that, 1915, had become primarily
concerned with maintaining market shares established
businesses."
35
The West Orange lab was longer the only R&D facility
in the Edison interests; the creation laboratory Silver
Lake the 1890s started the process establishing satellite
laboratories the Edison industrial empire. The expansion of
. The
central lab that had been the moving force the Edison
companies the nineteenth century had assume different
role the twentieth. The work the West Orange laboratory, envisaged
by Edison the nineteenth century, was develop completely
new products. the Edison concerns found themselves more
competitive markets, the pressure provide engineering
support for the manufacturing branch grew more powerful.X-21
THE REORGANIZATION THE LABORATORY
The organizational changes the West Orange laboratory
reflected its changing function within the Edison organization
