Before electricity, factories were laid out very differently.

Everything was organized around the central steam engine, with massive systems of belts and pulleys to distribute motive force around the building.

The whole building had to be organized around this power distribution system.

When electric motors became a thing, totally new layouts of factories were possible that were much more flexible.

But it took a very long time to discover that. Factories didn't change overnight.

It was the newer factories who realized, "wait, we can get away with this more flexible layout".