Winter 1973

Soule steel News VOLUME 2 WINTER ISSUE - DECEMBER 1973 NUMBER 4

CARSON FABRICATING SHOP

In 1923 Mr. Edward L. Soulé (Founder-Chairman) expanded operations to Los Angeles and acquired the American System of Reinforcing Company. The fabrication shop was located in Torrance, California, on Border Avenue, adjacent to U.S. Steel, who was our main source for reinforcing stock for the next several years.

The Torrance shop was one of the larger and most productive fab shops in the Los Angeles area. Many of the well known landmarks in the City of Los Angeles were fabricated at our Torrance plant. Also, many of the structures of the Harbor and Long Beach Freeways were supplied with rebar from the Torrance Fab Shop.

In the late 1950's construction of the rolling mill in Carson began. The Mill went into operation in 1959, and shortly thereafter the Torrance Fab Shop was moved to Carson and installed in what is now the mill stock bay. Soon after the mill stock bay was installed, additional space was required and a new Soulé building was added on the south side for use as a new fabricating shop. This building consisted of two bays, 60 feet wide and 500 feet long. In each bay were two five-ton overhead cranes to service the equipment and load out the trucks.

We had two shears, two heavy benders and two light benders in each bay. In a lean-to on the west side were housed two spiral machines and racks that were used to hold the completed spirals while spacers were being installed. Our spirals are in concrete all over California, in columns, caissons, piling cages and light standard foundations, to name a few.

In the late 1960's we streamlined the two-bay fab shop into a one-bay shop. In this one bay we kept three shears and two heavy and light benders each. We are still using the Mill bay as our stock supply.

We have subsequently acquired new automated Arnold benders for #14 and #18 bars. These benders increased both our accuracy and production. With the electronic controls, we could sequence as many as six bends, both forward and backward.

Our next step was to obtain Arnold automated shear lines. We presently have two lines featuring preload tables, automatic gage stop, and kick-off arms to deposit the steel to the adjacent bins. All this is controlled from one electronic panel.

Our newest and latest innovations consist of moving our whole shop layout south by 160 feet. This now allows us to stock and maintain our own inventory. We have also installed a swing-away radial arm cut-off saw in our third

SOULE STEEL COMPANY SUCCESSOR TO AMERICAN SYSTEM OF REINFORCING MAIN OFFICE LOS ANGELES

*This building in Torrance marked Soulé's entry in Southern California market with the acquisition of American System of Reinforcing in 1923.*

shear line. With this arrangement we can either shear the bars or sawcut them, as required, with no extra handling.

Over the years special equipment has been designed to serve the requirements of various specific production jobs awarded the shop.

In 1968 and 1969 Soulé had a contract to furnish 36 miles of concrete box culvert to construct the second Los Angeles Aqueduct, running parallel to the first, toward Owens Valley (near Mt. Whitney), for the Metropolitan Water District.

To accomplish the bending of one type bar, which was required on each face of the 7ft. by 7 ft. box, at 6" centers, Soulé designed a machine to automatically feed six bars at a time, 63'-2" long, into a bender and then shear to exact lengths of 7'-7". A conveyor moved the completed bars to the bundling area.

Harry Esterman is the Fabrication Shop Supervisor, and has been with Soulé since 1972. He worked for an Alabama steel producer before relocating to the West Coast. He still wears an OSHA approved safety hat with "Alabama No. 1" printed on it.

With the modern, accurate equipment we now have, we feel confident that we can now take care of the stricter tolerances and critical bending required by the latest State of California earthquake codes.

Our safety record at the Soulé Fab Shop is excellent, and so is the spirit of cooperation within the shop with a close line of communication between the supervisors and shop employees.

*New cut-off saw in operation in the modern Soulé Fabricating Shop at Carson. Jose Sanchez is operating the saw.*

*Harry Esterman, Fabricating Shop Superintendent.*

PAGE 2 SOULÉ STEEL NEWS DECEMBER 1973 # MEET THE FOLKS AT

*Photo: FABRICATION SHIPPING AND RECEIVING* Fab Shop office staff (l. to r.) Marilyn Moore, Fay Coats and Glyn Austin.

