2 Th Ntwt-fUvitw, Roieburg, Ore. Tue., June 21, 1949
V
T
7'N
t f
4
.rr -wrv "
' ' ' I "
. !
i
V SI
H iftMMO
m 0
-1
Veneer Co-Op Formed In '21 Fountain
Source Of Northwest Plywood Mills
In '1 92 1, at Olympia, Wash., a small group of men organized
the Olympia Veneer Co. It was to be a cooperative association
composed entirely of workmen for the purpose of building a
ilant and engaging in the manufacture of plywood. .
When the company was organized, the manufacture of Doug
is fir plywood for commercial use was practically unknown.
jO.Tte veneer was manufactured by mill companies in connection
.viih their own millwork, but not for sale in the open market.'
E. A. Wenljar, manager of the
ated Plywood's Rosebuig
Ions, recalls that the old
;ia Veneer Co. cut box shook
number oJ years. Due to
poor mai'Ket conditions in me
bo.: market, there were better
opportunities In the salei oi door
panels.
Plywood machinery was Install
ed Sor the manufacture of door
panels and for several years, un
til Douglas fir plywood became
a staple item of national distribu
tion, these represented a major
part of the company's production.
Phenomenal 8ucoeat
In the picture above, the Olym
pia Veneer Co.'s plant is shown.
This mill was operated from 1921
until it was sold In 1946. Manu
facturing facilities were en
largcd'from time to time and the
output grew from a production of
15,000,000 feet 3 8-inch basis in
1922, to a production of 70,000,000
feet annually.
The mud In the foreground
of the . picture is now State
Street, one of Olympla's principal
thoroughfares.
The cooperative system of op
eration proved a success from the
start. Within a few years, other
plywood companies were organ
ized In the Pacific Northwest,
some of which may be said to be
direct outgrowths of the Olympia
Veneer Co. There are few com
mercial plywood companies in the
Pacific Northwest whose key per
sonnel, or executives, have not
been associated at one time or
another with' this firm.
Due to a steadily diminishing
log supply in the State of Wash
ington, the company In 1937 be
gan to investigate the possibility
of locating a plywood plant in
Oregon. In 1939, a plant site was
obtained in Wlllamina and a
modern plywood mill was con
structed there.
In 1927, when the organizers
of the Aberdeen Plywood Co. were
unable to get that plant into pro
duction, the company acquired the
entire capital stock of the Aber
deen firm. The mill was soon on
an operating and profitable basis.
The operation was continued at
Aberdeen until 1940, when the en
tire plant was destroyed by fire.
Due to logging advantages in
Oregon, a plant site was obtained
at Eugene, a mill erected, and
production started in the latter
part of 1940. The name of the
company was changed to that of
the Eugene Plywood Co. in Octo
ber, 1940, and later to the Asso
ciated Plywood Mills, Inc.
CONGRATULATIONS
P. J. HANNS CO.
ESTABLISHED 1922
Sawmill 0 Logging Supplies Machinery j
Washington Titan Wire Rope
Yarders o Power Saws 0 Explosives
2nd and Blair Sts., Eugene, Oregon
Telephone 1313-464
CONGRATULATIONS
TO
The ASSOCIATED PLYWOOD MILLS, Inc.
on the opening
of their new,
modern lumber division
at
ROSEBURG, OREGON
SEATTLE BOILER WORKS
STEEL FABRICATORS
Seattle, Washington
it
it
A . SALUTE TO
ASSOCIATED PLYWOOD MILLS, INC.
NEW, MODERN LUMBER PRODUCINC PLANT
We at Munneli & Sherrill, Salute
You for Your Progressiveness
MUNNELL & SHERRILL
Industrial Supplies Sine 1915
1 450 West 7th St. Tel. 5533 400 S. W. 1 st Ave. Tel. AT-7365
Eugene, Oregon Portland 4, Oregon
-Representing-
PIONEER RUBBER MILLS
Belting, Hose, Packing
and Specialties
"V" Belts, Sheaves, Pulleys,
Motor Bases
SPECIALTY HARDWARE
CHICAGO BELTING CO.
Leather Belting, Cups
and Packing
Simonds Files and Hacksaw
Blades
Pyrene and Co-Two
Extinguishers
FIRE FIGHTING SUPPLIES
Worthington V-Belt Drive
UNION WIRE ROPE CO.
Union-Formed Wire Rope
Ktlstone Wax and Gum
Fire Hose
LOGGING AND
SAWMILL SUPPLIES
.1