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Soule News VOLUME 3 NUMBER 4 MAY, 1965
Soule Sells:
TEN ACRES OF BUILDINGS IN VIETNAM
Charles Alvord, General Manager, and Al Colombo, Contracts Manager, for the Steel Structures Division, travelled to South Vietnam recently to make a sale. Like all good Soule salesmen, they came back with the order.
Six companies competed for a U. S. government order in trouble-marred Saigon. Soule had first choice and was awarded one of the largest single packages because of our ability to deliver the merchandise on time.
A walloping total of one million square feet of warehouses was purchased for the South Vietnamese government. They will be designed, produced, shipped and erected in just 45 days from the date of the order. Pre-engineered steel buildings are the only type structures that can fill this order so quickly.
We will supply 18 steel buildings, 120 ft. clear span by 200 ft. long. Our sale totals 450,000 square feet, or ten acres of pre-engineered buildings at $600,000.
Our buildings will be part of a warehouse complex which will hold military supplies at a new harbor at the mouth of the Saigon River. The harbor and warehouses are strategically located to prevent the Viet Cong from cutting off South Vietnam's supply lines.
On two occasions during the negotiations with the U. S. government, everyone had to duck under tables when alarm sirens blasted through the building and small arms fire erupted on Saigon's streets directly outside the building.
But despite these distracting circumstances, the men grabbed the contract, cabled the office, and by the time our "quickie" salesmen returned home, the buildings were in production.
Photo: Saigon River. On the far bank the Viet Cong roam at night, just across from Alvord's and Colombo's hotel window.
Photo: Downtown Saigon. A typical street scene. Any of the people shown here might be a Viet Cong.
A Personal Account of the Journey to Vietnam by C. Alvord
Spend ten days in Saigon and you meet many people. Most of them say America is winning the Vietnam struggle for the first time since it began.
A man in the Malasian government, a retired Major General of Police in Thailand, taxi drivers, and shop keepers—all agree the U. S. should stay in Vietnam. Their only concern is that we keep fighting.
There are many in Saigon who think American air raids in North Vietnam will bring a showdown in the communist world.
The loss of a bridge or power plant by the enemy is more severe than one can imagine. For example, it took North Vietnam a full year to rebuild one bridge which was bombed last year. They haven't the techniques, equipment, or supervision to rebuild quickly. All of their work is done by hand.
South Vietnam can repair their damages in a few days with American equipment and parts.
We are not in Vietnam only because we like the people there; we are fighting because we have to hold this piece of geography for our own best interests, and for those of the free world.
Photo: Charles Alvord, hands on hips, George Calfo, head of American Trading Company (Soule dealer in Saigon), and U. S. Navy officer, Commander Weis.
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... MORE PHOTOS SNAPPED IN VIETNAM
*Photo: Soulé competition in Vietnam; note the automation, left, the tremendous volume of production, upper right, and the giant stockpile of raw materials, lower right.*
*Photo: Al Colombo with Job Field Superintendent and General Vidayakarn, President of Bhisit Vidayakarn, Co., our dealer in Bangkok, Thailand.*
*Photo: Thai Milk Company plant in Bangkok, Thailand. A major industrial facility now under construction, Soulé provided four steel buildings for the project totaling 36,000 square feet of material.*
SOULÉ STARTS WORK ON LA JOLLA ATOMIC REACTOR
A midget size atomic reactor is under construction in summer-swept La Jolla, California.
Soulé recently began work on the baby atom buster, which is one eighth the size of standard reactors.
We are furnishing and installing the vertical, pre-stressed cables on the La Jolla project.
General Atomics of San Diego will test the scale model to destruction. The results of these tests will later help to determine the design of full size atomic reactors.
Darrell Runyan, Operations Manager Reinforcing Division, Los Angeles, is working this assignment for Soulé. Eddie Wilson, Journeyman Ironworker, and George Halgedahl, Reinforcing Sales Manager, San Diego, are also on the job.
Ets-Hokin of San Francisco is the General Contractor.
*Photo: Left to right, George Halgedahl, Darrell Runyan, Mel Brown, Ets-Hokin Superintendent, and Ed Wilson, top.*
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NAMES AND FACES IN THE NEWS, MAY 1965
Henry Moe has been promoted to Southwest Region Field Superintendent for the Architectural Products Division. Henry was formerly Erection Foreman for the Southwest Region.
Ray Paterson a new Soulé employee has been appointed Sales Co-ordinator for the Central District of the Architectural Products Division in San Francisco.
Jim Stretch has been transferred to Los Angeles for the Special Products Division. Jim will maintain his position as Material Control Co-ordinator. He was previously located at the San Francisco office.
Sandra Hileman is the new estimator for the Special Products Division in San Francisco. Sandra joined Soulé recently and is the only female estimator in the Division.
STEEL STRUCTURES NEWS
John Bialik has been transferred from Supervisor, Sales Service, Los Angeles, to Sales Engineer East L.A. Territory.
Skip Wilkinson has been promoted to Supervisor, Sales Service in San Francisco. He was previously stationed in L.A. as an estimator.
