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Soule steel News
VOLUME 2 SUMMER ISSUE - JULY 1973 NUMBER 2
SERIOUS STEEL SCRAP SHORTAGE
A shortage of scrap steel has occurred in this country that has seriously affected the future of some 150 mini steel mills and foundries whose output is entirely dependent on the availability of scrap steel. The Soulé mill at Carson is one of these mini mills.
Joining other more publicized shortages, such as gasoline, natural gas, soybeans and lumber, the scrap shortage will also ultimately affect the consumer.
The reason for this shortage? It is simply that the U.S. government has failed to place any restrictions on the amount of steel scrap that can be exported. The United States is the largest producer of iron and steel scrap in the free world, yet it is virtually the only country that exports scrap.
The largest buyer of iron and steel scrap in the U.S. is Japan, followed by other Asian countries, such as Taiwan and Korea. They take U.S. scrap, produce it into finished steel, then send it back to compete with U.S. produced steel.
The squeeze hits Soulé and other mini mills because their entire production comes from steel scrap, whereas the large mills use an iron ore and scrap mix.
And these mini mills, producing from 10,000 to 250,000 tons per year are basically the ones that can produce steel economically in small lots, and give specialized service that the big mills cannot.
The combined shortage of scrap steel and resulting high prices are creating a severe hardship on mini mills.
But a more far-ranging effect would be on medium-size and small construction and manufacturing firms whose life depends on the service and economical small-lot buying that only mini mills are able to provide. These firms may easily disappear from the marketplace.
Along with them, and the mini mills, hundreds of thousands of jobs would also disappear, and the American public would have even more inflation.
The lack of export controls on scrap affect every employee at Soulé Steel Co., because a major portion of the company's revenue depends on scrap iron and steel, which feeds the Soulé mill, which supplies all of the rebar for the Reinforcing Division and the fence post sections for the Steel Mill Products Division
Remember, scrap steel is a key commodity. When it's all gone overseas, there isn't any more.
The problem is so serious that Labor and Management and related associations have formed a blue ribbon committee (of which Soulé Steel Company is a member) called The Labor-Management Committee for Fair Foreign Competition, to seek solutions and try to convince the government that scrap steel exports are extremely damaging to the country.
But the solution is but a simple one. Our President, through the Export Administration Act of 1972, can impose export limitations on vital U.S. materials to protect the domestic economy from the excessive drain of scarce materials and to reduce the serious inflationary impact of abnormal demand.
The President has been asked to limit exportation of scrap under this Act, and The Labor-Management Committee for Fair Foreign Competition will continue to do its part to ask the President to limit the exportation of steel scrap from the U.S.
> AT PRESS TIME, your management is pleased to report that the federal government is beginning to take action on this matter. According to the July 3 edition of the Wall Street Journal, the Commerce Department has most recently imposed a temporary embargo on most iron and steel scrap exports. Effective July 1, except for small orders of 500 tons or less, no more export orders for iron and steel scrap will be licensed this year. At the same time, Japan has voluntarily agreed to reduce its planned imports of U.S. steel scrap by one million tons for the year. This means that total export shipments will be 11.4 million tons for this year - still a record high.
*This is what it's all about. A pile of scrap junk that's threatening to wreck a good chunk of our economy. In Southern California No. 1 heavy melting scrap went from $26.50 per gross ton in June 1972, to $57.00 per gross ton in June 1973, up 115% in one year. This pile of junk is creating a lot of jobs overseas, but could wipe out a lot more in the U.S.*
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PAGE 2 SOULÉ STEEL NEWS JULY 1973
BUILDINGS DIVISION HOSTS DEALERS
The Buildings Division held their annual meeting for dealers, April 6th and 7th, at the Holiday Inn located in San Francisco's Chinatown.
