Author Topic: Poulan history article (Read 3660 times)

jcsmith · « **Reply #20 on:** January 12, 2016, 12:57:01 am »

I would love to hear that 45 recording. Love the history.

Chris

Cut4fun . · « **Reply #21 on:** December 25, 2018, 09:15:26 am »

1st link posed page 1 with pics not opening so saving some read

Beaird-Poulan, a tradition since 1946

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3 Beaird-Poulan has established a solid reputation by building the highest quality products available. Pictured at left is (a) Model 2400, Poulan s first saw. It was Claude Poulan s invention, the bow guide, and required two men to operate it: (b) the Model A was Poulan s first one-man saw; (c) the B100 was Poulan s first chain saw; (d) the F100 featured Reduction Drive; (e) the K100 was powerful enough for the professional but was the first practical saw for the casual user; (f) the Poulan Micro XXV chain saw sold for well under $100 and continued revolutionizing the industry, and (g) the Model 3400, Poulan s new mid-priced chain saw has many features of the professional saws. In 1944, with World War II at its height, a young Louisiana lumberman, Claude Poulan made a discovery which would eventually lead to the founding of a major American company, and the expansion and growth of a worldwide industry. As Poulan supervised German prisoners of war cutting down pulpwood trees in the lush forests of East Texas, he noted that an extra man was required to operate twoman chain saws,. The third man used a pry pole to keep the chain from pinching or binding as it cut through the trees. Realizing the need for a device to eliminate the extra man, Poulan took an old truck fender, hammered out a piece of it into a curved attachment which he called a bow guide. This simple innovation was the first step toward the founding of the company which still bears his name today: Beaird-Poulan. When the war ended, Poulan moved to the small town of Alto, Texas, where he continued to produce bow attachments for major chain saw manufacturers including Mall, Disston and others. In 1946, Poulan moved his business to Marshall, Texas. After several months of operating in Marshall, Poulan took $4,000 and, using rented equipment, moved to a tiny 20 by 20 foot shed in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he formally established the Poulan Chain Saw Company. Using engines purchased from Homelite, he began producing the first Poulan Chain Saw, the Model Although Homelite was not in the saw business, they quickly became aware of this new industry s potential and entered the market Poulan, however, was able to negotiate for the tool rights and began producing his own engine components for the Model 2400 two-man chain saw. James M. Conly, Jr. joined Poulan in 1948 as chief accountant and office manager of the budding new company. Throughout the company s history, Mr. Conly has played a key role in its development. Also joining the Poulan firm in 1948 was Ernest Garrett, whose

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5 Claude Poulan and James Conly, Jr. were driving forces behind the development of Poulan chain saws. The first Poulan manufacturing plant, constructed in 1951, is still used today for warehousing and equipment maintenance. knowledge of assembly procedures and chain saw design, helped set up Poulan s first plant producing complete chain saws. Poulan then brought his two brothers, Harry and Fletcher into the company in key positions. Harry took over sales and developed the forerunner of the distributor-dealer system still in use today. Fletcher became vice-president of production. Together, these men produced eight Poulan chain saw models, and gave the company a solid foundation on which to build the future. Today, that company has grown to be one of the largest manufacturers of chain saws in the world. In 1951, the company purchased a 12- acre site in Shreveport and constructed a new building which would eventually grow o 55,000 square feet of manufacturing space. At the same time, the firm introduced its second two-man saw which used components built in the company s foundry and plant, and carburetion and ignition parts purchased from an outside supplier. Also in 1951, Poulan introduced its first chain saw manufactured completely within the company, the Model This clearly established the company as a major force in the chain saw industry. Claude and his brothers inspect one of their early saws. Shown (left to right) are Harry Poulan, Chief Engineer Ernest Garrett, Claude and Fletcher Poulan.

