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Soule News VOLUME 2 NUMBER 4 APR.-MAY, 1964
Soulé Announces # The Special Products Division
*Photo: Ford*
Ford To Head New Division; H.Q. in San Francisco
"Any shape that can be formed in metal can be manufactured with Soulé's specialized equipment." This statement was made this month by Edward Lee Soulé, Jr., company president, in officially announcing the formation of the Special Products Division headquartered in San Francisco.
This new division is served by the company's San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle plants. George Ford, vice-president-purchasing, has been appointed divisional manager. John Stockwell, presently the purchasing manager for Los Angeles, has been appointed the sales assistant for the division's Southern District, and Bob Pearson, the company's plant engineering supervisor, serves as the division's research and development engineer.
*Photo: Stockwell*
IN OPERATION SINCE 1962
Special Products division has actually been in operation since late 1962 but only recently has become a separate division of the company. In fact, the fence-post job for South Vietnam reported in last month's Soulé News, was one of the first assignments and a completely successful one. A current contract with Bohanna and Pearce, San Francisco manufacturers representatives, calls for diamond-shaped steel sections for fire grating bars. Bohanna and Pearce do the actual assembly work and distribute the grates nationally.
*Photo: Pearson*
"IMAGINEERING"
Bob Pearson, speaking of research and development says, "You might call this the 'Imagineering' department. Technically, we have the skill and experience to solve unusual problems involving metal shapes, sizes and stresses." R & D will make its services available to companies with fabricated and specialized mill products. It will also assist in the manufacture or de-
velopment of new metal products and processes.
Starting from the San Francisco and Los Angeles plants, the division can now serve the entire West, and if needs be, the whole country, with special products.
There is a bright future for the Special Products division which will be reflected in every other division of the company. Who knows . . . a product that is virtually unknown today may be in assembly line production tomorrow.
MEETING FUTURE NEEDS
Why the need for Special Products division? The reasoning lies in the past; the answer in the future. In the last decade our industry has taken tremendous strides in the development of new and improved products and processes. In the complex world market place of today, it is not enough for a company to merely keep abreast of new developments. For a company to progress it must play an active role in shaping the future. It is our intention that the Special Products division will play that role.
VARIETY OF MARKETS
Special Products will be able to call on the talents and engineering know-how of all other Soulé divisions. In turn, they will serve each division by their development of new products and markets. Among the markets that Special Products already has in its sights are farm equipment, public utilities, light industry and manufacturing as well as sub-contracting for Defense work. Utility tool sheds are possible products in the offing, and there is a potential for roll-forming items for steel warehouses.
George Ford states, "As contacts widen throughout industry and business in the West, new and broad product lines may be developed which, in turn, may call for investment in new equipment to handle the work."
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From the President
A New Company Division
I always get great personal satisfaction out of seeing Soulé people grow in their jobs and progress with the company. For this reason I'm delighted to announce the establishment of the Special Products division with George Ford, vice president, purchasing, at the helm as divisional manager as well as marketing manager. John Stockwell, purchasing manager in Los Angeles, is appointed his sales assistant in charge of the Southern district. Bob Pearson, company plant engineering supervisor is to aid the division with Research and Development.
The Special Products division was formed to handle products not akin to those manufactured and marketed by the present four divisions. This is in keeping with our policy to diversify as well as specialize our entire product line. This division will be in charge of all possible new products, subcontract work not related to any specific division, and all new Mill products.
For our continued success it is important to keep up with technological advancements affecting current products. It is just as vital to reach out and actively seek other diverse and profitable items. This is the kind of progress that assures both company growth and job security. One just never knows when a present-day assembly line product will be outmoded by something that was on the drawing board yesterday.
Although Special Products took its initial form in 1962, this year it has been officially formalized and organized to procure more sales and increase production. Our hopes are riding high with the new division. In fact, George Ford predicts that Special Products will become the largest single division in the entire organization.
