Hareniber 23, 191 T 



_ HARDWOOD RECORD 



39 



Modern Hardwood Operations 



Nickey Brothers, Inc., Memphis. Tenn. 



The plant of Xlckcy Brothers, Inc., at Blnghanitou, a suburb of Mem- 

 phis, Tenn.. covers Hfteen acres ami proiluces TO.000,000 feet of sawed 

 anil sllcetl veneers .innually. ami about 1,",000.000 feet of hardwood lum- 

 ber, the latter being principally oak from rcKlons producing as fine oak 

 timber as grows in the South or anywhere else. The veneers conic from 

 H number of woods, all of exceptional value, the principal species being 

 ■ak. gum, waluut, ash, poplar, and holly. 



The popular saying that "the better the land, the better the timber" 

 holds true in this case. The timberlands of the Nickey Brothers, Inc., 

 are situated in southern Arkansjis, and from there come practically all 

 the logs which go 

 through their mill. 

 The -epntatlon of the 

 timber is high, and 

 the excellent manner 

 of manufacture in- 

 creases the reputation 

 of the products. Thi- 

 owners are Justly en- 

 thusiastic over the 

 prospects which the 

 future holds in store 

 for gum veneers in 

 general and for tlieirs 

 In particular. The 

 rich figure brought 

 out by manufacturing 

 their gum is phenom- 

 enal, and present pop- 

 ularity is bound to 

 increase, for their 

 lands grow only the 

 highest grades of tim- 

 ber. Expensive pianos 

 and the best class of 

 furniture are made 

 from the gum veneers 

 produced by their mill 

 at Memphis ; and 

 these veneers hold 

 their own in competi- 

 tion with some of the 

 more costly hardwoods 

 Imported from other 

 countries. 



The success which 

 has attended the 

 Nickey Brothers' prod- 

 ucts In the markets 

 has not been due to 

 accident, nor Is it 

 wholly due to the su- 

 perior class of timber 

 which they use. Much 

 of the success Is the 

 logical result of care- 

 ful and Intelligent 

 manufacturing at the 

 mill. It Is possible 

 to spoil the best wood 

 by bad workmanship 

 at the mill : but that 

 does not happen at 

 the Xlekcy Brothers' 

 plant. They are well 

 organized, have com- 

 petent management, 

 good machinery, and 

 efficient labor, and 



machines and apparatus may be noted In a casual inspection of the 

 plant. 



The office creates an excellent impression, as all offices should, for it 

 is here that the visitor Is introduced to the plant. The new modern office 

 of Nickey Brothers, Inc., which is in proximity to their plant, gives a 

 good Idea of the class of products manufactured within the walls. The 

 outside finish is stucco, vi-hiic the interior displays many kinds of veneers 

 manufactured on tlie premises. Quartered oak rriiiings divide the main 

 office into compartments, and to the right are three private offices, each 

 12 by 14 feet. The first is Mr. Martins office and is finished In figured 



red gum, natural, and 

 displays this fine wood 

 to good advantage. 

 The second office is 

 Afr. McLallen's, and 

 its finish is American 

 u ainut ; while the 

 tliird is occupied by S. 

 B. Speight, traffic 

 manager. The finish 

 here is plain gum. 

 The directors' office 

 and guest room Is fin- 

 ished in fumed quar- 

 tered white oak with 

 laised panels, and at 

 tile east end of the 

 room an artistic fire- 

 place adds to the 

 pleasing effect. 



There Is likewise a 

 sun parlor and lunch 

 room for the office em- 

 ployes, of whom there 

 are always a dozen or 

 more. The men's la- 

 vatory is finished in 

 white enamel, and the 

 women's rest room In 

 what is called waxed 

 walnut gum. AH the 

 veneers used in tUs 

 fine finishing were 

 manufactured in the 

 plant. 



excellent taste 

 In the office 

 has received 

 favorable com- 

 and visitors to 

 Memphis and others 

 In any way interested 

 in veneers are well 

 paid by a visit to the 

 offices of the Nickey 

 plant, as it is a prac- 

 tical exhibition of the 

 veneers employed for 

 Interior finish, and it 

 likewise bespeaks up- 

 to-date ideas in the 

 arrangement and con- 

 struction of a modern 

 business office. 



The company em- 

 ploys from 175 to 200 

 persons ; Its. principal 

 wareroom is 132 feet 

 wide and 164 long ; 



CAN YOU BEAT THIS FIGURED GUM? 



'^- ,-- 



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^— I^^V 



The 

 shown 

 finish 

 many 

 ments. 



A SMALL PAUT OR THE STORE ROOM — THIS iSTtM'K OF PLAIN AND FIGURED GUM AND 



OAK VENEERS IS COMPLETE. 



these are bound to produce satisfactory results in the conversion of good 

 raw material. 



Nickey Bros., Inc., are capitalized at $200,000, with S. M. Nickey, presi- 

 dent ; W. E, Nickey, vice-president ; E. L. McLallan, Jr., secretary-treas- 

 urer, and R, O. Martin, manager. Mr. McLallen has supervision of the 

 plant, and Mr. Martin Is In charge of the office and sales, while the general 

 supervision of operations Is in the hands of the president and vice-presi- 

 dent. The active managers are young men with plenty of push and enthu- 

 siasm as well as possessors of thorough knowledge of timber and the pro- 

 duction of merchantable forest products In their line. 



The plant at Memphis is equipped with the best machinery to be had. 

 Nothing Is slighted for want of equipment, and the excellent condition of 



and one of the show-objects of the plant Is the 216 inch knife at work 

 turning out sheets of veneer. 



In a measure it might be said that the success attending the business of 

 Nickey Brothers, Inc., Is due to the fact that Its principals are men who 

 have been unusually successful in developing other organizations having 

 to do with the manufacture of hardwood lumber. In addition to the 

 direct value of their own experience they have that very essential business 

 qualification — the ability to pick for their associates men who are capable 

 of living up to the high standards set by the older men. The NIckeys, 

 who also operate the Green River Lumber Company at Memphis, are 

 products of the Indiana hardwood field In which they operated with 

 marked success in .vears gone by. 



