Founded in 1892 by Charles F. Hand, this company originally focused on making window sashes, doors and blinds, but pivoted to streetcar construction as demand outpaced what the Eastern car companies could produce. Their main clients were the Portland Consolidated Street Railway Company and the East Side Railway Company, and they also made cars for companies in Seattle and Spokane. Thomas Lovejoy, who had previously worked for the Columbia Car & Tool Company, became the superintendent of the Hand company by mid-1893.