They kept their parts and mechanisms standardized. Their success in this venture can be attributed to multiple factors. Eli Terry and his partners set out to produce 4000 clocks. One of these was Seth Thomas, whose name is associated with clocks through his own achievements, and through those of his son, also named Seth Thomas. In 1807, Terry sold his clock factory to one of his apprentices, and entered into a business arrangement with two other like-minded clockmaking entrepreneurs. By 1800 he was producing about 20 clocks at a time in his Plymouth clock factory. He also began to use waterpower to run some of his equipment. Terry saw the advantage in making clocks with standardized works, and he found that he could produce several clocks at the same time by adhering to these standards. Eli Terry's business grew, and he was able to take on an apprentice himself, and hire several employees as well. Wood was plentiful, there were plenty of quality species close at hand, and it could be crafted into beautiful pieces.
Iron was difficult to obtain and hard to work, and the brass industry had not yet begun. Most of the early clocks that he manufactured were made with wooden works, as were most American clocks of this period. Terry was a clever artisan and a proficient mechanic. It was 1793 when he opened his own clock shop in Plymouth. He learned the trade well, and when he was 21, he went into business for himself. As a young boy of 14, he was accepted as an apprentice clockmaker under the guidance of Daniel Burnap. Eli Terry was born on Apin East Windsor, Connecticut.