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E. L. Bruce Purchqses Robbins Flooring

' E. L. Bruce Co., Incorporated, Memphis, Tennessee, has increased its hold on the hardr.r'ood flooring industry with the outright purchase of Robbins Fiooring Company of Ishpeming, Michigan. It was Bruce's second major acquisition this 1.'ear.

The multi-million dollar corporation, whose executive offrces were moved recently from Memphis to New York, bought Wood Mosaic Company's flooring production facilities at Jackson, Tennessee, January 19.

The Robbins acquisition was announced jointly by Edu'ard M. Gilbert, New York, president, and E. L. Bruce Jr., Memphis, board chairman.

A 3o-year-old firrn, Robbins dominates the production of maple flooring, accounting for about half the national output. Maple flooring goes chiefly into schools, gymnasiums, bowling alleys, churches and commercial and institutional and industrial construction.

Bruce, with 11 southern plants, has long been recognized as the rvorld's largest producer of oak floorings for homes and apartments.

Company executives said the recent purchases were deliberate steps in the 6rm's planned program of expansion through acquisition and internal development. It will also open hitherto unavailable markets to Bruce products, especially in the school construction field, they said.

Annual production of the Robbins plant exceeds 11 million board feet of flooring. Company spokesmen estimate lumber consumption at more than a million board feet monthly. The plant is located irr the heart of the nation's maple-growing section.

The Bruce company, although known primarily for its hardwood flooring, figures largely in the manufacture of nationally distributed floor cleaners and polishes, hardwood wall paneling, truck and trailer floorings, and furniture parts. Its Bruce-Terminix division dominates the termite control field on a national scale through a system of franchised local operators.

With consolidated sales topping $40 million last year, Bruce operates plants in Memphis, Nashville and Jackson, Tennessee, Little Rock, Arkansas, Cairo, Illinois, Center, Texas, Vredenburgh, Alabama and Bruce, Laurel, and Columbus, Mississippi.

The company merged late last year with Empire National Corporation of New York.

letting The Employees Know

The California Redwood Association has set up bulletin boards at the mills of its member companies to let the mill workers-the foundation of the redwood industry-know what the CRA is doing to help increase the demand for redwood and create more aud better jobs.

The "CRA HIGHLIGH'I'S" bulletin boards display new CRA promotion and conservation literature and examples of most recent advertisements. A short message on each board explains the short and long range goals which motivate the current promotion efforts.

HIGHLIGHTS will be changed every two weeks to keep the rlisplay current.

The first CRA HIGIiLIGHTS board displays a recent color ad which appears on the back cover of BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS HOME BUILDING ANNUAL and a farm ad for the agricultural magazines: t\'vo new booklets, REDWOOD INTERIOR FINISHES and REDWOOD EXTERIOR FINISHES; and two promotional mailing pieces.

Copy on the boald explains that the CRA is made up of the six majoi'reclwood producers and handles, as a joint effort, certain ad,,..iiriug, promotion, conservation education, and research functions' for the benefit of all the member companies. The message goes on to explain that the HIGHLIGHTS board is part of the effort of the mills an<1 CRA to improve communications among all levels of production and distrihution.

They Like Moore DrY Kilns!

Moore Dry Kiln Company, North Portland, Oregon, will install two new Dry Kilns to season hemlock dimension lumber for Simpson Timber Company at their Shelton, Washington operation'

Each of the ne-w double-track Moore Kilns will be 36 ft' $ride bl' 106 ft. long and will have a holding capacity of approximatelv 150,000 board Jeet of dimension lumber. Seasoning in the kilns will be controlled by a Moore Master Automatic'Iemperature and Humidity Recorder Controller.

The two new Moore Kilns will be similar to two other Kilns installed and put into operation for Simpson Timber Company in late 1961 by Moore Dry Kiln ComPanY.

T ell Them Y ou Saus lt Adoertised

In The California Lumber Merchnnt

WINSAYS: "We're here to receive your calls . . and our aim is to give you the kind of prompt and courteous treatment that makes you want to call Moson first always." Win Wielkens has been an able assistant on the order desk for the past several years.

Obituanixs

Whitney F. Harris, 53, years secretary-manager of Lumber Trade Association. rlary 22.

for the past ll the New York Inc., died Feb-

A life-long resident of Woodhaven, Queens, Mr. Harris began his 35-year career in the lumber industry in 1927 when he entered the enrploye of Dykes Lumber Company, a large New York retail chain. Shortly after the end of World War II he became associated with the Philip Carey Manufacturing Company, producers of roofing products and specialties.

Mr. Harris joined the Association in 1950 and in the succeeding years did much to revitalize the group's activities. He was prominent in intra-association affairs, and was a member of the board of directors of the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association. He was an active member of the Trade Association Executives of New York, the American Forestry Association and the International Concatenated Order of HooHoo.

Alexander "Al" Arthur Derry, 68, an oldtimer in the lumber industry, died February 9 at the Veterans Hospital in Sawtelle, California.

Born in Salem, New Jersey in 1894, Al Derry had been connected with the lumber business since 1915 and was active until a few years before his death.

Mr. Derry served in the U.S. Army in World War I and was stationed overseas most of the time.