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Beaird-Poulan, a tradition since 1946

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Beaird-Poulan, a tradition since 1946

Beaird-Poulan has established asolid reputation by building thehighest quality products available.Pictured at left is (a) Model 2400,Poulan’s first saw. It was ClaudePoulan’s invention, the bow guide,and required two men to operate it:(b) the Model A was Poulan’s firstone-man saw; (c) the B100 wasPoulan’s first chain saw; (d) theF100 featured Reduction Drive;(e) the K100 was powerful enoughfor the professional but was the firstpractical saw for the casual user;(f) the Poulan Micro XXV chain sawsold for well under $100 and contin-ued revolutionizing the industry, and(g) the Model 3400, Poulan’s newmid-priced chain saw has many fea-tures of the professional saws.

In 1944, with World War II at its height,a young Louisiana lumberman, ClaudePoulan made a discovery which wouldeventually lead to the founding of a majorAmerican company, and the expansionand growth of a worldwide industry. AsPoulan supervised German prisoners ofwar cutting down pulpwood trees in thelush forests of East Texas, he noted that anextra man was required to operate two-man chain saws,. The third man used apry pole to keep the chain from pinchingor binding as it cut through the trees.Realizing the need for a device to elimi-nate the extra man, Poulan took an oldtruck fender, hammered out a piece of itinto a curved attachment which he called abow guide. This simple innovation wasthe first step toward the founding of thecompany which still bears his name today:Beaird-Poulan.

When the war ended, Poulan moved tothe small town of Alto, Texas, where hecontinued to produce bow attachments formajor chain saw manufacturers including

Mall, Disston and others. In 1946, Poulanmoved his business to Marshall, Texas.After several months of operating in Mar-shall, Poulan took $4,000 and, using rent-ed equipment, moved to a tiny 20 by 20foot shed in Shreveport, Louisiana, wherehe formally established the Poulan ChainSaw Company. Using engines purchasedfrom Homelite, he began producing thefirst Poulan Chain Saw, the Model 2400.Although Homelite was not in the sawbusiness, they quickly became aware ofthis new industry’s potential and enteredthe market Poulan, however, was able tonegotiate for the tool rights and beganproducing his own engine components forthe Model 2400 two-man chain saw.

James M. Conly, Jr. joined Poulan in1948 as chief accountant and office man-ager of the budding new company.Throughout the company’s history, Mr.Conly has played a key role in its devel-opment. Also joining the Poulan firm in1948 was Ernest Garrett, whose

Claude Poulan and James Conly, Jr.were driving forces behind thedevelopment of Poulan chain saws.

The first Poulan manufacturingplant, constructed in 1951, is stillused today for warehousing andequipment maintenance.

knowledge of assembly procedures andchain saw design, helped set up Poulan’sfirst plant producing complete chain saws.Poulan then brought his two brothers, Har-ry and Fletcher into the company in keypositions. Harry took over sales and devel-oped the forerunner of the distributor-deal-er system still in use today. Fletcherbecame vice-president of production.Together, these men produced eight Poulanchain saw models, and gave the company asolid foundation on which to build thefuture.

Today, that company has grown to beone of the largest manufacturers of chainsaws in the world.

In 1951, the company purchased a 12-acre site in Shreveport and constructed anew building which would eventuallygrow o 55,000 square feet of manufactur-ing space. At the same time, the firm intro-duced its second two-man saw which usedcomponents built in the company’sfoundry and plant, and carburetion and

ignition parts purchased from an outsidesupplier.

Also in 1951, Poulan introduced its firstchain saw manufactured completely with-in the company, the Model 5200. Thisclearly established the company as amajor force in the chain saw industry.

Claude and his brothers inspect one oftheir early saws. Shown (left to right) areHarry Poulan, Chief Engineer ErnestGarrett, Claude and Fletcher Poulan.

The Model A (top) was Poulan’sfirst one-man bow saw offeringReduction Drive. The ModelB100 (bottom) featured GearDrive and let to dramaticgrowth of the company.

In addition to establishing Poulan’s reputation for quality, the B100 led to dramatic growth in the company's two-stepdistributor/dealer sales system.

Poulan again influenced the market withthe introduction of the F100 ReductionDrive chain saw. It was a highly efficientand very popular unit with professionalloggers.

