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VOLUME 4 NUMBER 2 SPRING ISSUE MAY 1966
Soulé News
*Looking Back . . .*
55 YEARS AT SOULÉ
What do the Los Angeles Coliseum, the Convair plant in San Diego, fence posts for Vietnam, Seattle's Space Needle and the Fairmont Towers in San Francisco have in common? Soulé Steel of course. They're all examples of the wide variety of products and services Soulé offers its customers today.
The Edw. L. Soulé Company
It wasn't always that way. Fifty-five years ago in 1911, Edw. L. Soulé, Sr. started his own business detailing and placing reinforcing steel bars. His office took up two small rooms in a downtown San Francisco building and the staff included two draftsmen and one stenographer. In 1921 Mr. Soulé incorporated to become the Edw. L. Soulé Company.
Since then, the staff has grown to include 1700 people and Soulé Steel has become larger and more diversified. The early history of Soulé is one of rapid changes. As the young firm grew, the offices and warehouse had to be moved several times to accommodate the need for more space. Other firms were added to the company, bringing with them new products and facilities which put Soulé into the Los Angeles reinforcing market.
Soulé grew so rapidly that when western building needs couldn't keep pace with the prospering firm, Mr. Soulé explored the Far Eastern market. By 1920 Soulé was doing as much as a million dollars a month in overseas business alone. Today we sell Soulé products to customers throughout the world.
Name Change in 1927
In 1927, the Edw. L. Soulé Company changed its name to the Soulé Steel Company, Inc. In the years that followed, despite the onset of the Depression, Soulé opened an office in Portland and acquired several other companies, one of which was a steel window business. In 1932 Soulé built a new office next to the warehouse which had been in operation since 1923 at our present location on Army Street.
The Soulé Steel Company weathered the Depression well compared to competitive firms. Retired former Corporate Secretary, Niles O. Millar, recalled recently that Soulé survived due to careful and conservative management. "We didn't over-extend ourselves," he said. "We made sure we had the payment before we shipped our steel."
At the 1939-40 International Exposition held in San Francisco, Soulé introduced a new steel fabricated house. Called the "Unibuilt Home" it was an outstanding attraction at the Fair. In the '50's Soulé manufactured prefabricated homes for Venezuela and later shipped prefabricated steel shelters to the South Korean Government after the Korean War.
During World War II, Soulé took on a new appearance when production was quickly converted to landing crafts, lighters and derrick boats for the Navy. Three of the coveted Army-Navy "E" awards were received for excellence in production.
Post War Years
After World War II Soulé entered the prefabricated building field. The famous Soulé designed "Utility Building" was the forerunner of the buildings our Steel Structures Division manufactures today. In the '50's Soulé added new offices in Seattle and San Diego. Steel windows were changed to aluminum and Soulé entered the curtain wall business during the same period.
On July 20, 1959 a lifetime dream came true for Edw. L. Soulé, Sr. On that day the first reinforcing bar was rolled at the Dominguez mill. "We are now in a position to offer our own steel to the contractor as well as fabricate and erect it," said Edw. L. Soulé, Sr., Board Chairman.
The years that followed have, of course, brought more changes. Product lines were organized into divisions, and offices were added in Fresno and Salt Lake City. In 1964 a continuous casting system (curved type), the first of its kind in the United States, was installed at the mill. Color anodizing facilities were added in San Francisco and a Special Products Division was established to sell mill products.
Looking back recently on the company's progress Lee Soulé, President said, "The past 55 years at Soulé have been filled with challenges, successes and always steady growth. We look forward to an even brighter future serving the building needs of the West."
*Photo: In 1923, this warehouse was built on Army Street in San Francisco. The office was added in 1932. This is approximate area where the cafeteria is located today.*
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THOSE GOOD OLD DAYS
*Photo: A load of rebar leaves the Torrance warehouse in 1926.*
*Photo: Edw. L. Soulé, Sr. speaking at a launching ceremony during the war.*
*Photo: In 1935, Soulé was building service stations. This one was erected at the corner of Main and Mission in San Francisco.*
*Photo: Soulé workers watch another landing craft being launched during the war.*
*Photo: Fair attraction. The Soulé Unibuilt model home. Steel was used for the frame and casement windows. The price in 1939 — about $5,500! It was later moved to the S. F. Peninsula where it is still occupied today.*
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25 YEARS PLUS!
The young looking men in the pictures on this page are all well known at Soulé. And they should be since each one has been with the company for at least 25 years!
Matter of fact, the 25 year employees are the youngsters of the group. Many of these men have been on the job for 30 years or more and they're still going strong!
Missing from the pictures are some of our field men who are just too busy to pin down. Included in this group of veterans not shown are Ray Peralta and Bert Schoenen in Los Angeles, Jim Pagan in Salt Lake City and Charlie Dennison, Noony Pagan and Lou Pagan in San Francisco.
Together these 41 men have worked more than 1,025 years for Soulé. We think that's quite a contribution and we hope they are as proud of it as we are.
