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Soulé News
VOLUME 1 NUMBER 6 SEPTEMBER, 1963
*Photo: Even a super-efficient computer like this can't do the job alone. In the Soulé accounting department — as in all departments of the company — people are the prime ingredient.*
SOULÉ ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT:
MONEY ISN'T EVERYTHING...
Is the paycheck on time? And is it right to the last penny? These would be the biggest questions a Soulé employee might interest himself in, should the subject of accounting come up. And no one is more aware of, or sympathetic to, this interest than the accounting department. More than that, it has recently done something to insure against mischance by putting plant and field payrolls on speedy computers. These now perform all payroll calculations and operations automatically. But important as they are, payrolls are only one slice of the complex business that goes on in the company's accounting department. Supervising the various employee insurance and benefit programs, paying the firm's bills, invoicing customers, keeping records of inventories, analyzing business costs, furnishing governmental agencies with requested information for tax and statistical purposes — all these are big parts of the operation. That last item—government requests for information — is surprisingly large now and growing bigger in terms of time and effort required, according to George Mattos, Soulé vice president and treasurer.
Unending Reports . . .
"We spend a great deal of time collecting business taxes, sales taxes, franchise taxes for city, county, state and federal government agencies of all kinds — wherever we do business. Then there is an unending number of reports to be made out on labor and production statistics for the state and federal agencies." The way Mattos looks at it, every productive action by every employee shows up in the figures compiled by the accounting department. "We don't create the figures. They're a sort of shorthand record of the efforts of everyone in the company."
Who's Who, and Where . . . ?
To do this job takes some 60 persons in the accounting department itself. Accounting offices are maintained in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle. Key personnel include: Don Malech, accounting supervisor in San Francisco; Don Lee, chief of accounting in the Southwest, out of Los Angeles; Wilson Ringer, general credit manager; Bob Turner, internal auditor, assisted by Byron Killilea. Branch office managers include Verne Anderson in Seattle and Ray Reisner in Portland — both working in accounting and credit capacities; Byron Berg is credit manager in the Southwest; accountant for the Dominguez plant is George Thomas.
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From the President
Try On the Customer's Shoes
Have you ever stopped to wonder why you shop at certain stores and not at others? If you should, I think you would find you shop at stores that give you quality, service and competitive prices.
Let's get back on the other side of the fence. These same three items are the basic ingredients in a successful company. You and I as employees must be able to provide the customer with a quality product at a competitive price. We also must have an interest in the customer's needs, the "know how" to satisfy those needs and the ability to deliver the goods on schedule.
Obviously being competitive in price is important. But equally important are quality and service. Many times a customer remembers quality and service after the price is forgotten and decides to buy from Soulé again. Don't forget, a satisfied customer is our best salesman. He will tell his associates about the Company and they, too, may become Soulé customers.
Since 1911, your Company has built and maintained a reputation for selling quality products at competitive prices while providing the best possible service to our customers. The reason Soulé Steel enjoys such a fine reputation is that our employees have been willing to put that "extra effort" into their work.
We appreciate the fine job our employees have done in developing this tradition of high quality and low price and excellent service. If we are to keep this tradition alive in today's highly competitive market, each of us, whatever our job, must strive to do even better. Let's put ourselves in the customer's shoes; let's give them the quality, service and price we would want if we were customers ourselves.
*Edmund J. Soule Jr.*
NOT AS BIG AS THE GOLDEN GATE, BUT....
In spite of vacations, Soulé Southlanders have spent a busy summer on a variety of jobs for which Southern California is more or less famous — highways. Among these was the Terminal Island Bridge, or, by its official name Vincent Thomas Bridge, shown *right*, for which Soulé provided and placed the reinforcing bar. Our correspondent described it as "not as large as the Golden Gate, but a good hike and a long way down if you miss your step!"
Other highway jobs include bridges for the Santa Monica Freeway and the Santa Ana Freeway. Foreman on the Santa Ana job — Jim Sullivan; Santa Monica foreman — Don Morrison.
*Photo: Deck of Vincent Thomas Bridge shows Soulé rebar in foreground, ironworkers tying steel beyond. Deck is 200 feet above ground.*
*Photo: Soulé Foreman Don Morrison checks post-tensioning cables at Santa Monica project.*
*Photo: Typical freeway bridge deck after Soulé crews have tied reinforcing steel. Compare the use of steel here with job shown in picture of early highway on opposite page.*
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THE FIRST FREEWAY?
