Ricci & Kruse Opens Yclrd No.2fior Exponsion Need

A case of ir-rcrearsingly sharp gron'ing pains has recently necessitated a piant expansion b1' I{icci & Kruse Lnnrber Company, located at 912 Shotr,vell Street in San Francisco. The long-estzrblished Shotu,eli Street yard has gracluitlly become completely hen'rmed in lty resi'dential building, so J. Iticci, owner of the pioneer lumber concern, ciecided to pnrchase a tract of nerv industrial llroperty, at Hau-es Street and Armstrong Aventte in San Francisco, for the expansion and, along r,vith the establishment of tl.re Ricci ct Kruse Lumber Company Yard No. 2, it tvas also deciderl to move the firm's main office to that pciint.

The establishment of Yard No. 2 n'il1 have cor.rsi<lerable effect on the Ricci & Kruse operation, accirrcling to J. llicci. Formerly held back by the lack of adequate storagc space, the big nerv yard u'i1l nou, enable the stocking oI complete lines of KD ponderosa ancl sugar pine lumber, clear firs, hemlock, cedar, VG firs in all thicknesses, etc., clomestic plyu,oocls, and an ever-increasing inventory of drv redrvood.

When

LOscrn 8-6659 We

-hurelia. L'alii.Hammond Lumber Co. held its eigl-rth anhual QuarterCentury Club meeting last month at the Eureka Inn. Seven nerv members rvere given personalized gold wrist watches at the dinner lor 25 years' continuous service. Membership is now 128 for the Hammond Redwood Division.

New Ukich Tie Mill

Ukiah, Calif.-The first tie mill in this area in recent years began operations December 15. Hugh \\'atkins, San Francisco businessman, has leased Universal Stud Lumber ('ompany's plant and renamed it the Ukiah Tie and Lbr. Co.

Vqcqville Boom

Vacaville, Calif.-An unprecedented building boom drrring 1955 saw issuance of permits totaling $4,224,566. The figure rvas almost $2 million more than the previous 1952 record.

In addition to tl're sales volume from yard stock, Ricci & Kruse Lumber Company also operates a grou'ing direct mill business, handling all species of West Ct-,ast forest products. Sales from both operations are made to ll'holesalers, retail yards, millwork manufacturers an<l otl.rcr irldustrials throughout the Greater Bay area.

The company's present sales policy lvas set in 19'16, thc year that J. Ricci and his father, A. Ricci, purchased the old retail lumber business from the Kruse interests. At that time the yard rvas u'ell among one of the oldest in Northern California, having been established in tl-re year 1875 by J. H. Kruse at the Shotwell Street address. The J. 1-I. Kruse Lumber Company grer.v from its modest beginnirtg and has been responsible for supplying much of the material that went into the building and, after the quake, the rebuilding of the City by the Golden Gate.

After taking over the business in 194(t, J. Ricci, u'ho had formerly been many years rvith the Allen & Dettn.r:rn I-umber Company in San Francisco, continued to expand the pioneer firm as a rvholesale distributor and lumbervard spc-

* 2,OOO,OOO FEET INVENTORY GUARANTEES PRON'IPT SERVICE QUATITY AND SAVINGS

STotc 5-8873

STonlcy 7-1129

DISTRIBUTION YARD: 13301 BURBANK B[VD., VAN NUYS, CAttF. ALSO:

* DIRECT TN]IL SHIPIIIENIS BY CARTOAD OR TRUCK TRAITER BOB NEIMAN BoB REED cializing in KD lumber of all kinds. The lf-acre Shotwell Street yard will continue to be utilized for storage, and the ne\ / 3-acre Yard No. 2, with over 35,000 sq. ft. of undercover storage, testifies to the growth of the firm under Ricci's capable management. of

THE GRAND-DADDY OF do-it-your:elf yords; the late J. H. Kruse stsnds in cisle

The material expansion of Ricci & Kruse Lumber Company has also been paralleled by a sales and office force expansion. Now assisting Ricci in the buying an'd selling of lumber is Harold Roberts, who came to the firm a few yeais back from Winton Lumber Sales Company. Ross ,Lee, formerly a long-time Van Arsdale-Harris Lumber Company salesman, is now in charge of expediting, and also