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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 1956)
' III) .c::!rr:r,.-n. Salem, Ore., Wei. Jan. 18. 'S3 Si IB o ' iirarameniu IL ii cilities Feafaire Allocate Build 'I I 'V i I ! j ' 0" " 1 s . s ,; ; . , 1 " V 1j . - r. k r X A-yvM: j . Office Engineered for Convenience The deUlli of the new regional office of Allstate Insurance have been engineered for comfortable working conditioni, employee convenience and efficiency. An infirmary for two people ia provided and equipped with first aid auppliea. The lounge accommodates 32 people. Here fresh coffee is available as well as other refreshments. A powder bar, which has six stools and a long mirror, is provided for the con venience of the women, as well as a separate lounge. Three bulfetin boards are conveniently located' to keep person nel Informed of news and activities to their interest A separate room is provided for training various groups. Groups up to 36 people caa be accommodated in the conference room Special loom for Applicants . A room specifically designed for testing job applicants in typing is adjacent to the personnel department.. Two pay-telephone booths are located In the lobby for the use of employes and customers desiring privacy in telephone conver Also for the convenience of the euitomen arc two nrivit rnn- ference rooms adjacent to the lobby. One of the work features of the office is an Ozalid Copying Machine, which reduces time for making copies of forms snd letters. The Addressograph room ia glass enclosed to effect the feeling of spaciousness to those working in the department and also to contain the noise of the machines within the addressograph room. Lighting Well Planned Each desk or working space has a lighting efficiency of 45 foot candles, which is considered to be proper for efficiency and reduces eye fatigue. - " Overhead fibreglass accoustkal tile readily absorbs the office noise and makes lor quiet office conditions. Floor ducts eliminate the need for electrical cords between desks and equipment. Temperature and air circulation are maintained by stesm radiant baseboards and tempered fresh air from the ceilings. Ample cloak room space is provided in two separate semi-open rooms located on either aide of the building. Building Plans Materialize Rapidly for Allstate Allstate Insurance first announc ed its choice of Salem for its new regional office late last May and its program thereafter took shape rapidly. Plans already were being drawn by James L. Payne, Salem archi tect, and Contractors Viesko It Post broke ground for 'he build ing at appropirate ceremonies two weeks later. At that time, only a one-story building was con templated, but a second story was incorporated Into later planning. Announcement ot the venture came from A. E. Frederic of Menlo Park, Calif., vice president for Allstate's Pacific Zone. At the ground-breaking cere monies on June 14, Jane Blazek and Barbara Adamek of the Sa lem Sears store were in old fashioned costumes to set the mo tif for the event at the site of Salem's first store, and oxen and a frsno did the - initial work. Present was Bailey M. Barrett, who had been assigned as, resi dent manager. Top-ranking offi cials from other Allstate offices also were on hand. Interviewing of job' applicants began in mid-August, and mary of them were sent for training to the regional office at Seattle which, until the opening of the Salem branch, handled the com pany's business for Washington, Oregon and Idaho. The Salem of fice now handles Oregon and Southern Idaho. Equipment was brought to Sa lem early in November and oa Friday, Nov. 4 the moving-in wis started in earnest. By the foIW- ing Monday, Nov. 7, desks, records and other facilities were h shape to permit the formal openiig of business. Open house was delayed pend ing complete organization of the personnel and facilities, and the final ceremonies placing the new Allstate regional office into full operation are underway today. Volume in 1955 Sets New Mark In Auto Insurance Allstate Insurance Company reached an all time high last year in volume of auto insurance writ ten by achieving a premium total of nearly one quarter billion dol lars, Calvin Fentress Jr., presi dent, announced. Final figures will set a new industry record, be pre dicted. The IKS volume of direct writ ten auto premiums, based on esti mated figures, will be approxi mately 30 per ent greater than the 1954 volume of $207,000,000, when the company first passed the $200 million mark, Fentress said. Total sales volume of Allstate, including its fire and general lia bility lines, will approximate 052,000.000, Fentress estimated. Final figures will not be available until early in February. Allstate's premium writings in Canada in 1955 will be approxi mately double the 1954 figure, or near the 16,000,000 mark, Fentress said. , CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST. WISHES TO 'ALLSTATE INSURANCE We Welcome You to Salem The Beauty of Our Businest Ji Flowers 1210 S. Commercial Street Salem, Oregon Best Wishes To - ALLSTATESINSUMNCE - We arc pleased to welcome you to Salem and happy you chose our new building lor your regional rV office headquarters SALEM OFFICES: 198 SOUTH LIBERTY ""J 'f:"Ar ' Jyr ."'-' 'IS a?. (Inrs is. a precious Mage The faith of our forefathers never wavered from the time the first plow bit the earth until a community of schools, churches, homes and mills were turned over to their children and grandchildren-and through inter vening generations, progress has never faltered. And today? We have only begun to grovel We proudly welcome Allstate Insurance Company HDD & Bi.sn to Oregon s finest community U.S. National Baulk OF PORTLAND SALEM BRANCH MEMBER FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORP. flic r i svav l- m. . mr
