Through the efforts of the Chamber of Commerce, Williamsport is assured of a new textile industry with splendid prospects for development. The Chamber is pleased to announce today that the J.G. Smith of Lopez, Pa., makers of pajamas, will open a branch factory in Williamsport and will occupy under lease, a portion of the Lycoming Rubber Company buildings on Park Avenue.

The J. G. Smith Company is one of the most established and best reputed companies in line with a successful career in manufacturing.

The first load of machinery for the new factory was received this morning and Mr. Smith told the “Sun” that the plant will be in operation in about two weeks. The machinery is being installed on the top floor of the building. It is in the area where the stitching department of for U. S. Rubber was formerly.

The advanced canvass of prospective employees has already yielded a sufficient number of operatives for the opening. The opening personnel will be recruited from among those Lycoming Rubber employees still in the city, principally women.

One hundred machines requiring approximately 126 operators will be installed in the new plant. Experienced instructors from the Lopez headquarters plant will be brought in and additional employees will be recruited until the number reaches 125 but only a minimum of operators will be employed for the opening of the plant.

The Chamber of Commerce, negotiating with the Smith Company for more than a year, had its efforts crowned with success with the decision to locate a J.G. Smith plant here.

Eventually, Mr. Smith hopes to increase the plant equipment to 300 machines, necessitating the hiring of 400 operators with a total of 600 people on the payroll.