Cut4fun . · « **Reply #22 on:** December 25, 2018, 09:16:03 am »

A time of development The Model A (top) was Poulan s first one-man bow saw offering Reduction Drive. The Model B100 (bottom) featured Gear Drive and let to dramatic growth of the company. Through the mid-1950 s Poulan continued to be an innovator in the chain saw field. It was during this period that Poulan recognized the evolution of one-man operation and introduced the Model A reduction drive saw. This model was untested and troublesome and Conly remembers the valuable lesson learned from it: The salesmen would go out and put a modified part on the saw at the dealer s place of business. Two weeks later another salesman might follow up and take off that modification and install a new one. It was a time of testing and learning for the company. While the Model A unit was setting new sales records, an even more progressive model, the B100 Gear Drive unit was coming on line. The B100 was faster and more versatile than the Model A and put Poulan into the thick of the business. In addition to establishing Poulan s reputation for quality, the B100 led to dramatic growth in the company's two-step distributor/dealer sales system. Poulan again influenced the market with the introduction of the F100 Reduction Drive chain saw. It was a highly efficient and very popular unit with professional loggers. Poulan moved quickly in the development of a direct drive unit and in August 1957, the H100 was introduced. It was followed a year by the streamlined Model F200, a more powerful version of the F100. The F200 pushed Poulan sales in the professional market to record levels. Its innovative design and dependability made it very popular with the professional, so popular in fact, that demands for the unit continued for four years after the F200 was discontinued.

A time of development The F100 Reduction Drive chain saw was a highly efficient and very popular unit with professional loggers was also a year in which Poulan recognized the need for lighter weight saws. Poulan met this challenge with its Model K100, which was powerful enough for professional use and was the first practical chain saw for the casual user. In April, 1959, Poulan brought the KD100, a direct drive companion to the K100, onto the market. Thus, through its first 12 years of existence, the Poulan company had grown and prospered, and found itself capable of meeting the challenges of the marketplace and not only able to compete with other manufacturers but to outdo them. With the need for a lightweight chain saw becoming apparent, Poulan introduced the Model K100 which was not only powerful enough for the professional but was the first practical saw for the farmer and causal user.

Cut4fun . · « **Reply #23 on:** December 25, 2018, 09:16:25 am »

Charles Beaird The company gains a new leader In 1971, Charles Beaird (see inset) set Poulan on a new era of growth with the move to new manufacturing facilities. The new plant had 117,000 square feet compared to the old plant s 54,000 square feet. In 1959, Louisiana industrialist, Charles T. Beaird, who had been an executive with a Shreveport steel fabricating company, sought new investment opportunities in the Red River city. He found the Poulan Saw Company a solid investment, and purchased the firm from the Poulan family. Beaird assumed presidency of the company and renamed it Beaird-Poulan Company. He began an extensive program of expansion, increasing the Shreveport plant by 18,000 square feet and introducing several new models. Also, Beaird branched out into the manufacturing of go-cart engines and other related products. Streamlining saw models, Beaird felt would move the Beaird-Poulan Company even further into the rapidly growing chain saw market. And he was right. They revised the basic product and streamlined the old open carburetion and crude-looking housings. this led to the introduction of the FD100 direct drive and its companion, the F3100 reduction drive in Both were extremely sophisticated for the time and well-received in the marketplace. Beard, in realizing the need for a more versatile and complete line of chain saws, expanded the Poulan line to six models, ranging in cost from $200 to $500. The company instituted new sales promotion techniques including advertising and descriptive literature which appealed to a broader market. Beaird-Poulan s customer was no longer just the rough woodcutter of the United States forest lands, but the general public as well. To appeal to the new consumer market, Beaird-Poulan also completely changed the appearance of their saws with new paint selections, making them more colorful. Through superior design and aggressive marketing, Beaird-Poulan set the pace for the industry, and new models increased penetration into the farm segment, casual user segment and lightweight professional segment. In 1965, Poulan passed another milestone with the construction of a series

Cut4fun . · « **Reply #24 on:** December 25, 2018, 09:16:42 am »