Poulan moved quickly in the develop-ment of a direct drive unit and in August1957, the H100 was introduced. It was fol-lowed a year by the streamlined ModelF200, a more powerful version of theF100. The F200 pushed Poulan sales in theprofessional market to record levels. Itsinnovative design and dependability madeit very popular with the professional, sopopular in fact, that demands for the unitcontinued for four years after the F200 wasdiscontinued.

A time of development

Through the mid-1950’s Poulan contin-ued to be an innovator in the chain sawfield. It was during this period that Poulanrecognized the evolution of “one-man”operation and introduced the Model Areduction drive saw. This model wasuntested and troublesome and Conlyremembers the valuable lesson learnedfrom it: “The salesmen would go out andput a modified part on the saw at the deal-er’s place of business. Two weeks lateranother salesman might follow up and takeoff that modification and install a new one.It wasa time of testing and learning for thecompany.

While the Model A unit was setting newsales records, an even more progressivemodel, the B100 Gear Drive unit was com-ing on line. The B100 was faster and more versatile than the Model A and put Poulaninto the thick of the business.

The F100 Reduction Drivechain saw was a highly efficientand very popular unit with pro-fessional loggers.

With the need for a lightweight chainsaw becoming apparent, Poulan intro-duced the Model K100 which was notonly powerful enough for the profes-sional but was the first practical sawfor the farmer and causal user.

A time of development

1958 was also a year in which Poulanrecognized the need for lighter weightsaws. Poulan met this challenge with itsModel K100, which was powerful enoughfor professional use and was the first prac-tical chain saw for the casual user. In April,1959, Poulan brought the KD100, a directdrive companion to the K100, onto themarket.

Thus, through its first 12 years of exis-tence, the Poulan company had grown andprospered, and found itself capable ofmeeting the challenges of the marketplaceand not only able to compete with othermanufacturers but to outdo them.

In 1971, Charles Beaird (see inset)set Poulan on a new era of growthwith the move to new manufacturingfacilities. The new plant had117,000 square feet compared to theold plant’s 54,000 square feet.

In 1959, Louisiana industrialist, CharlesT. Beaird, who had been an executive witha Shreveport steel fabricating company,sought new investment opportunities in theRed River city. He found the Poulan SawCompany a solid investment, and pur-chased the firm from the Poulan family.Beaird assumed presidency of the compa-ny and renamed it Beaird-Poulan Compa-ny.

He began an extensive program ofexpansion, increasing the Shreveport plantby 18,000 square feet and introducing sev-eral new models. Also, Beaird branchedout into the manufacturing of go-cartengines and other related products.

Streamlining saw models, Beaird feltwould move the Beaird-Poulan Companyeven further into the rapidly growing chainsaw market. And he was right. Theyrevised the basic product and streamlinedthe old open carburetion and crude-look-ing housings. this led to the introductionof the FD100 direct drive and its compan-ion, the F3100 reduction drive in 1960.

Both were extremely sophisticated for thetime and well-received in the marketplace.

Beard, in realizing the need for a moreversatile and complete line of chain saws,expanded the Poulan line to six models,ranging in cost from $200 to $500. Thecompany instituted new sales promotiontechniques including advertising anddescriptive literature which appealed to abroader market. Beaird-Poulan’s customerwas no longer just the rough woodcutterof the United States forest lands, but thegeneral public as well.

To appeal to the new consumer market,Beaird-Poulan also completely changedthe appearance of their saws with newpaint selections, making them more color-ful.

Through superior design and aggressivemarketing, Beaird-Poulan set the pace forthe industry, and new models increasedpenetration into the farm segment, casualuser segment and lightweight professionalsegment. In 1965, Poulan passed anothermilestone with the construction of a series

Charles BeairdThe company gains a new leader

Beaird-Poulan has become a multi-national company because of thequality of its products. Poulan usesonly the finest materials and manyof the parts are made or tooled atPoulan facilities

of lightweight magnesium chain saws.Models 360, 400 and 450 were introducedin the summer of 1965, and signaled aturning point in Poulan’s history with atrend toward the manufacture of light-weight but durable chain saws.

In 1966, Beaird-Poulan acquired theWright Saw Division of Thomas Industries,Inc. which expanded their market even fur-ther. A year later, the expansion of theShreveport plant, which added another9,000 square feet of manufacturing space,allowed the transfer of the Wright Sawsproduction lines to the main plant.

