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Soulé News
VOLUME 1 NUMBER 7 OCTOBER, 1963
THE STEEL STRUCTURES DIVISION
New Concepts in Prefabricated Steel Buildings
Photo: *Here's one of the box-like prefabricated steel buildings of several years ago. While completely functional, this old steel structure would not win any prizes for beauty or architectural design. The Mutual Materials building, Bellevue, Wash., in contrast above, dramatically shows the advances which have been made in pre-engineered steel buildings.*
Photo: *A good example of the versatility of prefabricated steel structures is this gymnasium built for the Young Buddha's Association in Honolulu, Hawaii.*
Today's prefabricated steel building—like the old gray mare—"ain't what she used to be." Not too many years ago, prefabricated steel structures were mostly box-like eye-sores designed primarily to be functional. Today, thanks to pioneer engineering work by Soulé's Steel Structures Division, these same prefabricated buildings can be beautiful, modern and flexible.
As Charles B. Alvord, general manager of the division put it, "Prefabricated steel buildings have grown up. Use of pre-engineered steel in conjunction with other materials makes it possible to build virtually any type of structure a customer desires. What's more, we can build it more quickly and at lower cost than by any other means of construction."
Automatic machines, precision dies and mass production techniques are the keys to custom prefabrication without increasing cost. The Division has built custom buildings ranging in size from 10,000 sq. ft. to 500,000 sq. ft. Some of these structures were erected in as little as 20 days and at a cost as low as $1.15 per sq. ft. on foundations already supplied. These buildings are now being used for churches, bowling alleys, shopping centers, and skating rinks in addition to offices, warehouses, factories and truck terminals.
While the company has been in the steel building business for more than 15 years, Steel Structures has been a separate Division of the company for only about two years. However, in that time, it has grown to 200 employees, plus 30 dealer-erectors. There are five sales departments within the Division: the Southwest region under Howard Crom; the International region under Howard Rumrey; the Seattle district under Bob Thompson; the San Francisco district under Chris Petibon; and Northern dealers under Don Watson. The supporting departments and their managers are: General Operations, Lee Elmburg; Estimating, Al Colombo; Detailing, Bill Bjorquist; Production, Jack Dressen; Special Design Engineering, Gene Fuller; Product Development, Paul O'Brien; Ad-
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vertising and Sales Promotion, Bob Horn.
The Division operates field crews at three locations: San Francisco erection under Hurley Lambert; the Southwest under Bob Owens; and Seattle under Ike Allen. Sales offices in San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles are complete facilities. They estimate costs, sell the buildings, then provide erection crews to build. Outside these three areas, Soulé's dealer-erectors handle selling and erection domestically. On the International scene, the Division has local agent-contractors who provide complete turnkey construction, making use of local material and labor to complete Soulé's structures to the customer's satisfaction.
Prospects for the future "Look very bright" according to Mr. Alvord. "The market for prefabricated steel buildings has doubled in the last few years. In the eleven Western states where we operate domestically, continued industrial and population growth along with new products and more aggressive merchandising, should increase the use of our buildings. Additionally, we are just beginning to scratch the surface of International markets in Central and South America, the Far East, Middle East and Africa and the Common Market countries," he added.
Bye, Bye To Igloos . . .
Appointments of three new dealer-erectors for steel structures, including two in Alaska, were announced last month by Soulé.
The three firms are Berg Construction Company of Juneau, Alaska, McGillvray Bros. of Ketchikan, Alaska, and Alpine Metals Inc., of South Salt Lake City, Utah. Each will sell and erect the full line of Soulé pre-engineered steel buildings in their various market areas for industrial and commercial uses.
*Photo: This Bel Air Chevrolet show room and garage in Los Angeles is another striking example of how beauty and function can be combined in a modern steel building.*
*Photo: The new San Francisco Produce Market near Islais Creek represents the new look in modern industrial complexes. Built at a savings of $600,000 to the merchants, the 11-building complex incorporates many custom features. One outstanding adaptation is the split-level construction which allows office space over the warehouse area. The exteriors of the buildings are a blend of blue and white straight-line ribbed panels.*
*Photo: Charles B. Alvord, General Manager, Steel Structures Division.*
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From the President
This month, the United Bay Area Crusade holds its annual fund drive in the San Francisco Bay Area. Similar drives are held in other localities during the year.
These united fund raising campaigns deserve your support. They provide financial assistance to valuable community activities and not merely to charitable organizations. The Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Red Cross, hospitals and similar member organizations are available to each of us and our families.
I wonder how many of you remember when there were no united campaigns for funds. In those days, each group had to conduct its own fund drive and many times, more than half of the money collected was spent for the cost of the drive. Today, with united campaigns, a much greater share of the money collected actually goes toward the support of the member groups (93½ cents of every dollar in the case of the Bay Area Crusade).
