 Starting with the production of approximately 1,000 items, by 1871 the company was adding extensive additions to the plant to accommodate 2,000 workmen.Using the alphabet to mark each new building, by 1882 the company had reached the letter V. Following the Civil War, Sargent Co. became the largest supplier and distributor of hardware in the U.S., buying out many smaller companies.A major new direction for the company came in 1884 when it began to manufacture locks.