By 1908, there were 1,000 workers at a factory which covered ; a night shift was introduced to help create adequate supply to meet the rising demand for products. By September 1912, workshops covered more than 8 acres, output was running at 1,000 cars a year and employee numbers were 1800. Austin built their own bodies and their coachbuilding department was one of the largest in the country. They built their own artillery wood wheels and made the hubs for wire-spoked and pressed steel wheels. In February 1914, the Company was floated as a public company and £250,000 of new preference shares were issued to the public and listed on the stock exchanges.