Page 1
Soule steel News VOLUME 10 WINTER ISSUE - DECEMBER, 1972 NUMBER 4
THE SOULÉ STEEL MILL STORY
When Edward L. Soulé, Sr., founded Soulé Steel Co. in 1911, he envisioned even then having a steel mill. This idea continued throughout the years while he built Soulé Steel Co. into the leading fabricator of reinforcing steel in the West.
His dream came true on July 20, 1959, when the first bar of reinforcing steel rolled out of the mill.
The mill is indeed one of the important segments of the company. For a number of years, it turned out only reinforcing steel with Soulé as its exclusive customer. While rebar is still its major product, and is used by the Reinforcing Steel Division, the mill has been diversified and now produces Stud-T Fence Post Sections, grate bar sections and merchant bar sections which are sold to other customers by the Steel Mill Products Division.
The Soulé mill is one of the finest MINI mills in the U.S. (A MINI mill is one which produces under 250,000 tons of steel per year.) Two of the main reasons for this are its excellent layout and cleanliness. A clean mill is necessary for efficiency and for safety.
Further, the mill is located in the newly incorporated city of Carson, Calif., near Long Beach. Selection of this location is another example of the foresight of Mr. Soulé. It is located in the heart of the largest and fastest growing market in the nation. And he located the mill adjacent to the highway, rail and ocean transportation. There is also an abundance of
scrap automobiles which the mill uses as the raw material.
Soulé was ecology conscious long before ecology became popular. The company installed a smog control system years ago that has become a model for its type. It consists of a series of large bags that trap pollutants instead of spreading them into the air. Soulé spent more than $1 million on the system which is still one of the most advanced of its kind in the nation. Even the scrap automobiles used by the mill are recycled into new steel.
Since the opening, the Soulé mill has been continually modernizing and expanding. This was the first steel mill to use Continuous Casting (curve type) method in the West. This process, licensed from Concast, Inc., New York, was installed in 1964. This process, according to Mr. Lee Soulé, "improves the quality of our regular steels and insures the finest possible uniform quality in the new high-strength steels."
The mill is even now being further improved with the addition of a new continuous finishing mill to replace the present one. When completed, production will be much faster, and it will allow rolling of additional sections to broaden the product line, which is not possible now.
Edward L. Soulé, Sr. was one of the leading innovators of the reinforcing steel business in the West. And the dream continues as the mill grows.
*Photo: View of No. 1 Electric Furnace. This shows furnace tapping.*
*Photo: Shows a bar emerging from the roughing mill towards the rope transfer, and a bar entering and leaving the finishing train. A new continuous finishing mill will replace the present one. When completed, production will be much faster, and it will allow rolling of additional sections for more product lines.*
*Photo: Air view of the Soulé Steel Mill. It occupies about half of a forty acre area. The rest is reserved for expansion.*
STAFF ...
*Photo: Earl A. Neeb, Manager Steel Mill Operations*
Page 2
PAGE 2 SOULÉ STEEL NEWS DECEMBER, 1972
MEET THE FOLKS AT THE MILL ... STAFF CONTINUED
Photo: Monir Salama, Mill Accountant
Photo: Doris McAnally, Production Control Clerk and Surendra Sarin, Supervisor Production Control.
Photo: Concast Foremen - (l. to r.) Jim Rose, Gil Duran, Tom McCann, Charlie Hooks and Paul Provins. Tom McCann is General Foreman.
Photo: Beverly Griswold, Steel Mill Operation Manager's Secretary.
Photo: Martha Wood, Receiving and Maintenance Clerk
SAFETY COMMITTEE . . .
Photo: Janet Bremer (l.), Purchasing Secretary and Jim Peek, Purchasing Agent.
Photo: Engineering Department - (l. to r.) Art Schmucker, Mechanical Draftsman, Bill Pekins, Plant Engineer, John Mackenzie, Design Draftsman, Larry Curtis, Electrical Draftsman.
Photo: The Carson Mill Safety Committee are: (back row, l to r.) Gennero Cataldo and Tony Rojas, (front row) Larry Greer and Herman Allen.
MAINTENANCE DEPT. . . .
Photo: Personnel Department - Norma Rivera, Personnel Secretary (l.), Ramona Nelson, L.V.N., Jerry Unrein, Personnel Manager.
Photo: Rolling Mill Supervisors - (back row, l. to r.) Sonny Brewster, Herbie Hernandez, Jim Sheets, Earl Shaw. (front row) Al Granadino, Orville Leas and Jim Lucenti, Rolling Mill Superintendent.
