67-Acre Hollow Tree Inill ls A Plonned Operqtion

Modern manufacturing and merchandising methods are the greatest factors in the miraculous growth of the Hollorv Tree Red'rvood Company of Ukiah, California, during the past 10 years of cutting and milling redwood sa'rvlogs only, inits dual 67-acre mill and remanufacturing plant located in the heart of the Cali{ornia Redwood country, approximately 150 miles north of San Francisco.

The head man of this progressive concern is 40-year old President William M. Moores, who started in the forestry business as a "whistle punk" a few years prior to the start of World War II. Bill, as he is familiarly addressed by all employes throughout the huge operation, is a young man familiar with every phase of this vast operation, from the log to the mill, through the finish plant to marketing. By surrounding himself with young, aggressive department heads who knorv their part of the business from the ground up, he is able to keep in direct touch with the company's sources of logs straight through to the finished product and delivery.

Hollow Tree Redrvood Company is a planned operation from start to finish. The up-to-date circular sarvmill, presently cutting 115,000 board feet per shift, is located just one mile over private paved road from the large modern remanufacturing plant. Efficient handling, under the supervision of Lee Vostmyer, general production superintendent, moves the material to the second section of the plant r,vhere it is prepared for drying either by air or kiln. Four huge Moore Dry Kilns, with a capacity of half-million charge each, are in operation constantly, and the sticking crews.

along with the remanufacturing plant crervs, are on a 24hour, three-shift basis. Over four and one-half million board feet of redwood is shipped from this location each month.

This is the tenth anniversary of the firm rvhich started rvith a total of 35 employes. Today, Hollorv Tree has over 215 production employes on its payroll, operating on a 'round-the-clock basis. Although a great percentage of the finished lumber moves from the plant via truck-and-trailer, it is interesting to note it requires a 35-car spur to har-rdle the balance of the shipments via rail.

At the time this coverage rvas made last month, four nerv dry sheds rvere under construction, over five million feet of finished lumber was ready for shipment and, including the logs at the cold deck, approximately 10 million board feet r,r''ere.in various stages of remanufacture. This does not includeethe..tlvo million, or more, footage in the Moore Dry"Kilns.

In addition to the modern mill facilities at the remanufacturing plant,'rvhiih houses over 25 units of machinery, it requires the services of four carriers, seven lift trucks and three cranes, on a three-shift basis, to mill and move the material through the establishment.

The mill is on a constant Z4-hour basis and the change of crews does not interfere with production. It is an automatic shift change where the relief crew arrives before the preceding crew leaves the post. Each crew is retired in order without stoppage of equipment. Superintendent Vostmyer says the only waste connected

HOI1OW IREE REDWOOD COMPANY'S mill is shown in two views ot laft ond right in top ponel of pix obove, while rhe remonufocluring plont is shown lop center. fhe second ponel shows vorious views of finished lumber sfacks in the huge 67-ocre plont or Ukioh, Colif. The Moore dry kilns ore seen left and right in rhird ponel, qnd centcr shows sito of future storoge shed. left qnd right next ponel-looding on compony 3pur; cenior, concenlrdtion with the Hollow Tree mill is sawdust. Tl-re chips, and all cut-off pieces, are loaded in standby trucks which roll down the hill one mile to the big new Masonite plant, rvhere they are utilized in the various products manufactured by the Masonite Corporation.

The operation of the plant under Lee Vostmyer, a veteran in the lumber milling business, is handled on a constant flow system. The logs move from the logging area via huge trucks to the cold deck, where they are stacked and made ready for the carriage to the sawyer. As the material comes off the chain it is sorted and immediately prepared for hauling to the remanufacturing plant, where it goes through the various stages of preparation for market.

There is no lost motion in any part of the operation, which is handled with a minimum of employes considering the production schedule of over a million board feet per week.

To carry out the policy of a close-knit organization, all personnel of the concern live and work in Ukiah. This includes the sales and executive staffs.

To expedite travel and communication, the company recently acquired a beautiful new Tr,vin Bonanza aircraft, r'vhich rvill transport members of the company at three miles per minute from the home base to any point in the United States, Canada and Nlexico.

This ship is ultramodern in every detail and is in the capable hands of Curtis Smith, formerly r,vith the Harvaiiarr the

Airlines, and a pilot with the U.S. forces during Worlcl War IL Smith isin charge of the transportation department and has two planes at his disposal for the convenience of company ofifrcials, sales personnel and visiting guests. A trip from l-os Angeles to Ukiah with Smith, in his sixpassenger job, requires a total of three hours.

To market over 50 million feet of redwood each year, it requires experienced help, plus 50,000 air miles of travel annually, to develop nationr,vide sales for this progressive redrvood concern.

Max

Barnette

Heads Marketing

Heading this department of the business is Max R. Barnette, vice-president and general manager. Considering the r.arious problems confronting him, following his move from Long Beach last September, Barnette divided the rvork load u,ith three well-informed, capable sales executives.

F. L. Bror,vn, formerly in charge of the Chicago office of the firm and more recently in the Long Beach office, rvas appointed to the important post o{ eastern sales manager rvith headcluarters in Ukiah. He will cover his territory by company plane. Jim Hennessy, who previously covered the San Francisco Bay area, has been named California sales manager, and Russ Roepke, veteran lumber mill salesman, has been placed in charge of sales at the mill level. All sales areas will be covered by air travel in the private plane with Pilot Smith at the controls.

..dn line rvith building a close-rvorking organization, presid94p,N{,oores has the able assistance of W.H.A. Smith, vicepresident; L. D. Courtright, secretary-treasurer, and Dorothy NIcCue, executive secretary to the president. Efficiency of operation throughout the company is the rvatchu'ord of success.