*At press time we still hadn't identified the time and place of the above scene except to know that it was a highway into Los Angeles. Was it the first of the freeways? First reinforced concrete highway? The SOULÉ NEWS would appreciate any help from readers in bringing us up to date on this picture of Soulé products in action back in —? You fill it in. Tbanks.*
Names In The News . . .
**ROBERT W. TURNER** has been appointed internal auditor for Soulé Steel Company. He will report directly to George Mattos, vice-president and treasurer, and will be responsible for the effectiveness of accounting procedures, practices and systems of corporate control. Mr. Turner formerly was with Gillette Safety Razor Company, in Boston, Massachusetts, and is a 1954 graduate of the University of Buffalo.
**REG VELOZO** has been appointed as District Sales Manager for the Reinforcing Division in the Seattle District. Mr. Velozo's entire career has been in the field of reinforcing steel, and he has held responsible positions in sales and management. He is 39, and he and his wife have five children.
Reminder to Readers
If you are not receiving your copy of the SOULÉ NEWS regularly, please notify your local personnel office to be sure that we have your correct address.
*Photo: Here's "Sh'asta II", the new hydro in which Gordie Tate of the Seattle plant expects to compete at speeds of more than 100 mph. As the name suggests, "she basta" win to pay Gordie back for all the hours and expense lavished on her.*
PANS IN PUYALLUP
*Photo: This job is not exactly for lazy men, even though it had to be done lying flat on the ground. The job is the post office at Puyallup, Washington, where 5,200 sq. ft. of pans were placed by Soulé crews working with a maximum clearance of 18" from dirt line to joists. Clearance frequently became as little as 13". On completion of the concrete work, all pans were dragged out via a 2' x 3' opening. Shown above, smiling through it all, is Dale "Bud" James.*
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Hard Hats, Safety Shoes Join The Safety Parade
In the near future, two articles of protective equipment will be made available to Soulé employees. Fiberglas hard hats in distinctive Soulé orange and bearing the Soulé emblem will be available to field employees at a reduced rate. The hats are manufactured by the E. D. Bullard Co. of Sausalito, Calif., whose former president Mr. E. W. Bullard, was a leader in developing the now familiar "hard hat."
Safety shoes, which also may be purchased at a greatly reduced price, soon will be available through the Industrial Nurses at the Los Angeles and San Francisco plants and the Dominguez Mill. These are high quality, good looking shoes and extremely effective in protecting the feet from injury.
In both cases, employees will be able to purchase the safety equipment by merely signing a form authorizing the Accounting Department to deduct the sales price from their pay check.
THINK SAFE
WORK SAFE
Photo: *DANNY MARTINEZ, Seattle shop crane operator, has a right to a big grin. Competing in the Summer League bowling series, Danny rolled a red-hot 220 to win that Hi-10 series trophy. As it was his very first game over 200, he says it was a lot of luck. However, Danny also competed in the Winter League, so practice may have had something to do with it.*
SAD SAM
SAD SAM'S SAFETY STANDINGS ### SEPTEMBER, 1963 ### PLANT LEAGUE
| | Batting Average | |---|---| | Los Angeles | 1.000 | | Phoenix | 1.000 | | Seattle | 1.000 | | San Francisco | .991 | | L. A. Rebar | .978 | | Portland | .935 |
FIELD LEAGUE
| | Batting Average | |---|---| | Mill | 1.000 | | Phoenix | 1.000 | | So. Calif. | .996 | | No. Calif. | .989 | | Seattle | .989 | | Portland | .952 |
SEASON STANDINGS ### PLANT LEAGUE
| | Batting Average | |---|---| | Phoenix | 1.000 | | Seattle | 1.000 | | Los Angeles | .999 | | L. A. Rebar | .995 | | San Francisco | .994 | | Portland | .977 |
FIELD LEAGUE
| | Batting Average | |---|---| | Phoenix | 1.000 | | Mill | .993 | | So. Calif. | .991 | | No. Calif. | .987 | | Seattle | .987 | | Portland | .980 |