Wickes is 125 years old

rIOW CELEBRATING 125

l! years of existence, The Wickes Corporation, with international headquarters in SanDiego, Ca., has annual sales surpassing the $2 billion level, 21 divisions, and 17,000 people in over 650 locations around the world.

Wickes classifies itself as the world's largest retailer of lumber and building supplies. E.L. "Mac" McNeely, chairman and c.e.o., predicts that the 125th year will be the most profitable in company history. Despite a slight slowing in the economy, he foresees that lumber and building materials will have $2 billion in sales by themselves in l0 years. Most of the growth is expected in the United states although expansion is anticipated in Saudi Arabia and Europe.

In the West, the company is readilyidentified with Wickes Lumber, Sequoia Supply, Inc., Wickes Forest Industries, Wickes Wood Products, and Builders Emporium.

In addition, Wickes Europe operates 45 lumber and building supply centers in The Netherlands,

West Germany, Belgium and Great Britain. Wickes Mid-East maintains a building materials warehouse and showroom in Saudi Arabia. Growing from a gang saw manufacturing shop set up by the

Story at a Glance

WickesGorp. celebrates 125 years.. six lumber and/ot building material divisions active in WestBuilders Emporium, Se- quoia Supply, Wickes Forest Industries, Wickes WoodProducts, Wickes Lumber, Yorktowne.

Wickes brothers during the Michisan timber boom in the middle of the past century, the corporation's divisions and subsidiaries include diverse retail, wholesale, and manufacturing interests.

In agriculture, they deal with beans and grain in addition to operating Big Acre stores selling farm-related products. Wickes Furniture retails brand name furniture through 23 stores in 12 major metropolitan areas including three Los Angeles. Ca., and one San Diego, Ca., locations.

Manufacturing facilities under the Wickes direction include MacGregor Golf Co., Maron Products, Inc., metal stamping for mobile homes and trailer markets, tools, dies, jigs and fixtures; Saginaw Machine and Tool Co., machines for the automotive and other high production industriesl Wickes Machinery, equipment used in the machining of crankshafts and a line of die casting machines; Lee L. Woodard Sons, Inc., high fashion furniture; Farmaster, fencing, gates, and stalls for animals; and Wickes Engineered Materials, industrial products involving carbon graphite including industrial lumber products.

Wickes Buildings produces pole frame farm buildings as well as light commercial and industrial structures with headquarters in Indianapolis, In.

Financial services of insurance, credit, and leasing also are part of the firm.

The Wickes lumber center and building supply concept began in an old bean storage shed in 1952 with capital of $10,000. Profit margins were set as low as l6 points, a contrast to the usual minimum 500ft, and the customers responded.

In California, there are 53 do-ityourself home improvement centers operating as Builders Emporium from headquarters in lrvine. The stores, stocked with a broad assortment of lumber, building materials, hardware, tools, plumbing, electrical supplies, garden, nursery, and houseware items, cover the state from San Diego to Redwood City.

Wickes Lumber with over 260 retail centers for the contractor and do-it-yourself trade is found in 36

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