Beaird-Poulan has become a multinational company because of the quality of its products. Poulan uses only the finest materials and many of the parts are made or tooled at Poulan facilities of lightweight magnesium chain saws. Models 360, 400 and 450 were introduced in the summer of 1965, and signaled a turning point in Poulan s history with a trend toward the manufacture of lightweight but durable chain saws. In 1966, Beaird-Poulan acquired the Wright Saw Division of Thomas Industries, Inc. which expanded their market even further. A year later, the expansion of the Shreveport plant, which added another 9,000 square feet of manufacturing space, allowed the transfer of the Wright Saws production lines to the main plant. Beaird-Poulan technological advancements continued to lead the industry. By 1968, Beaird-Poulan was represented by 57 distributors in the United States and 94 distributors in Europe, Africa, the Pacific, the Far East and Latin America. Poulan and Wright saws were available from more than 4,000 dealers. In 10 years, Charles Beaird had brought the company through 51 models of saw development and opened the market of most of the world to the Louisiana built chain saw. The company still manufacturers its original saw attachment, the bow guide, but the sizes and weighs of the saws had radically changed, as well as streamlined and lightened to fit virtually any demand. Among the innovations which Poulan introduced during this era were the push-button sharpening chain saw, and the Super 68, designed to boost production for the professional pulpwood and saw logger. Also new on the model list was the Poulan Super 33, which at $129.95, was billed as the world s greatest chain saw bargain. The Super 33 was perfect for farmers, sportsmen, homeowners or anyone who had limited use for chain saws. In 1969, Thomas Lindley joined Beaird-

11 The people (top) at Beaird-Poulan are also a big factor in the success of the company. The Beaird-Poulan manufacturing facilities are the most modern in the world. Poulan as its first consumer marketing director. Lindley recognized the casual chain saw user as a virtually untapped market. His organizational skills and knowledge of the consumer set Beaird- Poulan on a new era of growth. In 1971, Beaird-Poulan began this new period of growth with the move from the manufacturing facilities at Greenwood road with 54,000 square feet, to a 117,000 square foot building on Flournoy Lucas. This helped relieve the cramped conditions of the old plant as well as increase production. In 1971, the company s 25th Anniversary was observed with the introduction of the Model XXV, a lightweight saw designed for the casual user. Because of the saw s state-of-the-art design, and Poulan s consumer marketing know-how, the Model XXV took the industry by storm. The Model XXV, designed by Lloyd Tuggle who had joined Beaird-Poulan in 1969 as chief design engineer, gained wide acceptance as the consumer market grew for Poulan. Poulan products found their way into hundreds of chain saw dealers showcases, and were sold through hardware stores, engine shops, lawn and garden stores, farm equipment suppliers and rental outlets. The lightweight saw combined excellent power to weight ratio, good balance and an easy starting reedvalve engine design which made the Model XXV the most efficient as well as the most economical chain saw on the market After more than a decade, the Beaird- Poulan firm had introduced 59 different models of saws, and acquired the reputation of being an innovative and aggressive manufacturer not willing to sacrifice the quality of their products.

Cut4fun . · « **Reply #25 on:** December 25, 2018, 09:17:04 am »

Beaird-Poulan becomes a division of Emerson Electric The Poulan Super XXV Counter- Vibe made the company an innovator in the casual user market In February, 1973, James M. Conly, Jr., who had joined the Poulan brothers back in 1948, became president of the company succeeding Charles T. Beaird. A month later; Beaird, who was now chairman of the firm, announced the acquisition of Beaird- Poulan by Emerson Electric Co., St. Louis, Missouri. Emerson, then a $764 million manufacturing giant, traded stock for Beaird-Poulan, and the company entered a new and exciting phase in its development. The new owner is one of the nation s largest and most dynamic business organizations, Beaird told the news media after the acquisition was announced. As a division of Emerson Electric, we will receive financial backing necessary to insure our plans for growth, yet retain our individual identity, management and employee policies. Ownership of the company had just changed hands, when the Poulan Model XX was introduced. The new saw, which astonished industry experts, came on the market with a tremendous appeal to the casual user. This little jewel is to our industry what the transistor was to the electronics world, commented Lindley, now vice president of sales. The Model XX also surprised the industry by breaking the $100 price barrier, and became the industry standard for lightweight saws. But, Beaird-Poulan, innovative throughout its history, refused to stop here. The following year, Beaird-Poulan produced the Super XXV Counter-Vibe Automatic; a lightweight saw which reduced vibration by 78 percent. Chief engineer Tuggle explained the new XXV reduced engine vibration through a counter-balanced crankshaft and for vibration isolators. The 12-pound saw was an instant hit in the market, and could rip through an eight-inch log in four seconds. That same year the Shreveport plant expanded to 250,000 square feet, and the number of employees rose to almost 600 to meet the rising demand for Poulan s

