Emsco Plywood

Patrick had to give up old accounts and connections in Los Angeles.

He "broke the ice" b1' some good hard selling to the trade. u'hile Horvard Porvell, now assistant manager, took care of the office, even handling the lift truck as stll as the order desk. For about a year it was a two-man operation. Soon the business began to grow, and the force rvas increased. Young men Nere engaged. Walley Conrad rvas one of the first salesmen covering the East Bay, and recently Chuck Ramey rvas taken on to contact the San Francisco area and the Peninsula. Salesmanship has been the ans\\'er to their progress.

Emsco Plyu'ood are rrholesale distributors of plyrvood and doors. Their inventorv is continually expanding to include complete stocks of decorative panels, hardrrood plvrvood, Fir and Pine plyrvood, Hardboard, and all types of house doors. The line of decorative panels includes E,tch-rvood, Etch-\\fall, Sketch-\\'ood and Parq-Wall. In the East Bay it has the exclusive distribution of Redrvood Shadorvood. In the hardboard department. thev specialize in Finmex Hardboard. imported from Finland along rvith a stock of domestic and imported hardrvoods. -\lso carried in stock are Douglas Fir panel doors, detailed front doors in colonial designs. standard interior doors and a complete line of softrvood and hards'ood flush doors, both hollorv and solid core.

\\/hen a firm starts from scratch, and inside of trvo years establishes a business rvith nine employees, and keeps on adding more lines and increasing its territory, it is something more than being u'ell financed or picking the right industry. There is usually a strong individual behind it.

It could be said that Robert W. (Bob) Patrick, manager of Emsco Plyrvood, Oakland, literally flerr, into the lumber business. He rvas a pilot in the Air Corps during the last Worlrl War, became a captain rvitl.r a record of 122 trips over the Hump. After the lvar he \\'as a pilot for \\testern Air Lines, then rvent to work for Coastair Division of North American Aviation Inc. of Los Angeles, selling airplanes.

Bob Sand of the Sand Door and Plyrvood Co. rvas also an enthusiast for flying, and Bob Patrick sold him a plane. Next Bob Sand sold him on going to rvork for his company. but he had also sold a plane to J. E. Smith of the Emsco Group, Los Angeles. He later interested I\fr. Smith on the idea of opening a plywood business in Oakland.

Another interesting thing about the establishment of Emsco Ply'ivood in Oakland in September of 1950 rvas the reason for choosing the location. Los Angeles u'as the point from which everything originated. Back in 1950 the demand for Plywood was very heavy, and it rvas hard to obtain. There \vas a railroad car shortage rvhich added to the difficulties, and trucks were used to bring it in from the mills in Oregon. Mr. Patrick flerv the Emsco plane and in three hours r,r'as in Oregon. This manner of travel created interest and gave him an entree to the mills.

Oakland was nearer by 425 miles to the mills, and customers could be served better. It lvas therefore decided to establish Emsco Plyrvood in Oakland, even though I\Ir.

Emsco Plywood is featuring something nerv in the Riviera Combination door. It is a product built to Emsco specifications and conceived b1' Bob Patrick. The door is made in Oakland and the sash unit and screen come from Los Angeles, the completed product being assembled b1- Emsco. Trvo designs are offered: the flush type door. manufactured in Douglas Fir. I\{ahoganv or Birch; and the panel t1'pe door in Douglas Fir. The Riviera, according to Bob. fits tl.re need for a modern combination door in all stvles. and the trade is taking to it rvith great interest.