I|{tANI) TUMBTR COMPAI{Y

In addition to these door skins, the Strait company llow produces in excess oI 2500 doors per day, it was said.

It was just a little over two years ago that Charlie Strait established his own door-manufacturing business in El Monte. From a slow start and five employes, Strait has been expanding by leaps and bounds. This- firm now employs more than 100 men in the production department, operates two huge German Hot Presses and occupies six large warehouses on the six-acre site. In addition, it requires two shifts to keep up with the ever increasing demand for Strait materials.

"We presently enjoy a backlog of more than 100,000 doors and we intend to work full capacity to supply the everincreasing demand for our doors," said Charlie Strait.

In order to keep the plant "humming," Lourent Wilkinson, formerly with E. D. Delaney, Inc., has been appointed assistant superintendent in charge of the swing shift. He has many years' experience in the wood products business and has been closely allied with the Strait organization for several years. Another top man in the door industry, Dan Hartwell, has been named general superintendent of the ftrait plant, and A. F. Kelly, formeily of Doors, Inc., Mountain View, California, has been assigned to the im- portant post of assistant to General Manager Pete Bingley. Pete has been with Strait since the very start of the business and prior to that time was employed in the door-manufacturing business for several years in Southern California. Kelly will handle the credit department in addition to other administrative duties.

According to President Strait, his firm is presently enjoying a multi-million-dollar volume and has increased sales and manufacturing more than four times since the first year of operation. "If it becomes necessary, we shall establish a graveyard shift to keep abreast of the demand for Strait doors," he said.

"There are three important factors in our growth. We endeavor to produce the best door that money can obtain, we have a close-knit organization both in sales and production, and we direct our advertising through the proper channels so the answer is quality products, teamwork and straight-from-the-shoulder advertising," Strait continued.