Photo: Maintenance Fabrication crew - (l. to r.) Gabriel Rael, Thomas Allen, Bob Scott, Earl Machen, Oral Ashley, Tom Shaw, Foreman.
Photo: Muriel Huggett, PBX and Telex Operator
Photo: Melting Dept. Supervisors - (l. to r.) Manuel Ortiz, John Elmore, Vic Lenart, Charles Briones and John Englert, Melting Dept. Superintendent.
Photo: Maintenance crew (l. to r.) - Joe Martinez, Jerry Allen and Don Povlsen.
Photo: Shipping and Receiving Dept. - Louie Romo (l.) and Windell (Scottie) Scott (r.).
Page 3
DECEMBER, 1972 SOULÉ STEEL NEWS PAGE 3
FOLKS AT THE MILL (Continued)
*Photo: Tom Allen operating abrasive cut-off saw.*
*Photo: Leroy Griffin, Maintenance Electrician.*
*Photo: Stanley McWain, Maintenance Mechanic.*
*Photo: Maintenance Dept. personnel (l. to r.) - Tom Shaw, Foreman, Gabriel Rael, Jerry Little, John McCammon.*
*Photo: Maintenance Electricians - Gary Campbell (l.) and Dale Swanson (r.).*
*Photo: Maintenance Mechanics - Bobby Locke (l.) and Marten Vos (r.).*
*Photo: Maintenance Machinists (l. to r.) - Henry Litchfield, John McCammon and Harry Lausin.*
*Photo: Eugene George, Maintenance Painter.*
*Photo: Larry Thornton, Electrician in front of finish control board.*
*Photo: Eugene Bayes making adjustments in Hydraulic pump room.*
*Photo: Glenn Smith and Gennaro Cataldo repair reheat furnace fan.*
*Photo: Maintenance Foremen (l. to r.) - Bob Brunner, Ronnie Lee, Pete Rowlands, Jerry Little, Mike Meiswich, Tom Shaw and Chuck Neilson, Superintendent.*
MELT DEPARTMENT
*Photo: Scrap preparation crew (l. to r.) - Robert Cush, Otis Williams, Olen Hobbs, Herman Allen and Lou Brand, Superintendent.*
*Photo: Rex Cope operating new Tensil Testing Machine.*
*Photo: Alex Ragone, Lab. Supervisor.*
Page 4
PAGE 4 SOULÉ STEEL NEWS DECEMBER, 1972
FOLKS AT THE MILL (Continued)
Photo: Electric furnace operating crew (l. to r.) - Benny James, Edward Gallegos and John Worthy.
Photo: Eduardo Lemus operating molds at Concast machine.
Photo: David Pinney, Concast Machine Operator.
Photo: Ladle repair men - Eric Horton (l.) and José Lemus.
Photo: Refractory crew - Eddie Crowder (l.) and Philip Greason.
Photo: Richard Butler, Concast Mold repair crew.
Photo: Daniel Harris, fork lift operator.
Photo: No. 1 and 2 furnace crews (l. to r.) - Tony Rojas, Ken Haworth, Bob Carroll, Narciso Martinez, Fred Hoffman and John Elmore, Foreman.
Photo: Melting Dept. Crane Operators - (l. to r.) Jim Hawthorne, Tony Soqui and Salvador Martinez.
Photo: Donald Lloyd at Concast control.
Photo: Al Wilson, Shear Operator Concast Machine.
Photo: Charles Small and Ben Garcia, Ladle repair crew.
Photo: José Mazon, furnace crew.
Photo: Gerald Davis, Shear Operator, Concast Machine.
Photo: Tundish repair crew (l. to r.) - Manuel Villarreal, Roger Smith, Jackie Jones.