The management joins with me in wishing George, John, Bob and everyone concerned, all the success in the world. Edward Lee Soulé, Jr.
Helping Ourselves By Serving Our Industry
*Photo: Grundfor* *Photo: Carroll* *Photo: Carpenter*
Are you familiar with the W.C.R.S.I.? W.C.R.S.I. stands for Western Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute — one of the most important associations in the steel fabricating industry.
Soulé is an active member and was instrumental in founding the W.C.R.S.I., in April, 1961. Craig Carpenter, Soulé's Reinforcing Division manager, is one of the founders of the Institute. The W.C.R.S.I. is the western affiliate of C.R.S.I., headquartered in Chicago.
The duties of the Institute are many and varied and cover such services as statistics, engineering, safety, legislation and promotion in relation to reinforced concrete steel products. The association holds frequent local meetings, participated in by other members of the industry. The Institute's executive vice president is Bob Free, who is paid by the membership to carry out its programs and meetings.
Benefits of W.C.R.S.I. membership are not merely inherited by accident. We should all feel justifiably proud of our participation in, and our contributions to the Institute. George Ford, vice president, purchasing and newly appointed divisional manager of the Special Products Division, was an active member of the W.C.R.S.I. Board of Directors, having served as its secretary-treasurer from April, 1963 to April, 1964.
Other Soulé people who have been active as officers are: T. O. Carroll, Northern California district sales manager for reinforcing steel products, was a vice president from April, 1961 to April, 1962. Warren Grundfor, Carroll's counterpart down South, was also secretary to the Institute's Southern Division, February, 1963 to February, 1964. Grundfor has recently been appointed a director and secretary-treasurer of W.C.R.S.I. for the period April, 1964 to April, 1965.
Meet the Purchasing Department
Holding the strings to a $15 million dollar purse is the job of George Ford, vice president - purchasing. In his eighteenth year with the company, the ex-mayor of Menlo Park is a shrewd buyer, whether he's purchasing a box of paper clips or a ten-ton truck.
Here are some of the people who assist George . . .
*Photo: Jim Stretch—S. F.* *Photo: Jerry Marlowe—L. A.* *Photo: Sylvan Selig—S. F.* *Photo: Paul Merrill—S. F.*
*Photo: Boreta & Rogers—S. F.* *Photo: Bugber—L. A.* *Photo: Peek—Dominguez* *Photo: Ballestrazze & Tarpinian—S. F. Printing*
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How do you like our new look? A big improvement, isn't it? It took a little more time to effect the change than we had anticipated, therefore this will be the only issue during April and May. The next issue will appear in June. Meanwhile, your editors, pictured here, would appreciate any comments on our new look and welcome ideas for further improvements.
Meet The Press
The Hollywood idea of a reporter pictures a young man running off in all directions, coat-tails straight out and a PRESS ticket stuck in his hat band.
The reporters, or associate editors, who help put Soulé News together don't look anything like that. In fact, they are fairly normal people working in a variety of departments in our various plants. They put forth extra time and effort to supply photographs and information about people and events throughout the company.
From Belgian-born Andree George who is president of the Business Women's Association in Salt Lake City, to Rod Newton who coaches Little League in Phoenix, the community activities in which these people participate would fill a whole issue of Soulé News.
Just so you'll recognize your editors, here are their pictures . . . all except Jo Davis and Rod Newton. We couldn't catch their coat-tails.
