In 1964, Southern Pine Lumber Company changed its name to Temple Industries and later became a public company on the New York Stock Exchange.

The 1960s and 1970s ushered in a period of spectacular growth as the company launched one successful product and plant after another.

In the 1970s, Time Inc. acquired both Temple Industries and Inland Container Corporation, a corrugated packaging company that began in Indianapolis. In 1983, Time merged the two companies and spun them off as Temple-Inland.

In the beginningTemple-Inland’s building products operation began in 1893 as Southern Pine Lumber Company, founded by Thomas Louis Latane (T.L.L.) Temple. The company started with 7,000 acres of forestland in Angelina County, Texas. The first mill began operating in Diboll in 1894, cutting 50,000 board feet of lumber per day.

In the days when most loggers followed the “cut-out-and-get-out” philosophy of logging, Temple had a different approach. He saw forests as a renewable resource that if properly managed, could continue to produce plentiful forests long after the initial cut. Temple insisted his lands be managed with a sense of permanence and became one of the first to leave trees for reseeding to assure natural regeneration of the timberlands.

Throughout the late 1890s and early 1900s, Temple expanded his business in Diboll and the surrounding communities, building and acquiring additional mills, and purchasing additional timberland and a narrow gauge railroad, which became the Texas-Southeastern Railroad. In 1935, Arthur Temple, Sr., took over as president of the company following the death of his father, Tom Temple. Later, Arthur Temple, Jr., also joined the company and took over as president in 1951 when his father (Arthur Temple, Sr.) passed away. By the early 1950s, technology advances allowed the company to begin using every part of the tree to make new products, making home building more affordable and expanding every part of the business.

By 1964, the company’s land holdings had grownfrom those initial 7,000 acres to more than 450,000 acres.

Temple-Inland’s building products operation has a long, rich history in Texas, dating as far back as 1893. Though the company has changed a lot throughout the years, the values and work ethic rooted in the company’s history remain.

Mr. T.L.L. Temple seated in his private office with Southern Pine Lumber Company’s offices in the background. This main office was located on the corner of Broad Street and State Line Avenue in Texarkana, Arkansas. (1907)

The Southern Pine Lumber Company housed the post office, grocery, supply, and drug stores in Diboll until 1953 when

it was converted to the Southern Pine Lumber Company Headquarters (1907)

Where we are now Temple-Inland Inc. is a major producer of corrugated packaging as well as building products, with a tailored portfolio for residential and construction markets, and industrial panels for furniture, cabinets and fixtures. It is one of the lowest cost building products producers in the U.S.

1912 1948 1955

1956 1973

Sothern Pine Lumber Company ad circa 1912

This emblem was first introduced in 1948, appearing on company vehicles, machinery and buildings.

Southern Pine Lumber Company letterhead logo from 1955

Although Temple Industries didn’t become the official company name until 1964, this new logo replaced the old Southern Pine Lumber Company logo in 1956.

The T-wheel was introduced in 1963, around the time that Southern Pine Lumber Company changed its name to Temple Industries Inc. It served as a distinct trademark for many decades and is still recognized today as a symbol of high-quality lumber.

In 1973, Time Inc. merged Temple Industries with Eastex Pulp & Paper, forming Temple-Eastex Inc. Temple-Eastex Inc. was later merged with Inland Container Corporation, forming today’s Temple-Inland.

® FOREST PRODUCTS CORPORATION

1987

1997 2003

The Evolution of Temple-Inland

A look at products, marketing/ads and logo changes throughout the years

1963

Historical photos used in this publication are courtesy of The History Center, Diboll, Texas.

GreenGlass – Temple-Inland responded to the green movement by developing the first line of fiberglass-faced gypsum board products that includes exterior sheathing, interior board and liner panels. The GreenGlass line of products are made of a minimum 90 percent recycled content, while meeting the highest design requirements and setting sustainability standards in the construction industry, all without sacrificing the quality that customers expect from Temple-Inland’s gypsum products.

Products

Temple-Inland’s product line has expanded in the 100-plus years since it first began. In addition to the products that helped launch the company – lumber and corrugated packaging – the company also produces gypsum wallboard, particleboard, fiberboard and medium density fiberboard (MDF).

Purple Studs – Temple-Inland introduced the infamous purple studs during the housing boom following World War II as a marketing tactic to compete again Douglas fir studs from the West Coast.

Taking a cue from a sawmill owner in Southeast Texas who had no trouble selling all his product – an orange-colored stud – former Sales Manager Bob Weston presented stud samples in five colors of water-repellent paint to the other Temple-Inland salesmen. They unanimously selected the magenta, or purple stud as it is referred to now, and the rest is history. Today Temple-Inland’s purple stud is an acknowledged leader of high-quality construction framing.

Temple-Eastex officers and directors pose in 1977, part of Time, Inc.’s Forest Products Group. From left: Joe C. Denman, David H. Dolben, KennethNelson, Ward R. Burke (top), Rex P. Condit, Henry H. Holubec, Jr., and Arthur Temple.

Leading the Change

Arthur Temple – After joining the company as a mill manager in 1948, Arthur Temple, Jr. took over as president in 1951 after his father’s (Arthur Temple Sr.) death. He helped the company emerge from its Depression-era thinking by improving technology, employee compensation and company operations, among many other things. He promoted manufacturing products from all parts of the tree, including waste such as sawdust, planter shavings and chips. Fiberboard sheathing was the first product to emerge from his “use everything from the tree” concept. The period from 1948 to 1973 is considered one of the best chapters in the Temple history, and Arthur Temple Jr. is credited with making the difference. He passed away in 2006

Temple-Inland and LATTemple-Inland has been affiliated with the Lumbermen’s Association of Texas & Louisiana (LAT) since at least 1924 – the year listed on LAT’s oldest member roster. Temple Lumber Company in Pineland, Texas was one of the first supplier members on record in 1924. Temple-Inland and its predecessor companies have been involved in LAT as a supplier or associate member ever since.

In 1989, Arthur Temple received an award from LAT, honoring his and the company’s long-time contributions to LAT.

Arthur Temple (circa 1960)