Twenty-five Years of Service to the Retail Dealers

This qeriql view ol lhe Colcverqs Cement Compcny plcni oi Sdn Andreqs, Cqlilorni<r, ghows exteni ol operction ol the lcrgert indurtry in the Mother Lode, The lhree pcrollel tubes in the center ol the picture qre the compony's kilns, the lcrgeat ol which hcs a diqmeier ol ll leet 3 incheg cnd is 360 teet long. The compcny ig now engcaed in a $600,000 expcnsion progrom, which will increcse grinding and etoroge ccpocity to permit increqged deliveries during the buay apring crnd eummer monthe.

l'hc in.r1r9rt1111gs of rctlril outlcts for the tlistrilrution of conrprrrty's <lilficultics in litrrnchirtl{ it rrc\v prodttct itgainst cctuclt is strcsscrl in:r history of Calavcrls Ccrrrcrrt Cor.r.r- lirmly crrtrclrchc(l cotrtllctitiott <lrrrirtg thc pcriorl of the 1tany, "'frvent,v-live Yc:rrs of Iluilding thc \\/cst," which is rni<l<llc trvcrrties, artrl tclls htiu'('alavcllts ()vcrcltllrc:rn alllcirrg <listrilrutc<l to custourers anrl other fricn<ls of the tttost itrsttrmotttttltlrlc crisis of thc <lellrcssittrl itr 1932 and c()nrl):ulv lhis n.ronth. 1933.

\\/lrile lteinting ()1t s()1tc ef the large constructigrr prej- Jn ()nc <lisnr;rl month, licbruary, 1932, thc cotnPany ects u,hich are lrcing supplicrl by thc c()nrl)any, such as the shipllc<l lcss than 1lJ,000 lr;rrrels of cetleut-onlv hltlf again Cerrtral \r:rllcv I,rojcct, I'inc lillrt D:rm an<l nunterous :rs nruch as is cust0m:rrilv shiplled On:t singlc bus-r'day in highu'a-r' jobs, the historv cmphasizcs the conrpany's great 1950. I'resi<lcnt \Villiaru Wall:rcc Mein lloldh'atlopted a interest i1 the retail <leirlcrs. policv oi nraking sizcalllc c-xpcrr<litures for t.uaintctllttrcc and

"The backbone of thc company's <listrilrution organization," the history says, "is a loyal gr()ul) oi Calavcras dealers in almost four hunrlre<l cities atr<1 tou'trs throughotrt northern California. \\'cstern Ncr':tda an<l southcrn ()regon."

The 6'l-Page history traces the gron'th of Calaveras Cemerrt Company since the firm's incorporation irr 192.5. In it is reprocluced a photograph of the first carloa<1 of cement shipped from its San Andreas, California, plant on June 14, 1926. The car rvas bought by the Lridi I-umber Company. Six carloads \\.ere shipped on the plant's opening clay, and with the exception of tt'o firms no longer in business, all of the original Calaveras customers continue today on the c()mpany's list of active accounts.

Factors in the company's grorvth have been its insistence on maintaining high irroduct quality, top-notch service and fair dealing. Its n'hite Portland Cement is sold throughout the eleven Western States. Regular Portland cement, early hardening Irortlancl Cemer.rt ancl plastic cement are sold principally in the Central Valley area.

Objectir,ely rvritten, the history candidly discusses the development at the plant so that efficiency lvould be increased. ft says : "The company's salesmen are carefully selected and thoroughly grounded in company policy, cement technology and the many variations in the use of the product. They are given an intensive training course at the plant to help them maintain the company's unchallenged reputation for service."

The 'n'isdom of his policies was proved on this occasion ag on others in the company's past. In the following year the firm won a contract to supply cement for construction of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, and from that time on it has experienced a steady growth.

Today its manufacturing plant has a capacity of 2.500,000 barrels of cement a year-more than twice its production at the end of World War II. Since the writing of the book, still another expansion program involving an investment of $600,000 in new plant equipment has been announced.

It is pointed out in the company history that since Calaveras has been in business, the cost of cement has risen only slightly in comparison to other products. At the same time, quality has been improved.

"The highly efficient cement industry," it says, ,,ofiers its customers what is probably the lowest-priced manufactured article by weight rvhich can be purchased in the country."

Paying tribute to the loyalty and conscientious service of the company's employees in all branches of the business, the history describes the intensive training program provided for its salesmen before they are put on the road.

Of the company's transport drivers, the book has this to say:

"The loyalty of Calaveras employes and their apprecia-

Sinews of Steel for Wood Structures

Recent curbs on the civilian use of steel have brought lumber even more to the fore as a necessary and highly desirable building material. For many structural purposes it is replacing steel now being diverted to the essential production of military arms and equipment. The use of lumber in place of structural steel is made possible by steel-ringed timber connectors which add the strength of steel to the durability and versatility of lumber.

Large quantities of steel can be saved without a severe cutback in civilian building by employing connector-supported lumber where specifications originally called for structural steel. This technique was used extensively in World War II for both civilian and military construction. Towers, bridges, hangars, warehouses and other military installations were made of wood.

Timber connectors are pressed steel rings or malleable iron plates ranging from 2l to 4 inches in diameter. By placing the rings in circular grooves between adjacent faces of overlapping timbers, they provide a larger supporting area than is possible with other joining methods. They serve to spread the load on a joint more equally over the cross section of the wood and thereby bring more fully into play the structural strength of the timber.

A typical World War II example of steel conservation made tion of their stake in the company's welfare are perhaps best exemplified in the team spirit of the transport truck drivers. These men have built a reputation for delivering cement to the buyer when and as he wants it, and they take pride in carrying forward a tradition of service which has been maintained tl,roughout the years." possible by the use of this improved method of wood construction was a Navy blimp hangar, 1,000 feet long, 153 feet high, with a roof span of 237 feet. Without the use of timber connectors, this structure could not have been made of wood, and would have required 2,050 tons of structural steel.

William Wallace Mein is founder and president of Calaveras Cement Company. Vice-Presidents include William Wallace Mein, Jr., who is assistant to the president, and H. C. "Pat" Maginn, who is chairman of the company's manag'ement committee.

Approximately 200,000 tons of structural steel were saved in a single World War II military construction program by the use of timber.

Timber connectors are a product of the Timber Engineering Company, an engineering and research affiliate of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association.

As a guide in preparing various building designs for the Defense Program, the Timber Engineering Company has just published a new printing of "Typical Designs of Timber Structures." During World War II the first edition of this book was used by the Armed Forces throughout the world. While the supply lasts, the new 116-page edition will be sent free to Army and Navy architects, engineers and draftsmen. Write to the Timber Engineering Company, 1319 18th St., N. W., Washington 6, D. C.

A. F. Stevens Lumber Co. Constructs New Ollice Building

A new office and store building is under constrqction by A. F. Stevens Lumber Company, Healdsburg, Calif.