75 Diamonds Crown Progress of California Door

Dick Moore's territory is central and northwestern Los Angeles county, and Ted Still has the assignment of Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

Based at the main office and warehouse at 4940 District Blvd. in Los Angeles are: Harold Logan, office and warehouse manager and desk salesman; Kenny Coleman, desk salesman ; Harold Prechtel, bookkeeper and head of office personnel; and Andrew Willock, warehouse superintendent.

\\rhat have been the policies which have guided the operations of this great manufacturing and distributing firm ?

First. of course. has been that of offering Product Quality, whether it be of products manufactured by Caldoor or those which it represents.

Service Requires Hard Work

Second is that of Service. The custorner is always right; he rvas 75 years ago, he still is today. Such a policy is, naturallv. characteristic of all firrns who have for decades remained successful in business; the lack of such attitude is also one reason why many firms, after a few years' operation, go out of business. This business truth would seem to be self-evident, and thus it is often hard to understand r.r'hy it isn't more closely observed. Perhaps because it takes a lot of hard work to give servicer )€&r in and out. The people at California Door believe in work.

A third basic ingredient of successful constant management knor,vhow, economy of operation, and finally utilization of that somewhat indefinable 'savvy" in knowing how the market is going to go, where and when. Knowledge such as this can be obtained only through business experience: Caldoor has always prided itself on the length of service of its employees. Result? Volume selling enabling competitive prices.

Product Diversification

Last big reason for California Door's continuing success is that of following a line of product diversification which reflects the changing conditions of the building industry.

Generally, the many items offered by the firm fall into the following classifications: Doors, Windows & Sash ; Metal Sash & Doors; Hardboard Products; Plywood and Frames.

Under each category, however, there is a multitude of items, all of which go to creating customer satisfaction and volume sales.

Take doors, for instance. Panel doors, sash doors & front doors-slab -French-detail-screen & combination-combirlatior.r French-wood louverstore doors & Dutch doors - l'ardrobe closet units-glass louver- Ilel-Air combir.rationsliding glass patio (aluminum)all aluminum screen-and that nerv line which has been pictured on these pages, Wood{old Accordion Doors.

Other categories are similarly diversified, and we shan't list them in detail ; suffice it to say that Caldoor has got u'hat you rvant.

Plywood has become a great selling line in recent years, and is offered in Douglas fir (interior & exterior), prefinished hardwoocl and unfinished harcltvood.

Long History

'fhough The California Door Company of Los Angeles was formed in 1887, the background history of the company and its founders covers a period of over a centrlry.

About 1850 Bartlett Doe received by vessel from Boston "'round the Horn" the first cargo of doors and windows to be landed at San Francisco, and in partnership with his brother, John S. f)oe, began business as the firm of B. & J. S. Doe on Nlarket Street.

George O. Wilson arrived on the Pacific Coast about the same time, first to Puget Sound, then down to

San Francisco a year or so later. Here, rvith his brother Nathaniel Irving \Arilson, he established a business iu doors, windows and blinds under the firm name of Wilson & Brother.

In the '60's Charles Franklin Doe, a brother of tsartlett and John, who operated a San Francisco lumber yard, acouired the door and r.l'indow business of john Hall & Son. E. H. Kittredge, an associate of I)oe, took charge of the business and the name was changed to E. H. Kittredge & Company.

'fhese three pioneer firms were combined during the '70's, but retained tl-reir individual identities until 1884 u'hen they merged under the corporate name of The California Door Company. A large manufacturing plant was constructed in Oakland, and its products $'ere sold throughout the world.

The Date-1887

It was in 1887 that the company's first Los Angeles warehouse was established at Second and San Pedro Streets, to become The California Door Company of Los Angeles. Fol- lowing a second move in 1905, the present plant at 4940 District Boulevard in Los Angeles was constructed in 1941. This large building has been enlarged and modernized throughout the years.

Just odded is lhe new Woodfold Acco:dion Door line. bound to be c pcpulor item.

And, you guessed il. Art Porkins ogoinl Company officials are G. O. Wilson, San Francisco, president; Chalmers G. Price, Placerville, vice president; Art Parkins, Los Angeles, vice president; and Charles W. Doe, Palo Alto, s e c re tary-t rea s u re r.

In addition to the above, members of the board are W. Stanley Whitaker, San Francisco; James S. Moser, Walnut Grove; George S. Wilson, Jr., Palo Alto; Charles Webster Doe III, Woodlake; and Glen O. Fogleman, Los Angeles.

Mr. Fogleman, who retired in 1958 after 40 years with the company, was for 30 years firm manager in Los Angeles, and it rvas during his stewardship that the company's business kept its steady growth. He still continues u'ith the company as consultant.

Seventy-five years long, seventy-five strong, the record of The California L)oor Company of Los Angeles is one of which the firm and the whole lumber industry can be proud. The California Lumber l\4erchant is happy, in this year of their 'Diamond Jubilee", to salute them on their achievement.