Teamwork is a at maior

TEAMWORK is a currently I fashionable enthusiasm of business gurus who treat the concept as a new revelation. Harvard Business School loves it.

But at the Curt Bean Lumber Co. in Glenwood, Arkansas (pop. 1402), it is old hat. They've been practicing the concept successfully for years. In fact, they recently made their slogan "The Bean Team" an integral part of their marketing eflorts.

The teamwork concept extends throughout the Bean organization and has as its goal the best possible care for their customers. Its implementation is common sense, not rigid structure. A recent 8 a.m. gathering in the hallway of the sales department consisted of a handfulof people from sales, production and forestry. A few minutes of seemingly casual conversation ensued, resulting in another problem solved by Bean Team teamwork.

The company is one of the largest independently-owned southern pine manufacturers in the United States. Bean Lumber Co. has a sawmill on the 160 acre site in Glenwood. It shares the property with its sister company Curt Bean Lumber Co. which has a treating plant at Glenwood and another treating plant and sawmill at nearby Amity, Arkansas. A related firm is C. Bean Lumber Transportation Co,, a trucking firm that serves the two lumber companies. Between the companies, they own numerous acres of timberlands. But as Curt's son Tim Bean, the v.p. of marketing, says, "customers needn't bother with the distinctions between the firms, just pick up the phone and let us try and solve your problems."

Bean Lumber and Curt Bean Lumber produce annually more than 150 million board feet of pine lumber, while Curt Bean Lumber Co. produces in excess of 100 million feet of treated lumber

Founder Curt Bean is a large, soft spoken man who knows whereof he speaks when it comes to the sawmill business. "There isn't a job I haven't done in the mill," he notes.

He is also a very hardworking man. Nowadays as president and chairman of the board of the companies, he has cut his work schedule to "only" l0 hours a day, six days a week (including most holidays) from the previous 12 hours a day. Some observers say it was closer to 24 than 12.

As a hobby, Bean operates a 1500 acre cattle ranch that runs some 700 head. "l find it relaxing," Curt says. "There isn't a problem you can't solve, thinking about it at the ranch."

Deer hunting in Colorado three or so days a year is his real recreation. His zest for it is obvious as he tells stories of good times hunting with friends and family.

Tim Bean shares his father's hard working traits. In addition to his sales, marketing and management responsibilities, he also took it upon himself recently to work until midnight for several days loading trucks in the yard. It seemed vacations and strong business had put the yard crew in a pinch. In the best Bean Team tradition, Tim simply rolled up his sleeves at five o'clock at night and put in another shift making sure customers got what they wanted when they wanted it. Tim has worked in all aspects of the business except logging.

The company stocks lumber in 1"x4" through 1"x8" in 8' to 16'; 2"x4" through 2"x12" in nos. 1, 2 and 3, 8'through 20'. In no. l, they carry 8' through 16' in 4"x4" and