Those attending were: (Left to Right)
Front Row Kneeling: James Armstrong, Clive Sollitt, Roger Benton, Commercial Industries Co., Inc.; Barry Cossette, Soulé Steel
Front Row Standing: Jerry Robinson, Metalcraft; Marcus Imberi, Imberi Const.; John Crowhurst, Soulé Steel; Ben Cairo, Engineered Structures; Fred Wittkop, Ken Erne, Chambers & Asso.; Ira Briggs, W.W. Wilson Co.; Stan Miller, Miller S.L.; Shell Beebe, Associated Structures; Keith Folkman, Idaho Systems Builders; Warren Blodgett, W.W. Wilson Co.; Bob Weber, Weber Equipment; Jim Soulé, Soulé Steel
Second Row Left: Gary Miller, Hackett-Miller; Chris Christensen, Christensen Const.; Harvey Gore, Gore & Son; Robert Thompson, Soulé Steel; Earl Smith, Wallace & Smith
Third Row Left: Frank Gore, Gore & Son; Arnold Rashkin, Sanco Engineering; Stanley Soulé, Soulé Steel
Fourth Row Left: Fred Pace, Lynch Engineering; Gerald Yonkers, Jolly, Robert Const.; Alan Rosenberg, Romac-Pacific Co.; George Ford, Soulé Steel
Fifth Row Left: Sam Stewart, Soulé Steel; Carl Brooks, Gene Springer, Carl Brooks, Inc.; Harry Prichard, Olympic Specialty; Jon Lesch, Soulé Steel
Second Row Right: Robert Weyand, Soulé Steel; Larry Bergman, Associated Structures; Gail Gibson, M.J. Gibson, Inc.; W. Wilson, W.W. Wilson Co.; Bud Gibson, M.J. Gibson, Inc.
Third Row Right: Dave Lorz, Associated Structures; George Woods, Soulé Steel
Fourth Row Right: Lorin Sederquist, Marvin Sederquist, L.O. Sederquist & Son; Pete Heineman, Soulé Steel; Al Lampe, McCormick Construction
Fifth Row Right: James Lynn, Soulé Steel; Paul Woo, S & M Welding; Leonard Jackson, Humbolt Const.; Ted Anderson, Anderson Const.; Howard Soulé, Soulé Steel
Sixth Row Right: Lee Soulé, Howard Rumrey, Soulé Steel; Craig Zwick, Zwick Const.; Arnold Volny, Volny Const.; Gene Fuller, Soulé Steel.
PICNIC TIME IN L.A.
*Photo: Soule employees and their families held a picnic at the South Gate Recreation Park. Southern California offices, plant and mill were represented. In the photo at left (l. to r.) are Jack Parkhill, Beverly Griswold, Tom Kelly, Carol Ebdrup and Elmer Scheller. Jess Armendariz bobs for apples in photo at right.*
*Photo: Joe Camilleri, Post President of Soule sponsored Explorer Post No. 159, attended the Annual Explorers President's Congress in Washington, D.C. He is shown here being given a warm send-off by Chuck Mekeel, Post Advisor. Joe was the only representative from San Francisco at the conference. He is a junior at Riordan High School in San Francisco.*
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JULY 1973 SOULÉ STEEL NEWS PAGE 3
DEALER WIVES ENTERTAINED
When the Buildings Division dealers held their annual meeting, Rosalie Kotch made sure the wives were not neglected during their stay in San Francisco.
The first day they were taken to a Chinese cooking demonstration, and their lunch consisted of the food cooked in their presence. It was required that everyone experiment with chopsticks and most succeeded in manipulating the wooden sticks. Next a tour of Chinatown. In the evening the ladies attended the cocktail party and awards banquet.
The next day they were off early to Fisherman's Wharf for a couple of hours of sightseeing and shopping. Then a cruise on the Bay to Tiburon, where lunch was served at the Tiburon Lodge. Then they took a walk down quaint "Main Street" which boasts of everything from antiques to mod fashions.
The ladies were all pleased with Soule hospitality and enjoyed the Bay Area.
