The K/D Cedar Story

Hous to Succeed in Business by Really Trying!

Marriage and business have a lot in common. Lacking love, misunderstanding and hard work, both will ultimately fail.

But this is a happy story in both departments, so may we present Merv and Doris Kjer, husband and wife, and owners of K/D Cedar Supply Co. and Marshall Shingle Co., in Hayward. Merv and Doris have utilized the aforementioned magic in. gredients to make not only a success of their marriage, but a success of their business.

During June of this year, K/D' Cedar Supply Co. will celebrate its fourth birth. day. Not a long time perhaps, but considering the business climate plaguing irur industry in recent years, the company has shown rerrarkable growth. This has not been by accident. This business reflects the love, understanding and hard work that has gone into its development. But let's start at the beginning.

The Kjers, who purchased Marshall Shingle Co. this past January, first met when they went to work for that company in 1949. Prior to that. heavv construction was Merv"s forte. In fact he entered that field during 1934, and developed into a precutting specialist of considerable skill.

Doris! W'ell, that's the gasser, folks. Prior to joining Marshall Shingle, Doris worked for the Peter Paul Candy Co. Her forte !It was putting the "tw; deHcious toasted almonds" on top of each candv bar! For some strange r"uron Doris did not find this work over stimulatine. So she set out to learn the mechanics of "business; so well, in fact, that she became bookkeeper and office manager {or Marshall Shingle Co. in t949.

of its type in the West. Cedar specialists through and through, the firm carries complete inventories of Western Red, Incense. Alaska Yellow, foundation cedar, and cedar fencing in all popular patterns. Its suppliers are McDonald Cedar Products. Ltd.. Lamford Cedar, Ltd., and Tumac Lumber Co., Inc., three of the finest cedar suppliers in the business.

Until the Kjers took over their "first love," Marshall Shingle Co., they also carried a complete inventory of cedar shingles. shakes, shims, palings, and cedar hip and (Continied on Page 36)

Views

K/D Cedar operation. Top: lift operator makes up an order of Certisplit Shakes. Next' Merv Kjer takes the controls to help put tosether a truckload of McDonald Cedar Products reii cedar "sierra Siding," while below Stan Heriot checks the load (note attractive packaging). Next' view showing recently completed shed running en' tire length of yard; entire yard and storage area is concrete paved. Bottom' K/D Cedar also has its own milling equipment; DeWalt saw in action here, a 156 lightening matcher right foreground.

In 1952, Merv and Doris exchanged wedding vows, neither of them realizing they would be signing another kind of partnership agreement in another seven years. Merv rose to the position of general manager for Marshall Shingle, a firm estabtished in 1926 by the late Ed Marshall; Doris continued to ride herd on the office detail, but more and more found herself involved in sales as well.

During early 1959, the couple set up the ground rules for their new business. It would be wholesale to dealers only. And it would offer LCL service as well as direct mill shipments by rail or truck.

The ground rules held. Today, K/D Cedar Supply Co. is one of the few firms

We present Merv and Doris Kjer, a happy husband and wife team. native Californians and owners of K/D Cedar Supply Co. and Marshall Shingle Co., Hayward, California, and their two fine salesmen, Bill Lowe and Stan Heriot. Forestry grad of U.C. Bill came to K/D Cedar last year after several years exoerience with Truitt & White Lumber Co. in Berkeley. Stan was literally raised in the lumber business in the Sierras and cut his teeth in the industry with the old Clover Valley Lumber Co. at Loyalton. He later spent four years with Bay Plywood and another four years with E. L. Bruce Co. before joining K,/D Cedar two years ago.

COMPONENT PARTS try to enjoy the refreshments as two gentlemen ungentlemanly point out the fact. In the upper right this unidentified threesome are seen watching the fun. In the center row, lelt are George Godtesman and George Devries with their wives. Center are Bill Conroy and his wife. Bill helped arrange the big day and night of golf, dinner-dance and live fashion show. Vivacious Mary Williams, Jerry Knight and friend are seen at right. Bottom row, left, Chick Bright wearing attractive corsage. Next, Lyle Brewster and Jan U'ren. Right, partly hidden, Chick Bright and Jessie Culbertson, president of the Hoo-Hoo-Ette club S6.

THE ORIGINAT PAPER WRAPPED

NRLDA lumber UNIfS

Tbc Bclls ,acnt kng and tbc Cltmbal: clangecl dwl tbc lfornt tbcy blarcd arya), at San FcnmwloVallcy HoolItn's annual golf, dinrcr-darce 6 fasbion sbow for

St Patrick's day

Centuries-old choice for treasure chests and decks of sailing ships, teak is still floated down the rivers of Burma and India and Thailand to be rough-cut, then dried and seasoned for shipment to our warehouse. Well worth the years it takes to grow and the years it takes to cure, teak is just one of 52 expertly selected hardwoods at J. E. Higgins Lumber Company, 99 Bayshore Boulevard, San Francisco 24 (VAlencia 4-8744). For 83 years Northern California specialists in fine hardwoods where you'll find the right lumber for every purpose.