Cut4fun . · « **Reply #26 on:** December 25, 2018, 09:17:23 am »

The Poulan Micro XXV (top) is the standard of the casual user market today and is one of the main reasons for Poulan s phenomenal growth in the 1970 s. Poulan is continuing its innovative tradition in the 1980 s with the introduction of the Model 3400 (bottom) which offers many of the features of a professional saw at a greatly reduced cost. Over 96,000 man hours and millions were invested in the development of this saw new line of consumer saws. While the XXV and XX models reached the casual user market, Poulan had not forgotten the professionals. The Poulan Models 4200, 5200 and 6000, all with the farm and logging industry. Of particular importance was the Model 5200, which was designed for the professional logger who used the saw daily for long hours. In 1975, Poulan entered a new phase when the company added a line of lightweight, self-priming centrifugal water pumps with the capacity to pump water in 5,000, 8,000 and 10,000 gallons per hour quantities. In 1976, D. Seals moved from another Emerson Division to become President of Beaird-Poulan. Conly became chairman of the board and Beaird assumed an executive consultant position brought further developments and changes for Beaird-Poulan. The first development was the introduction of the Poulan Micro XXV, an nine-pound chain saw selling for only $ the 10-inch saw was the result of three years of research and millions of dollars in advanced manufacturing procedures. Said Tuggle, Poulan is able to offer more quality for less cost than any other chain saw manufacturer in the world. A broad statement, but true nevertheless. The Micro XXV had features which made the saw easier to use. Among the innovations was a larger handle spread for better leverage and control, a guard link chain to minimize the effect of kickback and a kill switch, located close to the trigger finger to make operation shutdown easier, even with two hands on the saw. A sister model, the Deluxe Micro XXV, offered the same features, with a 12-inch sprocket nose bar rather than the 10-inch bar. The other major development in 1977 was the opening of Beaird-Poulan s 100,000 square foot plant in Nashville, AR,

14 The Poulan Micro XXV (top) is the standard of the casual user market today and is one of the main reasons for Poulan s phenomenal growth in the 1970 s. Poulan is continuing its innovative tradition in the 1980 s with the introduction of the Model 3400 (bottom) which offers many of the features of a professional saw at a greatly reduced cost. Over 96,000 man hours and millions were invested in the development of this saw where the new Micro XXV models are now made. The Plant was the company s first operation outside of Shreveport s. It has now been expanded to over 200,000 square feet. In 1978, Poulan introduced a new line of grass and weed trimmers, further expanding its product line. The market for such gardening equipment had mushroomed in a very short time, and as with all of Poulan s history, the company is moving to a leadership position in the field as well. In 1978, the company opened its first plant in Canada. Located in Markham, Ontario, this plant made it possible for Poulan to meet the growing demand in Canada. Poulan s expansion has extended worldwide with the opening of Poulan s first European sales office and warehouse in Bussels, Belgium. Poulan chain saws and accessories are now sold in every major market in the world. Because of Poulan s innovative engineering and aggressive marketing, it is one of the largest chain saw manufacturers in the world and has experienced the greatest growth of any chain saw manufacturer over the past 10 years. The Future Beaird-Poulan has enjoyed tremendous success since its humble beginnings in In a short period of time, Beaird- Poulan has emerged as one of the most respected and trusted manufacturers of chain saws and other fine products. It is the goal of the company to continue its program of developing innovative and reliable products for the future while at th same time maintain its historic trend of solid growth. Beaird Poulan is definitely a company of the future.

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16 Beaird-Poulan Division Emerson Electric Company Shreveport, LA

Cut4fun . · « **Reply #27 on:** December 25, 2018, 09:20:46 am »

https://youtu.be/4-L4zd4NWJo

Cut4fun . · « **Reply #28 on:** December 25, 2018, 09:50:46 am »

Poulan info

I wish I had a lot to offer you guys but I really don't have a lot of technical or substantive things to offer. I mostly have just good memories of the folks that they were. I know that my grandfather was a very modest genius. As I said, I know that I regret not being very receptive as a yound man to his attempts to share his technical knowledge with me.

Both of my grandparents gave a lot to others and especially to the church, which they believed in strongly. They never wanted others to know. Their faith got them through a lot though.