*Photo: In Los Angeles, (l. to r.) Fred Trankle, Bill Tedford and Cliff Mayo.*
*Photo: In Portland, (l. to r.) Jerry Patchin and Andy Mayer.*
*Photo: In Dominguez, (l. to r.) George Thomas, Cletus McLean and Albert Schoenen.*
Ancient Photograph!
The picture below of the San Francisco Safety Committee was taken in 1943. Does anybody recognize Val Normile and Al Schurner?
When this picture was taken, Joe Fabbri in the second row had worked for Soulé for 30 years. Now his son Andy, shown in the San Francisco picture on this page has worked for Soulé for 31 years!
*Photo: Row 1, (l. to r.) Boris Smirnoff, Clarence Fisi, Joe Bellina, A. E. Ralston. Row 2, Val Normile, Joe Fabbri, Al Schurner.*
*Photo: In San Francisco, Row 1, (l. to r.) Al Schurner, Val Normile, John Bellina, Marshall Rivera. Row 2, Herb Lange, Sylvan Selig, Alfred Psaila, Carl Hansen. Row 3, Al Bilund, Bill Bjorkquist, Frank Menges, Ed Eschenauer, Baldomero Vides. Row 4, Lon Halpin, Antonio Romani, Augie Dimiceli, Roy Fisher, Gene Fuller. Row 5, Victor Abell, George Borg, Lewis Tanforan, John Mihalek, Andy Fabbri, Gene Maier, Lee Soulé, Jr., Val Stepisnik. Missing, Hans Muhleman.*
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BRUSH UP ON YOUR HOUSEKEEPING
*by Mike Mickel* *Safety Editor*
You've heard of the "Fastest Gun in the West", now meet the "Slowest Gun in the World" . . . a gun so slow, it took 214 years to fire.
This true story began on the afternoon of May 11, 1745 when a French soldier was loading his musket during the closing moments of the Battle of Fontenoy. Before he could fire again — the battle ended. The French had defeated the British, and the soldier happily shouldered his musket and returned to his home.
During the following two centuries, the Frenchman's musket went from a family relic to a collector's item. An armorer in Nimes, France, was selected to remove the rust and restore the musket to its original condition. He worked carefully sanding the firing mechanism and cleaning the top aperture for the flint.
Suddenly, as he was trying to free the corroded trigger, it moved all the way. There was a scream. After 214 years, the "Slowest Gun in the World" had fired, hitting the armorer's wife working in the next room.
Many of the things we do each day can often be as dangerous as a loaded gun with a delayed result. Haphazard housekeeping is a tragic example. A pool of oil or grease on a floor or walkways, objects extending into aisles are actually loaded hazards that can explode at any time and cause serious injury to you and other workers. Leaving hand tools where they can be knocked off a bench or ledge can make you a target for injury.
No one wants to be responsible for triggering an injury to himself or others. Make Good Housekeeping an integral part of your daily safety effort.
LA Builds Fence Post Warehouse
Construction was completed in Los Angeles recently on a new fence post warehouse (naturally — a Soulé Structure) for the Special Products Division. The new structure has a capacity for storing 500 tons of Soulé manufactured fence posts.
The Special Products Division headed by George Ford started manufacturing fence posts in 1964, and since then the operation has mushroomed.
Currently, all fence post sales are handled through the Los Angeles office with most of the posts ending up on farms across the West.
*Photo: Plant employee Jesus Toledo operates fork lift truck in Fence Post Warehouse.*
NEW BUILDING FOR FRESNO
*Photo: Reinforcing Division crews in Fresno are going to have a more comfortable summer this year working in their new shop building.*
Reinforcing Division crews in Fresno are going to have a more comfortable summer this year working in their new shop building.
Since the Fresno office opened in 1963, crews have worked in an open field fabricating rebar and during the summer months the intense heat became a considerable problem. This year they'll work in the shade.
Besides shelter from the sun, the new 50' x 100' x 23' Soulé Steel Structure boasts a five ton over-head crane which moves in three directions to help speed the work.
While construction crews worked on the new building, a new Soulé sign was going up in front of the office to add another new look to Fresno.
*Photo: Fresno staff. (l. to r.) Jerry Pengelley, Walt Heinrichs, Jim Reese, Bill Lucas, Norm Wegley, Jo Davis, Jim Kirk, Bob Gebauer.*
PAUL BLICKLE
It is with deep regret that we inform you of the death of Paul Blickle.
Born in Germany, Mr. Blickle came to the United States and went to work for Soulé in 1935. He worked in the San Francisco Tool and Die Shop.
Soulé News
Published quarterly by the Soulé Steel Co.
Robert F. Horn, Editor-in-Chief
Carolyn Bryant, Editor
**Associate Editors**
Mike Mickel San Francisco
Ron Bean Los Angeles
Kathy Thomas Seattle
Furman Davis Phoenix
Dolores Bedgood Portland
Jo Davis Fresno
Toni Goulding Salt Lake
Frank Kleman Dominguez
BILL FLEMING
It is with deep regret that we inform you of the death of Bill Fleming, a former employee at San Francisco.
Retired in 1944, Mr. Fleming returned to work several years in the Sales Department. He was 92 years old at the time of his death.