NEW DEALERS
The Steel Structures Division has two new dealer-erectors to announce this month: Hugh Harris Construction Company of Anderson, California, and Velda Construction Company of San Bernardino, California.
Photo: Skip Wilkinson, promotion in San Francisco.
Photo: Robert Morris, from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
Photo: Ray Paterson, A. P. Division's Sales Co-ordinator.
Photo: Sandra Hileman, Special Product's lady Estimator.
RACE TO COMPLETE ALAMEDA GRANDSTANDS
Dell and Frank Clausen's Oakland lath and plastering crews flew like thoroughbreds in the home stretch to complete erection of the grandstands at the Alameda County Fairgrounds.
Forty lathers and plasterers worked efficiently against the calendar at the project site in Pleasanton, California.
Through timely delivery of building materials by Soulé, the grandstands were ready for the opening of the horse races last month. When the horses broke from the posts, the 450 foot structure was prepared to accommodate 6600 people.
Soulé furnished an 80,000 pound shipment of materials which included: galvanized lath, painted lath, cold rolled channel, studs and tracks, expanded corner beads, short flange casing, and expanded flange casing.
The General Contractor on the project was Stolte, Inc., Oakland, California.
John Bellina, Regional Sales Manager, for the Commodity Products Division, handled all sales for Soulé with assistance of Ray Harding, Production Control Supervisor, Bud Putnam, Inside Sales, and Andy Fabbri, Warehouse Supervisor-S.F.
Photo: Alameda grandstands: Soulé delivers materials on time, beats horses to posts.
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Dick Lewis Named Northern W.C.R.S.I. President
Dick Lewis, District Sales Manager for the Reinforcing Division in Portland, has been elected Northern Division President of the W.C.R.S.I.
He was appointed to the post at the Steel Institute's annual meeting in San Francisco, April 22nd-23rd.
Dick joined Portland's engineering staff in 1946. A short time later he was promoted to Pivot Deskman in the sales department. He was upped to General Line Salesman several years later.
In August of 1958, Dick was transferred to the Phoenix office, and assumed new duties as District Sales Manager. In 1960, he returned to Portland to assume his present position.
Dick is a native of Portland. He attended Oregon State University, and is a World War II veteran.
He is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Multnomah Athletic Club. Dick's favorite sport is skiing. At one time, not too long ago, he was a top racer in the Northwest.
*Photo: Dick Lewis, election in San Francisco.*
CRASH CUTS POWER IN SALT LAKE CITY
The Salt Lake City branch was really in the dark last month when a light airplane, leaving the local airport, cut the power lines and crashed just a few hundred feet from the office.
TOO CLOSE
The pilot was killed and one passenger was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Two others escaped injury. No one was hurt at the Salt Lake City office, but the power was knocked out for almost two hours after the crash.
BOB ADAMSON
Sparked, however, by Bob Adamson, District Sales Manager, things have returned to normal at the Salt Lake City office.
For his ability to remain cool in the face of adversity, the Salt Lake City Soulé Family, cast their vote for Bob as the "Boss of the Year."
*Photo: Bob Adamson, District Sales Manager in Salt Lake City, a cool-head and a unanimous vote for "Boss of the Year."*
CYLINDER EXPLOSION LAUNCHES MISSILE
*by Mike Mickel, Safety Editor*
By neglecting to secure his gas cylinders, a welder was responsible for launching the most dangerous type of unguided missile in existence.
ZOOM
The cylinder took off like a rocket, ripping out process lines and equipment, and igniting some flammable liquids which caused a roaring blaze.
The cylinder continued its destructive flight through the building, blasting its way through two brick walls before finally coming to rest some distance from the plant.
Accidents of this type can be easily avoided by always securing gas cylinders with a chain or similar support.
Remember, if you think safety, you will live safely. The next time you're around a gas cylinder make sure it's not ready to be launched. An unguided missile doesn't care who or what it hits.
Soulé News Published monthly by the Soulé Steel Co.
Robert F. Horn, Editor-in-Chief David Brancoli, Editor Jean Boreta, Staff Assistant
Associate Editors Mike Mickel, San Francisco
Andree George Salt Lake Jo Davis Fresno Esther Longnecker San Diego Don Garner Los Angeles Dee Henderson Seattle Rod Newton Phoenix Frank Kleleman Dominguez Dolores Bedgood Portland
Los Angeles Nabbs Perfect Record for Safety
The Los Angeles plant, unmarked by accidents in 1964, was recently honored with the Perfect Record Award.
The presentation was made by the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the National Safety Council.
KLEMAN ACCEPTS AWARD
Frank Kleman, L.A. Safety Director, accepted the award on behalf of Jack Dressen, Plant Manager, who was unable to attend the Awards Banquet, held at the Ambassador Hotel.
Jack later expressed his appreciation to all Los Angeles plant personnel for their cooperation and caution throughout 1964.
The Perfect Record Award will be on display at the L.A. plant, along with other company safety awards.
*Photo: Jack Dressen, and the Perfect Record Award: in recognition of a safe year.*