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“New Century: New Life for Webb”

In 1905, after more than 10 years in business, the company’s founders sold their interests to longtime Edinburgh grain and hardware merchant David R. Webb. By that time vertical rather than horizontal slicing was recognized as the best method to produce the highest quality veneer with the least amount of waste. Vertical slicers are still the best method for cutting veneer at the Webb Co. and throughout the industry. In 1910 the company had competition throughout the US. In the Edinburgh area alone there were approximately six companies producing some form of hardwood veneer. The surrounding area also boasted many mills. Upon Webb’s death in 1914, his two daughters along with their husbands took over the company and renamed it the David R. Webb Veneer Company. Following World War I, the Webb Co. enlarged its operations and again installed new and more modern equipment, which included larger and more efficient Capital slicers and veneer dryers. A new railroad line was also laid giving direct access to the vital railway. In the early 1920’s, several fires struck the Webb Co. which became obstacles the company had to overcome. In October of 1942, after nearly three decades of ownership and the plant in desperate need of renovation again, shares of the company were sold to a consortium owned by two European families, Grunwald and Grossman. Max Spoerri was named president and sales manager while Michael Joelson was tabbed as plant superintendent of the Edinburgh division which operated as Webb Veneers.

“The European Connection”

The techniques and practices used by the majority of U.S. manufacturers in the veneer industry during the first half of the 20th century were in stark contrast to that of their European counterparts. The veneer operations in the Unites States had been evolving as an industrial mass production process since being put into regular practice in the mid-1800s. However, in Europe, and in particular Paris, France, the veneer process was being refined to the point of being a craftsman’s art by the early part of the 20th century and included both softwoods and hardwoods. The superior quality of the veneer coupled with the modest means of many Europeans made veneer products much more readily acceptable in Europe than in the United States. Many European veneer craftsmen went to Paris to learn the trade under notable tutors. Ferdinand Grunwald and Karl Danzer were two of those tutored in Paris. They brought their newly acquired knowledge to the United States. The Danzer Group purchased the Webb Co. in 1972.

“Modern Era: Maintaining Survival”

During World War I, the Webb Co. produced Poplar and Gum veneer for plywood used in the building of gliders, airplanes and small boats for the U.S. Army and Great Britain’s Royal Air Force. The Webb Co. did not return to full-scale commercial veneer production until after the war. By that time, the plant was in despair, having gone through the Great Depression followed by the outbreak of WW II without any major enhancement of its facilities or equipment. The company’s sales network also needed to be re-established and expanded. Ferdinand Grunwald hired Max Spoerri as President and controller of pricing and merchandising, and Michael Joelson was put in charge of management and renovation of the plant. Soon after renovation plans began, the David R Webb Company suffered a major setback. In May of 1951 one of the warehouses was destroyed by one of the worst fires in company history. That warehouse was soon rebuilt. Fire struck twice more in the next nine years. After Grunwald’s death in 1952 the company continued on as it had before. Some of Grunwald’s dreams being met after his death. Upgrades in equipment and transportation continued to aid in the growing company. In October of 1966, the company was purchased by the Rutland Corp. which marked the beginning of a turbulent six years and a fight for survival. In the following years the company underwent a series of in both management and sales. Finally, on December 22, 1972 the Danzer family purchased the Webb Co., ensuring the survival of Indiana’s second oldest veneer manufacturer still in operation.

“The Danzer Group: A New Partner”

The sale of the Web Co. to the Danzer family in 1972 marked more than just another transition of ownership for the company. The association with the Danzer family immediately took the Webb Co. to higher levels, launching it from its artisan style of operation to world prominence in the fine hardwood veneer and lumber industry as one of the most modern, industrial and quality conscious operations of its kind anywhere. During the 1970’s, the Webb Co. continued to expand and upgrade its facilities.