*Photo: Longnecker* *Photo: Kleman* *Photo: Garner* *Photo: Mickel* *Photo: Henderson* *Photo: George*
Soulé News Published monthly by the Soulé Steel Co. Howard Soulé, Editor Associate Editors Andree George Salt Lake Esther Longnecker San Diego Sally Kelsay San Francisco Mike Mickel San Francisco Dee Henderson Seattle Frank Kleman Dominguez Jo Davis Fresno Don Garner Los Angeles Rod Newton Phoenix Dolores Bedgood Portland
*Photo: Kelsay* *Photo: Bedgood*
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SAFETY SCOREBOARD
(10-1-63 thru 2-28-64)
| PLANT | Doctor Cases Last Month | Doctor Cases To Date | Lost Time Cases Last Month | Lost Time Cases To Date | |---|---|---|---|---| | San Francisco | 10 | 33 | 3 | 9 | | L.A. Wilmington | 3 | 19 | 0 | 1 | | L.A. Rebar | 7 | 38 | 0 | 1 | | L.A. Mill | 14 | 46 | 0 | 7 | | Phoenix | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | | Seattle | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | | Portland | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | | San Diego | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | Fresno | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FIELD | Doctor Cases Last Month | Doctor Cases To Date | Lost Time Cases Last Month | Lost Time Cases To Date | |---|---|---|---|---| | No. California | 7 | 24 | 4 | 10 | | So. California | 24 | 85 | 1 | 9 | | Phoenix | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | | Seattle | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | | Portland | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5 |
Photo: *Marino Domiko and Erock Guerrero install a new Dome-Pan floor system at Broadway Store, Canoga Park, California. Some five-thousand Dome-Pans were used in the Broadway project, providing stronger floor-systems, improved architectural appearance.*
Soulé's Recipe for Waffle Ceilings!
Take five thousand dome-pans, each 14" deep and 30" square . . . pour concrete over them and leave to set for seven days. Strip away the pans and you have a 43,000 square foot concrete waffle, or what looks like one. Actually you have a new floor for the Broadway-Hale department store project in Canoga Park, California.
Soulé is just getting into the dome-pan installation and leasing business for floor and ceiling construction. The Broadway-Hale project is the first installation in what promises to be a flourishing field. The store's three floors will be constructed this way and the entire project is scheduled for completion next Spring.
TWO-WAY JOIST SYSTEM
According to Ken Hopper, chief estimator and coordinator of steel forms for Soulé's Reinforcing Steel division, the dome-pans provide a two-way joist-system, adding greatly to floor strength and longer clear-span ceilings. Architectural appearance of exposed surfaces is also greatly enhanced." Soulé is also furnishing 718 tons of reinforcing bar for the project.
Soulé principals, in addition to Hopper, include Darrell Runyon, operations manager at Los Angeles, Ira Hine, framing and steel form superintendent. Charles Rimmer, framing foreman and Felix Dominguez, pan-foreman.
Our next big dome-pan job is scheduled for the new San Francisco International Airport garage. More than 10,000 dome-pans will be used to cover a three-floor gross area of 800,000 square feet.
Photo: *Ken Hopper, Chief Estimator and Coordinator of Steel Forms, Reinforcing Division, beaded Dome-Pan project.*
The Safety Scoreboard above will be a regular feature of the newsletter for your information. It reflects the injuries occurring at all locations which require treatment by a doctor or result in lost time from the job. It will also reflect the safety standing of each location, which will appear in the next issue. The Scoreboard will record these statistics progressively during our 1964 Safety Program commencing October 1, 1963, and ending September 31, 1964.
"HARD HATS SAVE LIVES"
*by Mike Mickel* *Safety Editor*
Experience has proved that the wearing of a good hard hat has prevented many an injury, or lessened its seriousness. To help prevent injuries, the company requires that all employees on a Soulé field job wear hard hats at all times. This is in line with general practice throughout the construction industry, as most of the big companies now have a mandatory hard hat requirement on all jobs.
The company has made these hats available at cost for all field crew personnel, through the field foremen. The hats furnished are colored Soulé orange, but any colored hard hat can be worn. The main thing is to wear some kind of an approved hard hat!
Three things to remember about hard hats — first, make sure the suspension harness is adjusted properly, so you get the maximum cushioning effect; second, use a neck or chin strap to help keep the hat on your head; third, WEAR IT!