ONE SAFE GUY
*Photo: Ron Hill, Phoenix Soule Ironworker Foreman on the MetroCenter Sears Roebuck project was selected for the distinctive honor of being the most "Safety Prone" individual on the job. The award was made by Kitchell Contractors, General Contractor on the job, and Ron was the only one selected among their various trades and subcontractors. He was selected because not only was he extra safety minded, but he also assisted other subcontractors and trades with a "stay safe" attitude.*
SOULÉ OLD TIMERS AT BALL GAME
*Photo: The Soule old timers were hosted at the Giants - Reds at Candlestick Park on June 21. The Giants won 7 to 1. Shown (l. to r.) front row: John Edwards, Al Schurner, and Herb Lange; back row: Lee Elmberg, Jo Cowden, Mrs. Mattos Niles Millar, George Mattos, Craig Carpenter, Charles Ubigau, Earl Raeside, and Sylvan Selig.*
*Photo: Dave Robles, Phoenix fab shop truck driver, holds his pin and letter of commendation for completing two years of safe driving for Soule.*
NEW FACES - LOS ANGELES
*Photo: Dick Wright, detailer, Buildings Division.*
*Photo: Ruth Feldmann, data processing.*
*Photo: Betty Davis, accounting.*
*Photo: Pat Cutrone, accounting payroll.*
*Photo: Rose McBee, purchasing.*
*Photo: Helen James, Buildings Division secretary.*
*Photo: Karen Ebdrup, reinforcing estimating.*
*Photo: Jack Morgan, accounting.*
*Photo: Linda Worthy, blueprint.*
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PAGE 4 SOULÉ STEEL NEWS JULY 1973
MILL
Photo: The new rolling mill at Carson is now in operation. It was designed and installed by Soule employees. Shown here are Lawrence Greer, Guide Setter, and Jim Lucenti, Rolling Mill Supervisor.
Photo: (l. to r.) John Francis, Shearman Helper, Mike Meiswich, Maintenance Foreman, and Tom Shaw, Maintenance Foreman. Tom explains the operating principles of the new high speed shear at the steel mill. The shear is designed to cut rebar traveling in excess of 1700 feet per minute.
Photo: John Minech, Jr. has been promoted to Shift Melter at the steel mill.
JOBS AROUND THE BAY
Photo: Shown on the rebar job for the addition to the San Francisco headquarters building of the American Automobile Association, are Andy Rasmussen (l.) and Randy Pagan (r.).
Photo: These fellows are working on the A.P. Division curtainwall job for S.F. Continental Data-Crocker Bank. (l. to r.) Front row: Floyd Yargus, forman, Joe Young, Jerry Asserude. Back row: Mike Boyd, Bud Ockenfels, Don Melquist and Lon Thomas.
NAMES IN THE NEWS
Photo: Art Lindsay has joined the company as Employee Relations Manager for San Francisco.
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Changes in Buildings Division – George Ferreboeuf has been assigned the East Bay sales territory, and James Soule has been appointed Dealer Representative in the Central District.
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Photo: Judy Marshall has been promoted to Computer Operations Manager at the Computer Center in the Los Angeles office.
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Photo: Bill Woodlief has joined the company in the position of Maintenance Supervisor of the Architectural Products Division in the San Francisco plant.
RETIREMENTS
Photo: A number of fellow employees wished Eric Frank a happy retirement. (l. to r.) John Reyna, Eric Frank, Hans Kirchner, Noah Bennight and Bill Taylor. Eric was an employee in the S.F. plant maintenance dept.
Photo: Joining Fritz Zwickel on his retirement are (l. to r.) Hans Kirchner, Noah Bennight, Fritz Zwickel and Bill Taylor. He was Tool Room Supervisor in the S.F. plant.
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Arnaldo Corrales and Toribio Martinez, both San Francisco plant employees have retired.
L.A. BOWLING TEAM
Photo: The L.A. bowling club is a Soule intracompany league composed of 10 teams from the plant and office and Carson mill, with 40 people in all. Above accepting the sponsors trophy donated by Del Rio Lanes, Downey, are (l. to r.) Tony Ordez, Jim Madden, Jack Dressen and Ann Burns.
Photo: First place bowling team with their trophies, are (l. to r.) Earl Rhodes, Sandy Poole, Marcia Mattson and Jack Parkhill.
Photo: One of the other 10 bowling teams, Ron Amirsehhi, Ruth Romash, Jack Hesketh, Sharon Geer.
Summer 1973 Issue SOULÉ NEWS
Published Quarterly by the Soule Steel Company 1750 Army Street San Francisco, California
Howard S. Soule, Editor
Associate Editors Niles O. Millar, Alumni
Wilma Patton 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