A profile of an Arizona retail lumberman

E ROM A one-man lunrber yard I where he worked after graduating from a mid-western high school to senior vice president and general manager of one of the largest lumber and building supply chains in the Southwest. that's the story of Dean Drake of O'Malley's retail lumber and building materials stores.

Dean ioined the Phoenix-based O'Malley organization in 1950 as assistant manager of its Tempe, Az., store. He becanre yard nranager three years later and renrained in that position until 1964. During these years, the Tempe slore was consistantly among the top O'Malley yards. The firm currently has 18 stores with an additional unit set for 35th Ave. and Bell Rd. in Phoenix.

In 1964, he was called upon to go to Phoenix to help in a company reorganization plan and to act as operations nranager lor all O'Malley yards. Three years later. in 1967, he was nanred general nran- ager of the O'Malley Retail Division and has held that post for the nast l4 vears. He was also named to

Story at a Glance

But to backtrack, let us go back to the mid-depression year of 1936. Dean, having just graduated from high school, set out to make his way in the world. His first job was running a one man lumber yard in Beaver. Ks.. for A.C. Houston Lumber Co. From there. the company transferred him to Alva, Ok., as yardman and truck driver. In 1938, he was again transferred, this time to a subsidiary of the Houston Lumber Co.. Home Lumber Co. in Boise, ld.

a seat on the O'Malley board of directors and, in addition, is a corporate officer, senior vice president of The O'Malley Lunrber Co.

He worked there as an auditor and as a member of the general office inventory crew serving 22 yards in ldaho, Oregon and Nevada. In 1939, he was promoted to assistant manager of that company's largest holding in Reno, Nv. The following year, the Home Lumber Co. purchased property and opened a yard in Las Vegas, Nv. Again Dean was chosen to assist in starting up and running of this yard until late 1941, at which time our war time effort dictated otherwise.

After the wartime diversion of a job in a California shipyard and one and a half years in the U.S. Army, he again returned to the lumber business in 1945. This time with the Ellensburg Lumber Co. in Washington State, now part of Boise Cascade Corp. The next five years were spent as head accountant for the sawmill and as its retail yard manager until which time he moved to Arizona with the O'Malley organization.

ln 1977, the O'Malley Building Materials retail division won the "Retailer of the Year" award from Buildins Supply rVeru Magazine.

Dean Drake likes the lumber business. likes Arizona and loves the vitality of the home building activity in the Great Southwest. "There is no better place to be nor any better business to be in than what we find right here in Phoenix," says Dean.

Stressing the renewable source

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