The Graves Company and its \(/onderful New Offices

The name of Graves has been prominentlv identified rvith the sash, door, and millwork business in Los Angeles for about thirty years. The Graves Company operates a milling and millwork plant with offices at 2000 Pasadena Avenue in that city.

I. W. Fuqua is president of the Graves Company. Howard Coor-Pender is first vice-president and general manager. This genial and highly efficient young man has been with Graves for sixteen years, having been sales manager for years before being made general manager. R. A. Col- lins is treasurer. Fred Wheeler is secretary. Leslie Hill is sales manager. It is a u'ell equippecl, rvell trained, highly efficient group of executives, and the Graves Company is a go-getting concern, well financed, highly progressive.

Not long ago they decided that their expansive, square office building on Pasadena Avenue, afforded splendid possibilities for using some of their own products, and demonstrating to the calling public how beautifully rooms may be finished and adorned with the products they sell the trade. So they went ahead, and gave a world of thought to their planning. Just horv to use a variety of beautiful woods in their office interiors to make the most effective display possible, was their basic thought. It took them several months to do the job, and when they had finished they had a show place such as few lumber and building concerns in the entire country can equal.

The exterior of the big office is itself a very attractive job. The walls are sblid-looking as will be seen in the accompanying illustration, and sparkling white. The windows were attractively fashioned, graceful signs show the name of Graves on both side and front, and on the roof big signs run all the way across front and side so that there may be no doubt in the mind of any passer-by as to whose plant it is, or rvhat they sell. An attractive iron fence protects the lawn and small shrubbery all the way around the office yard. The visitor gets his first impression of the Graves office from a most attractive exterior. And as he enters the office and looks around, it gets better.

The center room is a huge work room, lighted with indirect lighting fixtures, the walls and ceiling are white and bright, and there are attractive glass ceiling adornments. All the way across the front of this main office there is a handsome Oak counter, fronted with figured Oak panels.

There are seven private offices circling this work room, and every one of them is done in different beautiful woods, of different shades and colors. Marvelous paneling is found in each of these seven rooms, all the panels being products of the United States Plywood Corporation, and sold by Graves to the Los Angeles trade. The floors of all these rooms are likewise done in a variety of shades and colors, all covered with Pabco Linoleum, which is also one of the Graves specialties for distribution. They are grand looking floors, rich, soft, longJived even against the hardest usage.

The directors' room is a real beauty, done entirely in Black Walnut panels and trim, the ceiling of bright Insulite. Mr. Coor-Pender's office is very, very beautiful, paneled in Bayott. Another of the private offices is done in Philippine Mahogany against a contrast of Maple batts. Another room is in wcnderful Oak. Still another a splendid example of what can be done with California Redwood for interior paneling. Knotty Western Red Cedar is used in one of the rooms, and attracts attention and admiration from every visitor. The seventh private offrce is finished with a White Pine wainscot, Insulite walls above, and Insulite ceiling. In fact Insulite is used in all of the ceilings.

Not only wonderful materials but discriminating taste has been used throughout this wonderful office and group of private offices in blending and properly contrasting the colors and shades of the wooden walls, the ceilings, and the colored floors. Any prospective builder or re-builder, seeking suggestions and ideas for blends and shades of color and materials for walls, ceilings, and floors, can easily get them from a visit to the Graves Company offices.

It is, of course, a lvaste of lvords to say that the entire organization is proud of their completed offices. When a prospect says to a Graves salesman, "\Mhat can you suggest?" the salesman need only reply, "Drop in at our office and see for yourself how wonderful Graves products rnay be used in sightly building."

Now, the Graves Company is principally engaged in making and distributing in Los Angeles the products they have used in their own ofifices, likewise a complete line of sash, doors, millwork, and special built millwork. But in addition to this, they make and sell another article which is their pride and joy. This is the Graves Sash Balance, which they have owned and distributed for many years, ar;d which they consider the finest device ever made for

Howcrd Coor-Pender First Vice-President cnd Genercl Mcncrger Grcves Compcny

replacing the usual weights and cords in double-hung windows. They sell this Sash Balance not only in Los Angeles, but all over the Pacific Coast, and in many other districts of the United States. They hope ultimately to distribute this Sash Balance nationally, as it is an instant seller wherever shown to the building trade.

The Graves Sash Balance is an ingenious device that permits the use of narrow mullions, narrow casing or plaster return at openings. It eliminates box frames, rattling weights, and the chatter of loose fitting sash. The patent glide used in conjunction with the device is most efiective in preventing window rattling.

The materials used are the best money can buy. The vital helical balance spring is made from blue clock spring steel. The working parts are protected from dirt and rust and under ordinary conditions will last the lifetime of the building. Installation is simple. The Balance is installed in the pulley stile one inch above center in the window opening. The bore required in the pulley stile is lx4rl inch for all sizes of balances. A metal template is furnished for instant and easy location of the bore, or the frames may be bored at the mill.

Where each window is not larger than 3 ft. 6 in. x 6 ft. only one Graves Sash Balance is used for each sash, and is placed on the left side. On the right side of the sash at the top is placed the spring steel glide which absorbs any looseness and insures smooth operation. Pulley stile should not be bored on right side. These units are covered by lT S. patents. For windows of larger size, up to 4O pounds per sash, two Graves Sash Balances are used, one on each side of sash, and the glide is omitted. For sash weighing more than 40 pounds tandem installation is used.

For sash weighing more than 4O pounds 4 Sash Balances are used to each sash, or 8 Balances per window opening. This is very effective for large windows and affords the same smooth operation characteristic of Graves Balances. Overhead installation is provided for lifting sash in the center opening of triple window frames, in order to maintain the narrow mullion effect without making the center window stationary, thereby losing ventilation.

The Graves Company is doing a healthy business all along the line, according to General Manager Howard CoorPender, and confidently expects the last half of 1938 to be much better than the first half.

Appointed Sales Engineer

Einar Christensen, recognized as an authority on lightweight concrete engineering, recently returned to America from Denmark to become sales engineer for the newlyestablished Pottsco department of The Celotex Corporation. Mr. Christensen will make his headquarters in New York City and will have charge of sales promotion, technical and engineering services in the East. He has a wide acquaintance in the building industry.

How Lumber Looks

151 mills in Oregon and Washington which reported to the West Coast Lumbermen's Association for the week ended July 2, produced 64,644,883 feet. New business reported taken for the week by these mills was 97,175,ffi3 feet, and shipments were 89,798,424 f.eet. The unfilled order file stood at 25I,644,OA6 f.eet.

While new business coming to the industry has been increasing during recent weeks, the volume of orders reported shows that the entire industry is still selling a small volume of lumber Ior the time of the year, the Association reports.

Most of the larger logging operations throughout the area are closed, and additional mills unable to meet present price conditions have also closed.

The Western Pine Association for the week ended laly 2, 101 mills reporting, gave production as 56,351,000 feet, shipments 50,020,000 feet, and new business 58,895,000 feet. The unfilled order file at the end of the week totaled 123.910.000 feet.

The California Redwood Association reported production of 13 mills for the week ended June 25 as 7,014,000 feet, shipments 6,n2,W feet, and new business 5,536,000 feet. Weekend orders on hand were 24,266.000 feet.

Lumber cargo arrivals at Los Angeles week ended July 9 totaled 18,652,000 feet as 15,365,000 feet for the week before.