larkin's first salesman was his wife's brother, elbert hubbard, who had also been working for j. weller & co. in chicago as a salesman. the business grew very quickly, and in 1877 larkin bought land on seneca street in buffalo and built his first factory. by 1878, the company was producing 9 different soap products, ranging from "boraxine" soap powder, through a variety of laundry soaps to "jet" harness soap, "oatmeal" toilet soap and glycerine. in 1878, 13-year-old darwin d. martin was hired as a salesman in boston. by 1880, as sales to general stores and other merchants who would buy products in large quantities increased, martin relocated to buffalo and became the first, and at that time the only, hired office-worker of the larkin company, as all office work was done by larkin himself.