Bottom Dollar Industries

Bottom Dollar Industries, Inc., of Little Rock (Pulaski County) was a manufacturer of shoes, moccasins, leather goods, archery equipment, life jackets, boat cushions, and miscellaneous rubber products. The company was an outgrowth of a profitable shoe repair shop that expanded into a chain of shops.

While attending grammar school and high school, Earl W. Smith apprenticed under his grandfather Andrew M. Smith, who was an old-time custom shoemaker. Earl W. Smith opened his first shoe repair shop with $100 capital on January 21, 1919. He attended law school at night, graduating in 1923, and worked in a law office for one year before returning to the shoe business, which he expanded to a chain of fourteen shops, all located in Arkansas. His main reason for leaving law and returning to business was his interest in sales and sales promotion. The business was originally called Smith’s Shoe Repair; it is unclear when the name was changed to Bottom Dollar Industries, but the June 1, 1943, company newsletter is the earliest surviving publication bearing that name.

Bottom Dollar Industries was a family-run corporation with Earl W. Smith as president, director of sales, and credit manager. His son E. Winton Smith served as secretary-treasurer, and his daughter Julianne Smith Curry served as vice president. In addition, Earl’s father Arthur Preston (A. P.) Smith was a partner, and Earl’s brother A. W. Willie Smith was a partner, equipment maintenance worker, and engineering manager.

During the Great Depression, upon the establishment of the federal New Deal program the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps), Earl Smith was able to negotiate a contract with the CCC to maintain all of the shoes for the enrollees in thirty-three camps in the District of Arkansas. Later, by working with the War Production Board during World War II, his company obtained sizable sub-contracts for strategic items needed in the all-out war effort. Smith’s wide acquaintance in industry enabled his company to expand, rather than contract, as war production requirements tapered, which led his company into manufacturing many different items for other industries.

Smith was an active manager of his various enterprises, but most of his time and energy was directed toward sales and sales promotions. Bottom Dollar Industries started supplying the Indian Archery and Toy Corporation of Evansville, Indiana, in 1952, selling leather arrow quivers, moccasins, and Robin Hood–style hats. By injecting sales promotion into the archery business, he was instrumental in expanding the sale of archery leather goods to its record peak in 1956. Sales of Archery and Leather Goods were $10,000 in 1952 and exceeded $100,000 in 1956.

During this period, Bottom Dollar Industries had one full-time salesman and thirty-three sales representatives covering the forty-eight contiguous states plus Alaska and Hawaii. The company also had business in Puerto Rico.

Around May 15, 1953, Bottom Dollar Industries purchased all the capital stock of the Infantex Co. The Infantex Co. was incorporated on November 12, 1943, and operated principally at Beebe (White County), manufacturing shoes for infants. On August 23, 1954, Bottom Dollar Industries leased the building at 715 Izard Street in Little Rock from Herman Pasternack for $500 per month for five years, and on December 1, 1954, operations of the Infantex Co. and Bottom Dollar Industries were consolidated in the same building. In 1956, revenues from the combined operations were $321,364.38.

Bottom Dollar Industries went bankrupt and closed in 1961. Costs for the company had been increasing dramatically, especially with the additional safety testing equipment that was required. Ben Pearson Archery purchased some of the company’s equipment at bankruptcy, and Earl Smith moved to Pine Bluff (Jefferson County) to work for that company after closing Bottom Dollar.

Bottom Dollar’s known locations were the building on Izard Street in Little Rock, 110 W. Capitol in Little Rock, 302 Main Street in Malvern (Hot Spring County), and 510 Central Avenue in Hot Springs (Garland County).

For additional information:
Biography, Loan Application, and Lease Documents. Author’s Personal Collection.

“E. Winton Smith, Jr. 34, Salesman Dies.” Arkansas Gazette, November 11, 1963, p. 10B.

“Real Property at Auction: Bottom Dollar Industries.” Arkansas Gazette, August 1, 1962, p. 11B.