In this paper, I examine three manufacturing strategies to procure large rents. The three most common strategies among fifty-nine manufacturing companies across ten sectors were short-term policies undertaken to best survive recessions or satisfy immediate needs. In the early twentieth century, merchant financiers invested in manufacturing because they expected generous returns. They invested widely across sectors to reduce their risk of failure. Manufacturers developed strategies to protect their investments, but ultimately they wanted to control their respective sectors to secure high income.