"By maintaining our complete staff at the seat of operation, rve are able to give faster and better service. Our means of communication with our customers is more direct and, I believe, lnore economical. Our sales are handled from the source of supply, which eliminates 1\raste o{ time and the expense of branch offices throughout the countrv," said Moores.

"When it is necessary we all have at our disposal private aircraft to transport any of us to any point in the country. We hope to pass some of this savings or-r to our customers, not only in better service but dollar n'ise also," he declared. Vice-president Smith rvas away on a timber-crnising expeditior-r n'hen this article was prepared by The CALIFORNIA LUIVIBER MERCHANT.

Hollow Tree Redwood Company appears to have solved many problems in the production and marketing of lumber. The modern offices, mills and equipment of the company depict a successful, clean operation with happy, contented employes at the helm.-by Ole May.

Nell Interesfs Tqke Over Pioneer Von Arsdqle-Hqrris Lumber Co.

Van Arsdale-Harris Lumber Co., Inc., well-known in San Francisco Bay area lumber since 1888, was recently purchased by Ted Nell and his father, Edward J. Nell, succeeding the Needham interests in the pioneer concern. The father and son partnership will continue to operate the business as Van Arsdale-Harris Lumber Company, with headquarters at 595 Tunnel Avenue, San Francisco.

Ted Nell, who will actively manage the firm, was formerly sales manager of Sonoma Wood Products. His brother, phil Nell, is general manager of that firm. Edward J. Nell formerly had his own business in Manila, P.I., representing various U. S. heavy machinery manufacturers in the Far East. In addition to Ted Nell, Fred Oliver is also active in tl.re Van Arsdale-Harris sales department. Cliver, who joined the firm earlier this year, had formerly been with Forest Fiber products Co.

The new partnership is currently expanding under-cover storage facilities at the yard in order to accommodate complete stocks of high grade lumber, including various siding patterns, clear timbers, specialty items and industrial lumber.

Coqst Counfies Hoo-Hoo Elect 55-56 Slcrte

An election meeting of Coast Counties Hoo-Hoo Club 114 was held October 27 at Dixie's restaurant, between Watsonville and Santa Cruz, with Ollie Lee, outgoing president, presiding. Later in the evening, Vince Moore, Moore Lumber Company, Salinas, received the president's gavel and officially began a new Club 114 year to be presided over by the well-known and popular Salinas retail dealer.

President Moore's fellow officers and directors for the coming year are as follows:

Vice-president, Willard Lentz, Santa Cruz Lumber Company; Secretary-treasurer, Dan Cuckler, Georgia-Pacific Plywood Companv, Salinas; new directors-Bob Brazelton, Georgia-Pacific Plywood Company, Salinas; Jack Russell, Hayward Lumber Company, Pacific Grove; Sherwood Causley, Hayward Lumber Company, Salinas; Herb Swenson, Reid & Wright Lumber Company, Fresno; Fenner Angel, Pacific Lumber & Supply, Santa Cruz, and Ollie I-ee, E. L. Bruce Company, Inc., Santa Clara.

The first Club 114 meeting under the leadership of tlre new offrcers and directors was a very successful Concat heltl at Cademartori's on the Monterey highway, November 17. Dave Davis of Simpson Redwood Company, Snark of thc Universe, presided over the Concat.

There is enough standing sawtimber in the United States to build a six-room house for every man, woman and child in the nation with lumber left over.

Western Pine [5sn.-qnd fhe R.efqiler

(Continued from Page 34) the building material field is mute testimony to what good promotion behind a worthy product can do.

The Western Pines have been advertised before the American people for more than 30 years. Advertisements in consumer magazines helped give the woods the character and "brand" personality needed to make them a marketing success.

One of the most successful services of the promotion department has been its providing publications for consumer use, and for use as sales helps by the retailers. By the end of the year, well over a million pieces of literature will have been distributed.

Ranging from small, inexpensive leaflets to elaborate consumer idea and lumber trade species books, the association has been a pioneer in the use of publications for promotional purposes.

Ho'ivever, it was in industrial films that the association stepped out in full pioneering regalia when, in the mid193O's, it produced one of the first lumber industry movies. Since that time it has kept pace with this media, recently producing the award-winning "The Bounty of the Forest," a 2S-minute documentary in full color which has been tabbed a "TV classic" by the television industry, rvhich often makes use of it, and "Operation Attic !" a pioneering effort, and another award-n'inner, in the "do-it-yourself" field.

The films are available on loan free of charge to retailers interested in showing them before service groups and other organizations, in special showrooms at the lumberyard.

Recently, through its advertising agency, a special publicity program has been aimed to carry the story of the Western Pines and associated woods to still more people. Slated to cover the nation via the rveekly and daily newspaper medium, early results shorv excellent editorial reception.

This Fall the latest series of newspaper advertising mats were released for use free of charge by retailers. A proof sheet is available and will be sent on request. Also just released for retailer use is a new series of six, one-minute full-color theater advertising short movies promoting the use of Western Pines. This brings to 19 the number of different "playlets" available for carrying the retail lumber message to the community through the medium of the local theater.

A force of eight field men, scattered in the most important sections of the United States-including California-work with retailers to help handle problems rvhich may occur. The field representatives can also provide the retailers with ideas regarding the facilities of the association and how they best can be used.

The field men also work closely with builders, architects. and others involved in the merchandising and use of lumber.

Traffic

With the markets for the products of Western Pine mills scattered across an entire continent, a special department of the association keeps a watchful eye on developments in