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Bickell Brothers Combine Their Experience For New Retqil Yord in ftlountqin View
Brothers Herb and Harold Bickell, a couple of the best-known-and-liked gents in Northern California's big retail lumber industry, became entrepreneurs first-class on November l, the date of the official opening of Bickell Bros. Lumber and Building Supplies, at 134 South San Antonio Road, in Mountain View. Herb and Harold, both energetic young men, but with over 62 years' retail lumber experience between them, have incorporated the finer points from their extensive background into a fine little retail lumber business which was picking up volume even before its doors were open.
Although the 12.00O sc1. ft. building occul>ied b1. Bickell Bros. rr,as not originally intended {or a lumberyard operation (the building belorrgs to Herb and r,vas originally intendecl for lease income), it turned out to lre highiy satisfactory Ior all purposes. Of tilt-slab construction employing clear sp:rn Glu-lam beams, the building houses a retzril departurent and offices in front.
THE YARD ENTRANCE is otlroctive ond well-mqrked. The neon sign with "bullerin boord" for speciols hos proven highly effective in the new retoil operotion. The current sign when this photo wos token soys: lxl2 Shelving-lO cents o fool side of the building. ln oddirion to inside slordge, yord will eosily occommodote 300,000 b.f. ourside
The re st of the building provides :rrnlile undercover lrrmber storage and is separated from the front section lr,y :r nrovable n'all u'hich car.r be movecl frrrther back in the lrr-ril<1ing 'lr.hen expansion of the retail department so rvarrlrrrts. l,)verything u.as plzrnnecl u'ith future expansion in n.rir.rcler.en though prcscnt facilities :rre rn()re tl'ran adeclulLte.
WAtL DISPLAY closeup shows rhe otlroctiva chrome brockets which olso dress up the disploy. Here the Poweriool disploy is feirtured. Merchondise disployed here is oll individuolly price-togged, qnd nolice uncluttered, over<ll oppeoronce
PROFESSIONAT looking, but economicsl. woll disploy wos designed
Of the some (r2 years of retail lumber experience Herb and Harold have logged, Harolcl rates as senlor partner by five years. Botl.r u'ere employed by the same lumber firm throughout tl.rose "62 years."
Harold Bickell began his retail career during 1925 with Merner Lumber Compar.ry, Palo Alto. After ter.r years, he rvas named manag'er of millrvork at Progress l,nmber Company (ou,ned by Merner) in llednood City arrcl, during 1946, u'as appointed general manager of the entire Progress yaro.
Herb, likeu.ise, begar-r his career rvith Merner I-umber, although five years later, during 1930. \Vith the exception of three years in the South Pacific 'rvith Uncle's Navy drrring WWII, he remained n'ith the l\Ierr.rer organization rrntil late lzrst summer, rvhen brothers Herb and Harold decidecl to strike off on their ou'n. tferb u.as general manager of Xlerrrer's luml-rer divisi,rn rvhen he left the firnr.
Catering to the shoulder trade, ancl to industrials and custom builders, Bickell Bros. has every appearar.rce of being ear-marked for more than modest success. Or as Brother Ilerb, with tongue in cheek, puts it: "If the customers ever st:rrt coming in like the salesmen have, u'e just can't miss !"
PIENTY OF ROOM for lumber hondling or reor of building. Unir such os lhis con be lronsferred by one of the yord's lifts fron truck to worehouse...
. through qny one of six l2-fi. boys in nothing fiar. The yord is com. pletely poved to focilirore oll-weother hondling
SIANDUP RACK of lumber sorted to grode ond specias and individuolly price-togged for convenience of the shoulder rrode. This departmenl is immediotely io resr of the retoil showroom, Lorger orders for conlrocto13 qnd industriol users ore filled furrher bqck in worehouse
