Plont

The Van-Evan Plywood Company, operating in the state's biggest building, won a testimonial from Montana Governor J. Hugo Aronson at the official opening of its Missoula plant. Aronson was one of several speakers who addressed a dinner for about 75 visitors.

The governor, citing the Treasure State's "vast reservoir of untapped resources," complimented the firm on its extensive use of western larch, a hitherto unimportant species that will account for about 65/o of Van-Evan production.

Visitors from about 30 states were on hand for the twoday open house, which included tours of the mill and logging operations.

The plywood operation is largely automated and geared to a production of about 6 million sq. ft. per month, to be reached by the end of November. The plant is laid out to include an additional lO-foot production unit throughout which will eventually increase production to approximately l0 million sq. ft. per month.

The building itself covers four acres and is the largest single structure in the state. Production, warehouse and shipping platforms-including a railroad siding-all are under one root.

Van-Evan is a joint venture of Evans Products Company of Plymouth, Michigan, and Vancouver, Washington, Plywood Company. Frost Snyder, Van-Ply president, heads the new company and Evans president E. S. Evans, Jr. is executive vice-president. Eugene Maw is vice president and resident general manager. All three spoke at the banquet.

Other speakers included W. E. Difford, executive vicepresident of the Douglas Fir Plywood Association, who brought word the mill had successfully completed qualifying runs and was entitled to use DFPA grade-trademarks on its interior production. Van-Evan is the 136th mill to join DFPA, Difford said.

Western larch has been utilized only in small quantities until now. Gluing problems have been overcome through research by the two parent companies and by DFPA. The new commercial standard for softwood plywood, CS 45-60, recognizes western larch as equal in strength to coastal type Douglas Fir. Because small timber is being used, knotholes and imperfections are comparatively small and westerr larch does not contain the pitch pockets found in Douglas fir, which must be patched.

The log yard is capable of handling more than 15 million feet of logs and will support a logging operation that will be curtailed only during the spring breakup. Montanans cheered Maw's announcement that mill payroll alone will be about a million dollars annually, plus logging payroll and other mill purchases.

The plant has its own water supply and can supply all its own power, if necessary.

All logs are steamed 24 hours before peeling and the lathe is equipped with a retractable chuck to make possible utilization of small mountain timber and peeling to smaller diameters. Van-Evan has the only barker, cut-off saw and kick-off operated by one man in the plyr,r'ood industry.

-National Foresf Producis Week October 16-22-

Enright Monogement Switches Policy At Sqn Jose Plywood & lumber Co.

On September 1, John Enright, formerly of J. E. Higgins Lumber Company, became manager of San Jose Plywood and Lumber Company, 2590 Lafayette St., in San Jose. The firm, lvhich formerly operated under the name of San Jose Door & Plywood Co., will continue to carry doors in stock sizes but increased emphasis will be placed on plywoods, hardwoods and pine and Douglas fir clears, according to Enright. The office force of Oral Turner, Pat Fraser and Stella Nitahara will remain the same under the new ownership.

-Nalional Foresf Products Week October l6-22-

Douglos Fir Redwood

Ponderoscr Pine

White Fir

Sugor Pine

Mqsonite Chonging Golifornicr Men

John M. Coates, president of Masonite -Corporation, anno-u.rces that Donald J. Gray, vice-president and general manager of the Laurel, Miss., plant, has been ap^pointed assistint to the president and will headquarter in Chicago.

Dean B. Thatiher, general manager of the corporation's Ukiah, Calif., plant, will succeed Mr. Gray. Harold E. Nee, production manager at Laurel, has been appointed general *"n"g.. of the Ut<iatr plant, succeeding Mr. Thatcher.

The" company plans to have these changes in effect by October 1.

-Nafional Forest Products Week ' October 16-22Fisher

Ycrrd Hondling Filon

Fisher Lumber Co., Santa Monica, has been appointed a Class A dealer for its products by Filon Plastic Corp. Tom Fox, president of the retail yard, said he is expanding his br,rilding materials department with the plastic panels.

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