“Webb: Reaching the World”

The Webb Co.’s ascent in the world marketplace has been both swift and decisive. The company has been shipping hardwood veneer, and more recently lumber, to Europe, Asia, Central America, South America, and Africa for nearly 20 years. Adding to the internationalization of the Webb Co. and the North American veneer industry as a whole, there has been a growing trend to import veneers from all over the world to offer to their domestic customers. In 1989 the Webb Co. opened Bradford Forest Products in Bradford, Pennsylvania which quickly built a reputation in the marketplace for superior, high-grade species lumber production. Preparing hardwood veneer for the export rather than the domestic market is markedly different. The steps in the veneer process are the same until after drying, at which point domestic veneer is crated, sampled and ready for shipment. However, veneer headed for export is taken to another area on the far north end of the Webb Co.’s main plant. There, the veneer is clipped, sorted and graded before being readied for storage and subsequent showing to customers. It is stored in a separate warehouse complete with private showrooms for customers’ viewing and inspection. The Webb Co. operates three key sales office and warehouse facilities in the United States, which included High Point, North Carolina; Cerritos, California, and Tenafly, New Jersey. The Webb Co.’s ability to offer such a variety of veneers in large quantities to varying markets and customers, has resulted in a beneficial business relationship for both the company and its customers.

“The Challenges of the 1980s”

While the unprecedented growth of the Webb Co. both domestically and internationally during the first eight years of its association with the Danzer Group was certainly a Cinderella story, the challenges that confronted the company during the 1980s were a sobering shot of reality. A long, debilitating recession, two strained, sometimes violent, labor strikes, the second death of a worker from injuries sustained on the job within a span of less than 10 years, and restrictive trade policies and tariffs overseas all left their mark on the Webb Co. during the decade. The 1980s did have their bright spots. The town erected a sign in 1981 proclaiming Edinburgh as the “Veneer Capital of the USA.” Then in 1987 oak veneer made from several centuries-old logs unearthed near Columbus in 1976 was used in the paneling of the stylish Palio Restaurant and Lounge in the mid-town Manhattan section of New York City. Architects and patrons alike raved over the interior of the restaurant. The Webb Co. continued to occupy a leadership position in the hardwood veneer and lumber industry at the end of the decade and well into the 1990s, all the way up to its centennial celebration.

“Webb Today: A World Leader”

Today, the Webb Co. is a world leader in the constant improvement of production methods, technology and employee training. The Webb Co.’s influence on the hardwood veneer and lumber industry, particularly in the past 25 years, has been significant. It began with the Webb Co.’s love for its own product. The Webb Co.’s veneer has been used in such projects as a display for the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and Barney’s New York. The workshops, lead by the Webb Co.’s timber manager Dick Burton, have been successful in increasing the number of logs best suited for veneer production arriving at the plant and reducing the number of rejects. In addition, the Webb Co.’s own experienced, highly trained log buyers travel a distance of more than 20 times around the world each year to procure veneer- and lumber-quality hardwood timber and logs. Logs are stacked in the yard according to species, length, quality and other product characteristics. The sprinklers in the log yard are used to keep the logs moist which minimizes damage. In the sawmill, the log is run through a debarking machine. A metal detector is then used to determine if it contains any metal. The log proceeds along the conveyor into the sawmill where it is loaded onto the saw carriage. Computer guided laser beams are used to align the log on the saw carriage where they are then cut into flitches, bound together with stainless steel straps, and sent to the vat room for cooking. When a flitch comes out of the vat it goes through a flitch washer, gets moved by a conveyor over a planning machine, then enters the main production plant. The flitch is cleaned further and put onto a slicer. The veneer is then stacked and moved to the dryers. Veneer for export will be moved to another warehouse where it is clipped and priced for inspection by the customers. When shipped, paper air bags are used to keep the pallets of veneer or lumber stable and polyurethane beads are placed on the floor of the container to make moving the veneer pallets and lumber packages in and out of the container easier. The Webb Co. recycles the waste products and produces little air pollution. The Webb Co. shares the Danzer Group’s commitment to responsible use of wood. Employees of the Webb Co. enjoy many job benefits including insurance, pension plan, and paid time off to name a few.