lndependent Building filoteriols Co. Doubles Copocity of Torronce Focilities qnd Aims for Complete Automqtion of Plqnt in 196or

Independent Building Materials Co., Inc., Torrance, California, one of the leading manufacturers of bevel siding in California, has doubled the capacity of its Southern California mill through automation and installation of new units of remanufacturing equipment.

In conjunction with representatives of Turuer Machinery Company, a time and engineering study was completed at ItsMC late in 1959. By the end of 1960 the yard will be completely automatic from the time the raw material enters the mill until the finished product is ready for loading in boxcars for shipment to the east, or trucks for local delivery.

The remodeling program of Independent mill facilities included the installation of a new matcher and two Turner resaws. An automatic conveyor and lumber storage trees are used in the operation as the bevel siding is bundled and double-end trimmed by automatic saws as it moves automatically through the plant.

IBMC has been one of the leaders in the distribution of Redwood specialty products since 1947. The Torrance plant of the wholesale firm is one of the show places of the lumber industry. Through the direction of President W. E. IJpton, the progressive concern has continuously expanded its sales and manufacturing to service the eastern and west- ern markets. The firm operates mills in Arcata and Crescent City, California, and sales offices in Chicago, with administrative offrces and concentration yard and rnill facilities in Torrance, California.

It requires a trained staff to keep the millions of feet of redwood moving through this modern plant from the time of arrival by baige at the harbor, which is only a few miles away, until it is ready for shipment.

Ray Estes, vice-president of operations, heads.the t_eam in the yard. He is ably assisted by the mill superintendent, Jean Jones.

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Doir Jewett, veteran lumberman of the west coast, heads the sales team as sales manager. Joe Petrash is assistant sales manager, and Phil Kelty and Ted Olsen are western region sale- representatives. Ted Hicks and Bob Corcoran co"mplete the team in sales; the.y are headqu-artered at Chicago and are responsible for salis in the midwest and east.

IgIdC yard and mill facilities are complete in every yard completedetail. Three custom-ensineered latest design keep dry material flowing to the mill where, in addition* to thi new equipment recently installed, three Stetson-Ross matchers are - kept busy eight hours daily turning out stock for the eastern market as well as California, Aiizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas' custom-engineered Moore Dry Kilns of the

You Con't Hordly Get Bargoins like Thor Club 9 Dqnce No More

Advance ticket sales indicate that the San Francisco HooHoo club's annual Spring Dance will be a whopper. The setting will be the Meadow Club in Fairfax a.td ihe dat" to remember is Saturday, May 28. Charlie White, White Lumber Company, will chairman the event, and Bill lohnson of Hobbs Wall Lumber Co. is ticket chairman.

A real bargain, the price of admission has been set at $17.5.0 a c-ouple, which_includes everything vital for a big evening of fun-free cocktails, a thick prime rib dinner widr 1l_l tle eljla.s, and dancing 'til the wee hours to the big Meadow Club band.

Starting time is set for 7 :39 p.m. and tickets may now be obtained by_calling Johnson. or any of the following ducat $ispens-e_rs: Ben Ward, Gay Bradt, Fred Buckley, Ar"t Wall. LloydJ{ecathorn, Dick Hogan, Jim Knox, Owen Stebbins, Fred Talbot, Charlie _White, Hugh Pessner, Bob Kilgore, Paul Gaboury, Mike Coonan, Bo Shibley, Hac Collins=ancl Earle Bender. See you there !

Rerqil Stores Reporf Soles Of $I99.7 Billion for 1958

The volume of sales reported by 1,788,325 retail stores in the 1958 Census of Business iotaled $199,709,600,000, according to a summary just released by ttre Bureau of the Census. The total is f6r 48 states, the then territories of Alaska and Hawaii reporting $202,038,000 and g12l,8Z7,O0O, respectively. California was the second highest state, with total sales of $20,011,073,000, being topped only by New York.

Lumber, building materials and related firms held a firm fifth in the specific-kinds of business category, with 108,248 stores reporting sales of $14,309,206,000.

Minimum Woge Bill on Fire

Washington, D.C.-The week of May 16 is said to be the target date for reporting a Minimum Wage Bill from the La6or Standards subcommittee to the full House Education and Labor Committee, according to The Lumber Letter of the National Lumber Manufacturers Assn. There are indications that the Minimum Wage will be raised to $1'15 this year and to $1.25 next year, and coverag'e.may b9.e1pandid to an additional 5,000,000_employes. This would be two million more than the Administration has recommended but 2.5 million less than the Kennedy-Roosevelt bills have proposed.

Secretary of Labor Mitchell told a news conference late last monttr that he would ask President Eisenhower to veto any Minimum Wage figure above-$1.15. llouse Democratic leaders are expectEd to seek final floor action by June. 1 Lumbermen are urged to send their views on the legislation to Congress as soon as House or Senate Labor a final bill is approved by either the Committees.

Bennett 2-Woy Sows Instolled

The following installations of the popular Bennett 2-Way Panel Saw are reported by Wayne C. Ervine, Dealer & Service, Atascadero, Calif :

Perry International Corp., Inglewood; Plywood Ltd., Lomita; Buxton Lumber Co., Del Paso Heights; Western Sierra Lumber Co., Pleasanton ; Shafto, Shafter; Mears Lumber Co., Bakersfield; Rossman Mill & Lumber Co., San Pedro yard; Diamond National Corp., Manteca; Sacramento Cabinet Shop; Rancho Lumber Co., El Sobrante; K-B Cabinet Shop, Santa Cruz; Steel-Built, Inc., Gardena; Seeman Lumber Co., Whittier; San Jose State College, ancl Diamond National Corp., Redding.