Tony Ordaz, Chain Man.

Salvador Moreno, Bar Flipper.

Foremen Bob Scott (l) and Ruben Ordez have a smile for everyone.

Alfonso Quinones, Loader.

Curtiss Hanson, Bender Operator.

Richard Gasset, Bender Operator, at new bender recently installed in Fab Shop.

George Welsh, Bar Flipper.

Reyes Ybarra, Shear Operator.

Jose Sanchez, Helper.

Jose R. Ortiz, Bender Operator.

Gonzalo Vasquez. He is a new U.S. citizen.

(l. to r.) Egbert Merten-Zur-Borg, Heavy Bender Operator Helper, and Orlando Sisneros, Heavy

Louie Holmes, Bender Operator.

A14 EYE PROTECTION REQUIRED IN THIS AREA Tommie L. Lewis, Bender Operator.

PAGE 3 SOULE STEEL NEWS DECEMBER 1973

THE FABRICATING SHOP

*"Big" Bill Schipper. He is the Southern California Horseshoe Pitching Champ.'*

*Carl Matthews, Bender Operator.*

*Floyd (Mike) McNinch, Crane Operator.*

*(l. to r.) Robert Barajas, Chainman, Richard Bliven, Loader and Richard Duffy, Chainman.*

*Walter "Spud" Durost, Shear Chainman.*

*Clayton Layborn, Maintenance Mechanic.*

*Art Valencia, Maintenance Mechanic, standing in front of shear guard he fabricated.*

*Jack Barber, Shear Operator at console of Automatic Shear.*

*Ruben Lozano, Shear Chainman.*

*Crane Operators, Bobby Williams (l.) and George Mikalonis.*

*Alfredo Solis, Accessory Man.*

*(l.) Raymond Alvarez, Shear Operator, with a representative from the Digital Machine Co.*

*Willie Dyess, Spiral Operator.*

*Salvadore Galindo, Bar Flipper.*

*Dave Terpening, Shear Operator.*

PAGE 4 SOULÉ STEEL NEWS DECEMBER 1973

RETIREES ## Richard Tubbs *Photo: Richard (Dick) Tubbs, Southern California Truck Driver retired after 21 years with the company. Fellow employees presented him with a ring. He has received numerous safe driving awards during his service.*

Carl Madison Carl Madison has retired after fourteen years service at the Carson Mill. He will retire to a new home in Rogue River, Oregon.

NEW FACE *Photo: Linda Hoy will brighten up things as the new secretary, Employee Relations, at the Carson Mill.*

CLOWNING AROUND *Photo: Getting in the spirit of Halloween this Fall were the girls in the S.F. Skyroom cafeteria. Shown with a "Soulé Pumpkinhead" are (l. to r.) Thelma Cross, Mildred Behnken, Soule dummy and Helen Hull.*

IAN MILLER Ian Miller is moving from the Architectural Products Division to the Buildings Division, where he will be Manager of Product Development. He was Director of Design for the A.P. Division, and has been with the company seventeen years.

He replaces Jim Lynn, who has purchased the W.W. Wilson Co., a Soule Buildings Division dealership in Sacramento.

Predict your future Buy U.S. Savings Bonds

DEALER OF YEAR *Photo: The 1972 International Dealer of the Year award from the Buildings Division was presented to Atkins Kroll & Co., Ltd. for their sales efforts in Guam and the Trust Territory Islands. Shown presenting the award recently in San Francisco are (l. to r.) Thomas Cassioli and Jim Casteleyn from Soule, and receiving the award, E.H. Vikart and Peter Mackey of Atkins Kroll.*

DEATH It is with deep regret we announce the passing of Elmo G. Guiles, former Company Sales Manager at San Francisco.

Winter 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

Maria Hebert Newark

Mary Long Santa Ana