Maior Southwest wholesale firm at the 25 year mark

11NE OF the major companies in Ythe lumber industry serving the Southwest is currently celebrating its silver anniversary.

Fremont Forest Products was started in 1958 by Pete Speek and other former employees of the lumber division of Roddiscraft, Inc. of California. The new company was named in honor of John C. Fremont -the romantic and historic pathfinder of the West!

The company began as a direct shipping office wholesaler in the old E.K. Wood Lumber Co. office building in Whittier, Ca. In 1965 the company began buying cargo lumber and used the Sun Lumber Co. Berth 126 in San Pedro, Ca., as a distribution facility. At this time they also moved their first buying office from Arcata, Ca. to Eugene, Or.

In 1970, Speek negotiated a lease for 7 Vz acres at Pier 83 in the Port of Long Beach, and Fremont became the first and is still the only wholesaler in Southern California to own and operate its own dockside distribution center.

In 1975, the company bought the stock interests of two of the original owners and the company began implementation of a l0 year expansion plan.

ln 1976, the company installed a Basic Four computer, believed to be the first to be used by the lumber industry in Southern California. Virginia Allen, Fremont's controller, pioneered and perfected this completely integrated system which is considered to be one of the most sophisticated and effective systems in the lumber industry.

In June, l98l the Port of Long Beach moved Fremont to eight acres adjacent to PierE on Terminal Island and early in 1982 a long term lease was signed. This agreement gives Fremont the option to lease an additional eight acres next to the present eight acres.

Rail is presently close by the new distribution center and a new spur will be extended directly into the Fremont yard later this year. Speek says the recession of 1980 through 1982 has delayed but not cancelled plans to build two dry sheds and install milling machinery.

Fremont carries a large inventory in a wide variety of products and species and specializes in high quality lumber for the "do-it-yourself" yards, rough timbers and long lengths, which they sell in LCL quantities. They often add new species and grades as requested by customers. All items in inventory are included in their weekly Fremont Flyer mailer.

The company does a large volurne of business throughout the Southwest in both direct mill shipments (via cargo, rail and truck) and out of their Port of Long Beach distribution center either for customer pickup or delivery in both volume and LCL quantities. Don Sprague is the manager of Fremont's new dock distribution facility and Don Merrick is the assistant manager.

Additionally, plans are now complete for the construction of a new and unique headquarters and sales office located at the southern tip of Pier E, adjacent to their dock and overlooking the main entrance to the Port of Long Beach.

Story at a Glance

Fremont Forest Product's silver anniversary . . . expan. sion of their Long Beach cargo lacility continues Eugene, Or. office growing .. an early computer user, the company manages by objectives for growth.

The initial phase will include 6,000 square feet of office space. Sales personnel will be located on the main floor in an open landscape office system, promoting quick communication and the Fremont teamwork for which they are noted, according to Speek. Originally scheduled for completion in 1982, the new headquarters building is now scheduled for completion in 1984. It will replace their 4,200 sq. ft. Whittier office, and will enable Fremont to offer its customers the advantages of a complete, single-site operation, according to speek.

In April of 1982, Fremont opened a new sales office in San Diego under the management of the veteran professional, Carl Poynor. He is ably assisted by Ginnie Runeborg.

On January l, 1983, Fremont integrated its industrial division into the wholesale division under the management of Blaine Smith. The creation of one division has given the company a greater feeling of oneness and enhanced its ability to better serve the total market in California, Arizona and Nevada, Speek notes.

As this issue of The Merchant Magozine went to press, Fremont added another trader, Dan Zellick, to its Eugene office. Dan had been with Champion Building Materials in Eugene for the past 5 years where he was a trading specialist in the Texas and Mid-west market. He will expand Fremont's marketing into those new areas.

Fremont's Eugene office is ably managed by Scott Griswold, whose sales team consists of Ralph Parr and new addition Dan Zellick. The Oregon office purchases all of Fremont's rail and truck lumber and sells directly into Oregon, Northern California and now Texas and the Mid-west.

The company management team consists of Blaine Smith, vice president and sales manager; Virginia Allen, controller; Jim Salo, credit manager; Bill Baugh, industry consultant, and Pete Speek, president.

The team meets monthly and operates within the framework of a management by objectives system. All company sales personnel are involved in the setting of new sales goals every six months. The board of directors is responsible for long range planning and the establishment of 5 and l0 year goals.

The young and articulate Whittier sales team consists of Tim Gaffney, Vince Cunningham, Ken LoBue, Pete Nevins and Paul Haacke.

All stock is owned by employees and Blaine Smith is the newest stockholder.

