ota Sree SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 1941. THE DAILY OKLAHOMAN Started in Omaha, Carpenter Paper Business Thrives Company Has Had A Long Record of Service To Middle West CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE as early as 1903 by traveling sales- men, but Carpenter did not get a real foothold in California until 1917 when Pp. C. Holland, an experienced paper man, sold out his interest in an estab- lished house and became the Carpen- ter representative. He built up the business steadily, and incorporation of the Carpenter Paper Co., of California was effected in 1931 with Holland as vice-president and manager. Into North Texas Since then there have been acquis- tions of other competitive houses; the senior Holland has died and his son, Kenneth, is now vice-president and manager of the Carpenter west coast interests, Latest major acquisition of the Car- penter domain has been in north Texas. The firm was well established in south Texas as early as 1913, but not until 1935 did it get into the Dallas-Fort Worth area in earnest. In June of that year it bought out a competing organization, the Tay- loe Paper Co., of Memphis. The Tay- loe brothers, incidentally, began their paper career in Omaha in 1903, but soon moved over to Tennessee and their paths did not cross with the Carpenters again until the north Tex- as deal was started. All in One Company The Carpenter Paper Co., of Texas was organized with headquarters in Fort Worth, and since then addition- al warehouses have been established in Lubbock and Dallas. In 1937/all of the assets of the 14 subsidiary companies were liquidated into one organization, the Carpenter Paper Co. Thus, the Carpenter em- pire now extends through 17 states west of the Mississippi river and serves this vast territory with warehouse stocks of merchandise in Omaha, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, San An- tonio, Fort Worth, Dallas, Denver, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Lincoln, Billings, Great Falls, Grand Island, Sioux City, Des Moines, Harlington, Austin, Ogden, Pocatello, Topeka, Lubbock, Pueblo and Albuquerque. While policy and central manage- ment-is settled at Omaha, each sub- sidiary has a local operating staff which identifies itself closely with lo- cal interests. Each company person- nel takes an active part in civic and community affairs; each branch sup- ports local projects and builds itself into the life of the territory from which it obtains its trade. Purchases for each office are made locally so far as this is possible. Moser Active in City In Oklahoma City, for example, Ralph R. Moser, the manager, has been one of the most active workers in the chamber of commerce. He has been a director, chairman of nu- merous committees, and a reliable workman in the ranks whenever help was needed. Moreover, he has been active in Rotary and has served as president of both the Oklahoma City Wholesalers and Manufacturers asso- ciation and of the Oklahoma Paper Merchants association. This civic activity is typical of the Carpenter organization everywhere. Company executives are encouraged to |- give time and effort to worthwhile civic endeavor. The various branches carry their share of the financial ob- ligations arising from community funds, chambers of commerce, etc. Young Men Are Trained Each year a carefully chosen group of young men is brought into the or- ganization and started on a rigid training regime which eventually will fit them for the executive positions of the future. The company has through this system now built up a reservoir of potential executive talent from which it can draw its future managers as time requires. All the present executives of the company have come up through the ranks and have long service records with Carpenter. J. A. CARPENTER, chairman of the board, has been active in the paper business for almost three de- cades. He was born on a farm in Marengo, Ill, and started selling papers on the streets of Chicago in June, 1884, He drove a horse and wagon all over the south side and built up a steady business for those |, days. In February, 1887, he gave up his Chicago business and moved out to.Omaha where his brothers already had laid the foundations of the Car- enter company. He served as city salesman in Omaha until February, 1902, when he was sent to Kansas City to take charge of the subsidiary Kansas City Paper House. He re- tained this connection until December, 1925—when his elder brother, Isaac died. J. A. succeeded Isaac as head of all the Carpenter interests and when the Carpenter Paper Corp., was formed in 1930 he became its presi- | J dent. He was named chairman of the board in April, 1936—the position he still holds. I. W. CARPENTER JR., is presi- dent. From his Omaha headquarters he directs the merchandising and op- erating activities of the entire Car- penter group. He came into the paper business in 1916 as a city salesman and became active in the manufactur- ing and merchandising departments. He soon was.made manager of the Federal Envelope Manufacturing com- pany, one of the Carpenter subsidi- aries. He continued his merchandising and sales work in the fine paper de- partment and in 1926 became vice- president of Carpenter Paper Co. of Nebraska. In 1930 when the Carpenter Paper corporation was formed he was elected first vice-president and later. “in 1936 became its president. H. F. FIELD, first vice-president ‘and treasurer, is responsible for the - finances of the company. He joined ‘the Carpenter organization at Omaha in 1892, and soon became cashier of the Omaha office. He later traveled ' the northwest territory as salesman, and in 1902 went to Knasas City as & treasurer of the Kansas City Paper House, at the time it was acquired by the Carpenters. In 1930 he was made a@ vice-president and treasurer of the Carpenter Paper corporation, and in 1937 was elected first vice-president and treasurer of the Carpenter Paper company. G. E. CARPENTER, vice-president, started with the company in 1905 as city salesman. Later he broadened his experience by selling in the important country territories of Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska, In 1925 he was elected vice-president and appointed country sales manager. He is now in charge of the Montana operations and is on the general office merchandise staff at Omaha. The executive committee consists of James A. Carpenter, chairman; I. W. Carpenter jr. H. F. Field and G, E. Carpenter. These four are on the board of directors as are Charles BE. Schoff, vice-president, of San /*.tonio, A. P. Spitko, vice-president, Salt Lake City, and C. Y. Offutt of Omaha. The officers of the company, in ad- dition to those mentioned above are: R. R. Moser, vice-president, Okla- homa City, Okla. D.