Golden Anniversary Celebration

For Maior Hardwood Distributor

for customer service. The operation is fireproof throughout. Located at 1900 East lSth Street, Los Angeles, American's distri' bution yard is near the freeway system, permitting fast delivery and pick-up service to every community in the Southern California area. It is also just minutes from the Long Beach and Los Angeles harbor area in handling the extensive import and export shiprnents of both domestic and foreign wood products.

American Hardwood Co., Inc., a pioneer Los Angeies wholesale lumber firm, this month celebrates its 50th anniversary o{ continuous operation, it has been announced by C. R. o'Bob" Taenzer, president of the company.

Established in l9I4 by E. E. Taenzer and Charles M. Kellogg at the corner of l4th and Alameda Sts., American Hardwood has shown a steady growth with the rnetropolis of the west.

E. E. Taenzer actually established the wholesale lumber concern back in 1BB8 in Memphis, Tenn., where Kellogg returned one year after the fledgling company lifted the business venture ofi the ground near the Southern Pacific railroad tracks on Alameda St.

Now-half a century 161s1-[rnslican is one of the leading hardwood distributors in the southwest. An expansion necessi' tated a move in 1919 to a five-acre concentration yard two blocks away from the firm's present modern complex.

Following a devastating fire in 1956 the plant was completely rebuilt, including modern new offices, warehouse facilities for more than two million feet of dry stock storage and a new custom planing mill o'American Hardwood became one of the first subscribers to the Calilornia Lurnber Merchant when Jack Dionne founded the magazine in 1922," mused Bob Taenzer. "We have been associated with the mag' azine for more than four decadeso" he said. CLM salutes this pioneer hardwood lum' ber organization on their 50th anniversary.

Followine the death in 1929 of E. E. Taenzer, the founder of American, Bob Taenzer assumed the chief executive post and his brother Milton became executive vice president. The two brothers main' tained a close relationship until the pass' ing of Milton in 1960 in Hong Kong, while on a world cruise.

The administrative stafi assisting Bob Taenzer, president, includes F. H. Taenzer, vice president; William C. "Bill" Moore' treasurer, and Carl Johnson, vice president of sales and operation.

It requires 12 mobile units of equipment and two lift trucks to keep the operation in high gear, along with 40 full time employees.

American Hardwood has continued to make steady progress right along with Los Angeles and Southern California during its half century of operation.

Top photo, view of American's main shed at their yard at 1900 East 15th St., Los Angeles. Center left, loading crew readies another carload for shipment. Center right, American's "big three", [-R) Carl Johnson, Bob Taenzer and Bill Moore. Bottom left, another truck load of hardwood moves out of the yard. Bottom center, a view of the firm's inventory in their dry dock shed. Bottom right, rising like a rocket ship about to be launched into space is the yard's waste disposal unit.