The First Steam-Powered Factory

The integration began three days later.

For the first time since Helmarte Soap Works had opened its doors, portions of the factory were temporarily shut down.

Workers moved everywhere.

Carpenters.

Blacksmiths.

Machinists.

Laborers.

Managers.

The entire facility had become a construction site.

Outside the main production building, a new structure was already rising beside the factory.

The engine house.

Unlike the soap factory itself, the building prioritized practicality over appearance.

Thick brick walls.

Large ventilation openings.

A tall chimney visible from hundreds of meters away.

And enough interior space to house the massive fifty-horsepower steam engine.

One morning, Ernest stood beside the construction site while reviewing plans.

Several workers were laying the final bricks of the engine foundation.

Actually, the foundation was one of the most important parts.