According to Speek, the primary goal of Fremont's employees is "to serve the needs of its customers and suppliers more effectively than its competitors. It also aims to be more effective each year while having fun earning a living and growing toward our full potential as professional lumber people and human beings."

Fremont believes that people are its most important asset. On this anniversary it thanks all of its employees, customers and suppliers (past and present) for its first 25 years of happy and successful growth. Fremont also wants to thank General Fremont for providing their motto " . . . Still Leoding The Way!"

SMILES for anniversary f rom Fremont employees celebrating their 25th anniversary 1sl row: Vince Cunningham, Paul Haacke, Ken LoBue, Pete Nevins, Tenv Maddux. Carl Povnor.2nd row: Jovc6 Glover. Angela West, Betty Mitchell, Pam

Sitler, Pete Speek, Virginia Allen, Dana Burney, Dorianne Wagner, Shirley Caldwell. 3rd row: Scott Griswold, Jim Salo, Blaine Smith, Don Sprague, Don Merrick, Tim Gaflnev.

Long Beach with option t0 expand to 1 6 acres. At lower right, two barges, each with 3.2mm feet ol lumber, are unloaded simultaneously.

Cole Acquires Fifth Company

Cole Industries, Inc., National City, Ca., has acquired Temecula Hardware and Lumber Co., expanding its Companies of Lumber I once again. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

Temecula, a 30,000 sq. ft. building materials operation established in 1972, is now Cole's fifth Lumber I entity. In December of 1981, Fallbrook Lumber Co. became the fourth, joining the Solana Lumber Co.

tional City, and Waterstreet Wholesale Lumber Co. in National City, all subsidiaries of Cole Industries.

Wickes Attacks lts Debts

Wickes Cos. Inc. has begun to formulate multiple plans of reorganization that would seek to remove the retailer and manufacturer from court protection by mid-l984. Wickes had made one of the largest filings under Chapter I I of the federal bankruptcy law in history last April.

But the company now is negotiating with members of four creditor committees, and Wickes' officials say they hope to reach an agreement in principal in five to eight months.

Wickes will try to settle some of its $1.6 billion in total unsecured debt through a combination of cash, notes. debentures and stock. A major part of the proposal includes the conversion of some of the unsecured debt into common shares. which Wickes' officials say will "substantially dilute" holdings of existing shareowners.

Coos Head's New Berth

Coos Head Lumber & Plywood Inc. has moved from berth 190 to Berth 177 at Wilmington (Port of Los Angeles),Ca.

The company has also established a new sister company, Pacific Lumber Terminal,to work exclusively on lumber handling of cargo, rail and truck and trailer shipments. The change will allow Coos Head to concentrate on sales of lumber, plywood and related products, according to Larry Crabtree, manager. Ted Maple will now be more actively involved in sales management for Coos Head.

The new facility the firms will share includes an 80,000 sq. ft. warehouse as well as five acres for outside storage. Additional adjacent space is available for future growth. Presently, the company can handle I 0 million feet of lumber on the dock. It is served by the Harbor Belt Railroad and is a terminus for the Southern Pacific, Union Pacific and Santa Fe Railroads.

Coos Head has been situated at the L.A. Harbor since the mid-1950s.

D-i-yers Dial lor Help

Help for the do-it-yourself customer takes many forms, with Builders Emporium, the Wickes Companies, Inc., home center chain based in lrvine, Ca., having a home improvement hot line.

Back almost four years ago when they started promoting Pop Larsen as the guardian angel of home improvement, the calls averaged 25 a week. Now there are more than 1,000 a week. The number of women calling has increased substantially from 890 in the beginningto 40s/o today.

John Fudge, the real name of "Pop Larsen," a BE employee since 1958, mans the call-in service from the home office. Surrounded with reference books on painting, hand and power tools, masonry, plumbing and other home improvement jobs as well as Builders Emporium catalogs, he can field any question.

Fudge and his assistant answer calls on an 800 toll-free line from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Paint ranks first as the job needing help with plumbing second, accord- ing to Fudge. In summer, most calls refer to construction and painting. In winter, most people need help with plumbing, but the advisers have helped with everything from freeing a jammed garbage disposal to building a concrete patio.

Another Pop Larsen service is providing "Pop Larsen Tells You How To" brochures detailing 28 home repair and remodeling jobs. These are available in the BE stores as are free phone stickers listing Pop's telephone number and applications for the Pop Larsen Club.

Memberships entitle a d-i-yer to receive a free monthly newsletter containing how-to projects, new product information, seasonal maintenance and repair advice as well as discount coupons.