Beaird-Poulan technological advance-ments continued to lead the industry. By1968, Beaird-Poulan was represented by 57distributors in the United States and 94 dis-tributors in Europe, Africa, the Pacific, theFar East and Latin America. Poulan andWright saws were available from morethan 4,000 dealers .

In 10 years, Charles Beaird had broughtthe company through 51 models of sawdevelopment and opened the market ofmost of the world to the Louisiana builtchain saw. The company still manufactur-ers its original saw attachment, the bowguide, but the sizes and weighs of thesaws had radically changed, as well asstreamlined and lightened to fit virtuallyany demand. Among the innovationswhich Poulan introduced during this erawere the “push-button” sharpening chainsaw, and the Super 68, designed to boostproduction for the professional pulpwoodand saw logger. Also new on the modellist was the Poulan Super 33, which at$129.95, was billed as “the world’s great-est chain saw bargain.” The Super 33 wasperfect for farmers, sportsmen, homeown-ers or anyone who had limited use forchain saws.

In 1969, Thomas Lindley joined Beaird-

The people (top) at Beaird-Poulanare also a big factor in the successof the company. The Beaird-Poulanmanufacturing facilities are themost modern in the world.

Poulan as its first consumer marketingdirector. Lindley recognized the casualchain saw user as a virtually untappedmarket. His organizational skills andknowledge of the consumer set Beaird-Poulan on a new era of growth.

In 1971, Beaird-Poulan began this newperiod of growth with the move from themanufacturing facilities at Greenwoodroad with 54,000 square feet, to a 117,000square foot building on Flournoy Lucas.This helped relieve the cramped condi-tions of the old plant as well as increaseproduction.

In 1971, the company’s 25th Anniver-sary was observed with the introduction ofthe Model XXV, a lightweight sawdesigned for the casual user. Because ofthe saw’s state-of-the-art design, andPoulan’s consumer marketing know-how,the Model XXV took the industry bystorm.

The Model XXV, designed by LloydTuggle who had joined Beaird-Poulan in1969 as chief design engineer, gainedwide acceptance as the consumer market

grew for Poulan. Poulan products foundtheir way into hundreds of chain saw deal-ers’ showcases, and were sold throughhardware stores, engine shops, lawn andgarden stores, farm equipment suppliersand rental outlets. The lightweight sawcombined excellent power to weight ratio,good balance and an easy starting reed-valve engine design which made theModel XXV the most efficient as well asthe most economical chain saw on themarket

After more than a decade, the Beaird-Poulan firm had introduced 59 differentmodels of saws, and acquired the reputa-tion of being an innovative and aggressivemanufacturer not willing to sacrifice thequality of their products.

The Poulan Super XXV Counter-Vibe made the company aninnovator in the casual usermarket

In February, 1973, James M. Conly, Jr.,who had joined the Poulan brothers backin 1948, became president of the companysucceeding Charles T. Beaird. A month lat-er; Beaird, who was now chairman of thefirm, announced the acquisition of Beaird-Poulan by Emerson Electric Co., St. Louis,Missouri. Emerson, then a $764 millionmanufacturing giant, traded stock forBeaird-Poulan, and the company entered anew and exciting phase in its develop-ment.

“The new owner is one of the nation’slargest and most dynamic business organi-zations,” Beaird told the news media afterthe acquisition was announced. “As a divi-sion of Emerson Electric, we will receivefinancial backing necessary to insure ourplans for growth, yet retain our individualidentity, management and employeepolicies.”

Ownership of the company had justchanged hands, when the Poulan ModelXX was introduced. The new saw, whichastonished industry experts, came on the

market with a tremendous appeal to thecasual user. “This little jewel is to ourindustry what the transistor was to theelectronics world,” commented Lindley,now vice president of sales.

The Model XX also surprised the indus-try by breaking the $100 price barrier, andbecame the industry standard for light-weight saws. But, Beaird-Poulan, innova-tive throughout its history, refused to stophere.

The following year, Beaird-Poulan pro-duced the Super XXV Counter-Vibe Auto-matic; a lightweight saw which reducedvibration by 78 percent. Chief engineerTuggle explained the new XXV reducedengine vibration through a counter-bal-anced crankshaft and for vibration isola-tors. The 12-pound saw was an instant hitin the market, and could rip through aneight-inch log in four seconds.

