When people heard the name Maytag, they would associate the name with washers and dryers.  They would also associate Maytag with "quality."   One man in particular knew this and decided to take his chances.  In the summer of 1909, Edward Mason, one of Fred Maytag's friends, approached him with the idea of investing in his automobile factory (Mason Automobile Company) in Des Moines, Iowa. Mason's company was having financial difficulties and was near bankruptcy. Fred Maytag felt sorry for Mason and agreed to be Mason’s financial partner. The automobile was still in the experimental stage. Many thought that it was just a fad and soon the horse would once again be the top choice for transportation. This was a gamble for Maytag, but he was confident with the report Mason gave him saying the automobile was here to stay. The city of Waterloo, Iowa, was looking to increase its industrial potential so it began to solicit Fred Maytag and the new Maytag-Mason automobile factory.  The factory's name was changed after the merger because people throughout the world came to recognize the name Mason as a sign of quality. In 1910, Fred Maytag agreed to move the automobile plant from Des Moines to Waterloo, at its present location on the corner at Duryea and Westfield Avenue. This location then would accommodate Waterloo's needs and serve as a central distributing point in the state for easier and faster delivery.