It is an American tradition for good citizens to assist those who are less fortunate than themselves. We should be doubly willing to participate in a program that supports everyday community activities from which we all can benefit and which help to improve our own communities.
When a united fund drive is conducted in your area, I urge you to participate. By your support, you will have helped to build a better community and will have fulfilled your moral responsibilities as a citizen.
*Edmund J. Soule Jr.*
Photo: Aerial view of GM's new Fremont, Calif. assembly plant for which Soulé crews installed aluminum windows and curtain walls.
G. M.'s New Assembly Plant — Big One For The Books
Soulé crews have been putting near-finishing touches to a job rated as one of the largest building projects in the West—the Bay Area's new General Motors assembly plant in Fremont.
For the first time anywhere in America, models of four different makes of cars—Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac plus models of two different makes of truck—Chevrolet and GMC—will be assembled in a single plant. At capacity, up to 1,000 vehicles will roll out of the plant each day at the rate of 42 passenger cars and 25 trucks per hour.
Here are some other facts to play with: the plant has total floor space of 2,170,000 square feet—more than 45 full-scale football fields—occupied by more than 3,000 employees as assembly of 1964 models gets underway this month.
Soulé Steel's role in this gigantic job has involved four contracts to furnish and install aluminum windows and curtainwall for the assembly plant, administration building, paint mix building, haulaway and gate house, and other buildings.
The main assembly building, for example, required 16,029 linear feet of mechanically operated aluminum windows for a total window area of 44,080 square feet. In all, for this building, some 17,730 panes of glass were installed.
Key Soulé men on the job were Field Superintendent Fred McGhee and Project Engineer Harding Lem. General contractor was the firm of Huber, Hunt & Nichols, Inc.
Photo: Administration building of new GM assembly complex.
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John McGuire — "all around guy" ...
Photo: *John McGuire, an "all around guy" at the Dominguez plant.*
Retirement of John Willis McGuire at the Dominguez plant last month was the occasion for a party and gold watch presentation by fellow Fabrication Department employees — and some heartfelt thoughts.
It was the end of a career of more than 25 years of service with Soulé Steel—the last 16 of which were continuous. During the last three years he never missed a minute on the job. Mr. McGuire was known as an "all around guy" because of his ability to operate every machine in the shop.
His plans for the future include "a nice stretch of stream, a cane pole, and some much needed relaxation."
DID YOU KNOW?
. . . Each year about forty thousand persons are killed on the nation's highways. Seat belts could save lives of more than five thousand of these people.
. . . Seventy-five per cent of all traffic deaths occur within 25 miles of the person's home.
. . . More than half of all traffic accidents which cause injury or death involve cars traveling at speeds under forty miles per hour.
. . . If you don't have seat belts in your car, you are taking a chance with the lives of your family, as well as yourself.
. . . Install seat belts in your car and *use them*.
Names In The News . . .
MICHAEL RIZZA has joined the Architectural Products Division as engineering supervisor. He formerly was chief designer for a national metals firm in Louisville, Ky. Rizza and his wife and their three children have their home in Castro Valley, Calif.
JAMES BEDFORD has been promoted to Southwest regional sales manager for Architectural Products Division. He formerly was sales representative in the region. Bedford was educated in England, and joined Soulé in 1955 as an engineer. He and his wife and son have their home in Orange, California.
THINK SAFE WORK SAFE
SAD SAM
SAD SAM'S SAFETY STANDINGS ### AUGUST, 1963
**PLANT LEAGUE**
| | Batting Average | |---|---| | Los Angeles | 1.000 | | Portland | 1.000 | | Phoenix | 1.000 | | Seattle | 1.000 | | San Francisco | .996 | | L. A. Rebar | .989 |
**FIELD LEAGUE**
| | Batting Average | |---|---| | Phoenix | 1.000 | | So. Calif. | .997 | | No. Calif. | .994 | | Mill | .992 | | Seattle | .984 | | Portland | .967 |
**SEASON STANDINGS**
**PLANT LEAGUE**
| | Batting Average | |---|---| | Phoenix | 1.000 | | Seattle | 1.000 | | Los Angeles | .999 | | San Francisco | .995 | | L. A. Rebar | .994 | | Portland | .980 |
**FIELD LEAGUE**
| | Batting Average | |---|---| | Phoenix | 1.000 | | Mill | .993 | | So. Calif. | .992 | | No. Calif. | .988 | | Seattle | .986 | | Portland | .979 |
Soulé News
Published monthly by and for the employees of Soulé Steel Co. Editor—Douglas Gordon
**Associate Editors**
Los Angeles—Frank Kleman Mill—Dianne Sheridan Phoenix—Furman Davis Portland—Dolores Bedgood San Diego—Esther Longnecker Seattle—Dee Henderson