I always did listen and asked questions about the history of the company and the saws. I found it interesting and historically significant. I found it interesting how Claude worked with the German prisoners cutting wood. He spoke very positive about his experience with them. He also said that they took and active role and interest in developing and improving the bow guide, which was initially shaped out of a truck fender. I got the feeling that they got along well. After that I know that Claude and Gertrude worked hard building the first bow guides in their garage (I think it was in Tyler, Texas) while Claude worked elsewhere during the day.

From there the company found it's roots in Shreveport with Claude and his brothers and some primary engineers. They began to develop and sell their own models from the ground up. In the early 60's Claude sold the business to Charles Beaird and the factory remained in Shreveport for quite sometime until Electrolux bought it years later.

After selling the company Claude began to develop and manufacture one of the first self-propelled lawn mowers. I believe that the company was called "Pro". They had a beautiful home on Cross Lake in Shreveport where they raised horses and cattle. The last time I visited the property the old boathouse was still there. My Grandad loved to fish and we also spent many weekends on their camp on Toledo Bend on the Texas, Louisiana border. That love for fishing has carried on through me to my son.

In the mid-1970's My grandpartents followed us to San Diego, CA. (A world away from Shreveport), and that's where they stayed. My grandmother died in the mid-1980's and Grandad died in 1995. He donated his body to medical research.

I wish I had more to offer that you guys were interested in but I really don't know much about chainsaws. I do have one kind of funny story though. When I was around 14 or 15 my Grandad taught me to use a chainsaw and turned me loose in their yard. I was told to cut down certain trees in the yard but I was having fun and went a little overboard. When they came out to see my work they were a bit miffed that I had cut down some of their favorite trees. (I guess I can relate through that to the enjoyment you all get handling the saws more than I realized). Anyhow, they were cool about it, it's the kind of people that they were and will always be to me.

I do know that my Uncle Harry's son Key Poulan, has some good knowledge of the early history of the company and an excellent Poulan collection. You may want to contact him for further information. Here's a copy from a forum he contributed to and his email address (below)

Best,

Ty

Thank you Michael for letting me know about this forum. I collect old Poulan saws 1946-1960 from when my grandfather (Harry) and his brother (Claude) owned the company. The company was actually divided into 2 parts: Poulan Saw Company (Harry Poulan - President, Claude Poulan - VP) and the Poulan Manufacturing Company (Claude Poulan - President, Harry Poulan VP). It was my great-uncle Claude that invented the bow saw which was created by using the fender off an old truck so the back side of the chain wouldn't bind. Since I was born in 1962, I never was around to see anything affiliated with the family owned company. My father worked in the shop in Shreveport when he was a teenager and actually hand stamped the serial numbers on all of the name plates.

Here is a list of what is in my current collection. I have many other things (newer items) that are not listed but I usually stick with the old stuff unless it's unique or interesting.

24 - (2 Man Saw) Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
42 (Model 0142) Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
44 - (2 Man Saw) Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
44 - (2 Man Saw) Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
A900 Boat Motor Poulan Saw Company <--- ULTRA RARE... ONE PROTOTYPE KNOWN.
F 200W Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
F100 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
F100 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
F200W Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
FD100 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
FD100 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
FD100 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
H100 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
H200 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
K100 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
K100 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
K100 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
K100 (Bow) Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
K100 (Bow) Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
K100 (Fully Restored) Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
K100 (Parts) Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
K100 (Parts) Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
KD100 Chain Saw Poulan Saw Company
31 Chain Saw Beaird-Poulan Incorporated
41 Chain Saw Beaird-Poulan Incorporated
43 Chain Saw Beaird-Poulan Incorporated
61 Chain Saw Beaird-Poulan Incorporated
61 Chain Saw Beaird-Poulan Incorporated

If you have anything that you think would look good in my collection, please let me know!

Key Poulan
keypoulan@earthlink.net
Fresno, CA

trappermike · « **Reply #29 on:** January 16, 2019, 02:45:37 pm »

I once came across on old Poulan saw to repair,It was very old looking but in nice shape,I don't remember what model it was,except it was rather tall and square and boxey looking,it ran fine but I think it was less cc's than it looked,any idea what model it was?

Chainsaw Repair

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Author Topic: Poulan history article (Read 3660 times)

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