Page 5
DECEMBER, 1972 SOULÉ STEEL NEWS PAGE 5
FOLKS AT THE MILL (Continued)
*Photo: Number 1 and 2 electric furnace crew (l. to r.) - Bob Apodaca, Clinton May, Eugene Holmes, Jr., Jim Vickers and Paul Kuckowicz.*
*Photo: Eugene Minor, Roughing Mill operator.*
*Photo: Clifford "Gabby Hayes" Fairbanks, cooling bed operator.*
*Photo: Jose Duarte (l.) and Silvestre Robles, ladle repair crew.*
*Photo: (l. to r.) Valentin Rincon, Fred Howard, Herb Hernandez, Foreman, and Lawrence Greer (front).*
*Photo: J.C. Horton, Roughing Mill operator.*
*Photo: Making a tap on furnace are (l. to r.) Manuel Ortiz, Foreman, Jim Vickers, Narciso Martinez, Jesus Carrion.*
*Photo: (l. to r.) Lester Anderson, Leonardo Sanchez, Cesar Alcazar, Rolling Mill helpers.*
*Photo: Mario Nickenig (l.) and Bill Harris, Concast operating crew.*
*Photo: Ernest Earl, Furnace Mill operator.*
*Photo: Eduardo Lemus (l.) and Mario Nickenig, Concast operating crew.*
ROLLING MILL
*Photo: Bill Rehm adjusts Finish Mill roller.*
*Photo: Bundling crew (l. to r.) - Joe Garcia, Domingo Russi, Donald Werry, Earl Shaw, Foreman, Carlos Figueroa, Bill Rasmussen, Jefferson McQueen.*
NAMES IN THE NEWS
*Photo: Ralph Garcia*
Ralph Garcia has been promoted to Assistant Controller, and an Officer of the company. He will supervise the S.F. Accounting Dept. and will be responsible for budgets and coordination of internal auditing.
* * *
The following changes have been announced in the L.A. office of the Buildings Division. Ken Gilpin has been appointed Sales Service Supervisor, with Barbara Lankstrom becoming Assistant Sales Service Supervisor. Jack Tekell moves into the Production Dept. as Assistant Production Control Supervisor.
MEET REBAR
*Photo: Soulé is going to the dogs. Another foundling has been adopted by Soulé rebar detailer, James Wolfe in L.A., and named appropriately, Rebar. The pup was abandoned and hit by a car. The office workers took up a collection to have him patched up by the Vet and get his shots.*
Page 6
PAGE 6 SOULÉ STEEL NEWS DECEMBER, 1972
NEW FACES - FRESNO . . .
Mike Taccone, De-tailer Trainee
Karen Drebing, Engineering Dept. Clerk
SACRAMENTO . . .
John Smith, De-tailer
Jerry Nasca, De-tailer
Janice Karnofsky, Engineering Dept. Clerk
Liz Striplin, Engineering Dept. Clerk
Ramona Kurtz, front office secretary, and new Soule News Associate Editor at Sacramento.
Winter 1972 Issue SOULÉ NEWS Published Quarterly by the Soulé Steel Company 1750 Army Street San Francisco, California
Howard S. Soulé, Editor
Associate Editors Niles O. Millar, Alumni
Jerry Unrein Los Angeles
Bill Bristol San Francisco
Lucile Van Dusen Salt Lake
Jo Davis Fresno
Tina Lewis Ventura
John Rogachenko Carson
Furman Davis Phoenix
Esther Longnecker San Diego
Ramona Kurtz Sacramento
Barbara Babcock Newark
Mary Long Santa Ana
SAN DIEGO . . .
Kathleen Nelson, Order Writer
PHOENIX . . .
(back row, l. to r.) Mike LeSueur, Detailer, Chuck Turner. (front, l. to r.) Darlene Betts, Engineering Clerk and Ella Belford.
Gene Fuller (l.) and George Ferreboeuf at the Soule Temp-Con panel exhibit booth at a convention sponsored by the American Frozen Food Institute and National Frozen Food Assoc., held at the San Francisco Hilton Hotel. The insulated panels make Soule Buildings ideal for refrigerated use.
Everyone in the Soule Ventura reinforcing office speaks softly when any of these Karate experts is around. Art Varela (l.) understandably has many Safe Drivers certificates, and has recently won his Karate Brown Belt. Frank Adams (center), Shop Superintendent, has been awarded the 1st Degree Black Belt by the All American Karate Federation. Pete Palismo, (r.), Leadman, also a Black Belt holder, was a Karate instructor in the Air Force.
RETIREMENTS AT SOULÉ
Shown* at the retirement of John Edwards, A.P. Division Inside Salesman and 17 year Soule veteran, are (l. to r.) Jim Bedford, John Edwards, Lee Soulé and Stan Soulé.
Frank Menges was joined by friends on his retirement as S.F. Plant Carpenter, (l. to r.) Marshall Rivera, Roy Fisher, Frank Menges, Herb Lange.
Mill employee, Charlie Burlingame retired at the age of 75, after 10 years with Soule.
Working on adding upper floors to the Occidental Life building in S.F. are (l. to r.) George Naeole, Gill Capote and Andy Rasmussen, Foreman.
DEATHS
It is with regret we announce the passing of Arthur Driver on November 13, at the age of 86. He was a Registered Civil Engineer with the company from 1940 until his retirement in 1961.