That same year the Shreveport plantexpanded to 250,000 square feet, and thenumber of employees rose to almost 600to meet the rising demand for Poulan’s

Beaird-Poulan becomes adivision of Emerson Electric

The Poulan Micro XXV (top) is thestandard of the casual user markettoday and is one of the main rea-sons for Poulan’s phenomenalgrowth in the 1970’s. Poulan is con-tinuing its innovative tradition inthe 1980’s with the introduction ofthe Model 3400 (bottom) whichoffers many of the features of a pro-fessional saw at a greatly reducedcost. Over 96,000 man hours andmillions were invested in the devel-opment of this saw

new line of consumer saws.While the XXV and XX models reached

the casual user market, Poulan had not for-gotten the professionals. The Poulan Mod-els 4200, 5200 and 6000, all with the farmand logging industry. Of particular impor-tance was the Model 5200, which wasdesigned for the professional logger whoused the saw daily for long hours.

In 1975, Poulan entered a new phasewhen the company added a line of light-weight, self-priming centrifugal waterpumps with the capacity to pump water in5,000, 8,000 and 10,000 gallons per hourquantities.

In 1976, D. Seals moved from anotherEmerson Division to become President ofBeaird-Poulan. Conly became chairman ofthe board and Beaird assumed an execu-tive consultant position.

1977 brought further developments andchanges for Beaird-Poulan. The firstdevelopment was the introduction of the

Poulan Micro XXV, an nine-pound chainsaw selling for only $79.95. the 10-inchsaw was the result of three years ofresearch and millions of dollars inadvanced manufacturing procedures. SaidTuggle, “Poulan is able to offer more qual-ity for less cost than any other chain sawmanufacturer in the world.”

A broad statement, but true nevertheless.The Micro XXV had features which madethe saw easier to use. Among the innova-tions was a larger handle spread for betterleverage and control, a guard link chain tominimize the effect of kickback and a killswitch, located close to the trigger finger tomake operation shutdown easier, even withtwo hands on the saw.

A sister model, the Deluxe Micro XXV,offered the same features, with a 12-inchsprocket nose bar rather than the 10-inchbar. The other major development in 1977was the opening of Beaird-Poulan’s100,000 square foot plant in Nashville, AR,

The Poulan Micro XXV (top) is thestandard of the casual user markettoday and is one of the main rea-sons for Poulan’s phenomenalgrowth in the 1970’s. Poulan is con-tinuing its innovative tradition inthe 1980’s with the introduction ofthe Model 3400 (bottom) whichoffers many of the features of a pro-fessional saw at a greatly reducedcost. Over 96,000 man hours andmillions were invested in the devel-opment of this saw

where the new Micro XXV models arenow made. The Plant was the company’sfirst operation outside of Shreveport’s. Ithas now been expanded to over 200,000square feet.

In 1978, Poulan introduced a new lineof grass and weed trimmers, furtherexpanding its product line. The market forsuch gardening equipment had mush-roomed in a very short time, and as withall of Poulan’s history, the company ismoving to a leadership position in the fieldas well.

In 1978, the company opened its firstplant in Canada. Located in Markham,Ontario, this plant made it possible forPoulan to meet the growing demand inCanada. Poulan’s expansion has extendedworldwide with the opening of Poulan’sfirst European sales office and warehousein Bussels, Belgium. Poulan chain sawsand accessories are now sold in every

major market in the world.Because of Poulan’s innovative engi-

neering and aggressive marketing, it is oneof the largest chain saw manufacturers inthe world and has experienced the greatestgrowth of any chain saw manufacturerover the past 10 years.

The Future

Beaird-Poulan has enjoyed tremendoussuccess since its humble beginnings in1946. In a short period of time, Beaird-Poulan has emerged as one of the mostrespected and trusted manufacturers ofchain saws and other fine products. It is thegoal of the company to continue its pro-gram of developing innovative and reliableproducts for the future while at th sametime maintain its historic trend of solidgrowth. Beaird Poulan is definitely a com-pany of the future.

Beaird-Poulan DivisionEmerson Electric CompanyShreveport, LA