$50 Million in Redwoods

Simpson Timber Co. is in the midst of a $50 million plus program at its Northern California operations to assure a long term future supply of redwood products.

"Our program is moving full speed ahead in spite of the current poor markets for wood products," notes President G. L. Oswald. "It emphasizes Simpson's permanent commitment to the redwood business. We believe it is the largest and most comprehensive program of its kind in the redwood industry."

Key investrnents include: o Over $20 million for land and timber in 1978 and 1979 and still more planned. o $5 million annually for reforestation and intensive forest management. acres in the Redwood Region.

. $33 million to modernize redwood region lumber and plywood manufacturing facilities and to begin logging young growth timber.

"And we are continuing our aggressive land and timber acquisition program," Oswald said.

In refmestation, Simpson owns and operates the largest private nursery in California, growing 9 million seedlings annually.

Completing Simpson's reforestation effmt is a tree improvement prosram. Great strides are being made in iieveloping superior trees that will grow taller, faster and straighter.

Simpson's Intensive Forest Management program, one of the most comprehensive in the industry, is carried out on young growth forests. Through various treatments the company expects to double timber yields per acre.

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"The creation of Redwood National Park in 1958 and its expansion in 1968 resulted in Simpson's losing 14.m0 acres and a substantial amount of mature timber. We've more than replaced the land, but most of it contains young timber that won't be ready to harvest for several years. Simpson now owns about 300,000

Lumber and plywood mills are being modified to handle a changing timbtr supply. Simpson's Korbel. Ca., sawmill is being converted to handle redwood and Douglas fir logs from 5" -24" in diameter, while the sawmill at Klamath, Ca., will handle larger logs.

The firm's Fairhaven Plywood Plant is also being modernized to combine production of Ruf-Sawn Redwood plywood and Simpson's RufSawn 316 embossed overlay plywood. Simpson is the largest producer of both of these specialty siding products.

Power Of Awoman

(Continued from page 13) building contractor. Work with an architectural engineer and another building contractor prepared her for a. 12 year stint at U.S. Plywood (now Champion International) before joining El Louise.

A forest products booster. she says "l love the industrv. and the nicest people I've ever known are those I do business with five davs a week." Continuing, she points out a truism of the industry, "Apparently a lot of other people feelcomfortable in our -business, too. because I talk and deal with individuals I've known for manv. many years. They move from one place to another sometimes. but keep their roots in the wood business. tt

Bette Weller started her lumber career at Diamond National Corp., Red Bluff, Ca., in 1958, movihg from the pulp products shipping department to accounting. When she moved to Sacramento in 1965. she started in accounting at Hed- lund Lumber Sales. Later she worked in accounting at D.G. Shelter Products and transferred to sales.after going through their sales trarnlng program.

Bette rates "always something new to tackle" as the most challenging aspect of the lumber business. Having great rapport with her customers and the mill people, she finds "it's fun to work inhei chosen field." Her husband, Don. and daughter, Andi, rate a full 10, she says, in their attitude and encouragement.

Marie handles the traflic department for the company as well as the invoicing and general office work. Jean Warren, the bookkeeper, has a background in accounting with another lumber wholesaler.

People out of the industrv mav find it hard to believe that-these women are wood dealers, part of what is probably the only womanowned lumber wholesale firm in the country. But those on the inside rank them as traders with expertise in many lumber markets. Thev are known for being flexible to the changing economy, handling housing, industrials, and exports as the market place dictates.