MANTRADE as it is now briefly and more popularly known, started as a corporation in 1906, primarily engaged in the general merchandising business, dealing with cotton goods, marine and gas engines, and marine hardware. Mantrade was originally owned by the Cleveland-Akron Bag Company of Ohio, Inc. and licensed to do business in the Philippines on October 1, 1906. Its most profitable line of operation then was bag making with the copra and rice trade practically taking all the bags that Mantrade could manufacture. In the middle of 1915, Julius Samuel Reese bought Mantrade and on November 3, 1915, Mantrade was incorporated and legally established as a Philippine corporation. By then Mantrade had expanded its operations into paint and paint materials, bicycles and pharmaceuticals. The Ford franchise came into Mantrade’s hands on April 1, 1918. In 1920, Mantrade dropped its other lines and exclusively concentrated on the automotive business. From 1920 to 1930, widespread economic depression set in and severely affected Mantrade’s growing business. In 1931, significant upswing was enjoyed again and sales in the following period more than compensated for the effects of the depression. Mantrade established an impressive record of P4 million average sales volume per year for the years 1925 through 1941 when World War II broke out. Mantrade took a blow from the world conflict. The US army commandeered Mantrade’s premises and its stock of cars, trucks and spare parts. When the Japanese occupied Manila, Mantrade was forced to close its doors and its American officials were arrested and imprisoned at the UST Internment Camp.
