Hard Work and Hustle are Part and Parcel of 50 Year Old Firm

IFTY YEARS OF doing business at the same old stand certainly deserves a pat on the back, especially in our modern age of jet bankruptcy.

A few years ago, we here at the Merchant completed our fortieth annual income tax return and after interviewins the subject of this article we're prompted to wonder if, indeed, the old phrase "Life Begins at Forty" might possibly apply to the corporate animal as well.

Anyway, it is with a gica: dcal of ple*ure that we extend a handshake of consratulations to one of northern California's leading distributors, W,estern Door & Sash Company, Oakland and Berkeley, who put the fiftieth candle on its cake a couple of months ago.

Originai Tocation

Established in the same location at 5th and Cypress Streets in l9I4 by the Iate JohIr L. Todd and his sono Joe, Westcrn Door & Sash Co. today covers some 52,000 sq. ft. at the original site, plus a big sprawling 40,000 sq. ft. plant in Berkeley. The Oakland plant boasts 37,500 sq. ft. in warehouse area plus a 15,000 sq. ft. mill equipped with the latest woodworking machinery. The Berkeley plant, which specializes in carload business to the eastern trade and government overseas orders, has some 22,500 sq. ft. in warehouse space and an 18,000 sq. ft. mill equipped with high speed production machinery for wood processing, and a 2200 gallon tank for Woodtox treating. Both plants are on a spur and both have several truck docks.

Considering that the company now employs an average of 90 people, operates 9 trucks and has a staff of l0 salesmen, Joc Todd must feel justifiably proud when he looks back to the beginning of the company when he and his dad worked from day to day as millmen, salesmen, teamsters, etc. In short, they ran the whole show by themselves rantil 1922, when they finally decided they could afiord a secretary, Mrs. L. M. Dowse, who today is the secretarytreasurer of the company.

Fifty years later, Joe Todd continues to be active in the firm as chairman of the board. And that's no complimentary title either. Joe's down at the "shop" each and every day with the 'early risers.

Another 'oearly bird" species is president Hollis Jones. Hollis joined up with Western Door straight out of high school in the depression year of 1935. From laborer to president in 29 years, with a few years off during the early forties for WW II, that's Hollis' story. Vice-president of our S0-year-old subject is Zook Todd, who started in the mill 15 years ago after graduation from the University of Washington. Today, Zook can be found troubleshooting in any of W'estern Door's territories which stretch from the Oregon border to Bakersfield, in his own Coast Counties territory, or backing up the "brass" in the home office. Operations manager of the concern is Ed Hall, who recently joined the firm (Continued, on Page 68)