This Julius Shulman photoset contains five images of two different buildings which only seem to be linked by their architect, so I've decided to post half today and (hopefully) half tomorrow. The first two pictures show the Tubesales building. This is
"Job 925: Earl Heitschmidt, two buildings (Los Angeles, Calif.),1951".
Both from
Getty Research Institute
I found Tubesales at 5400 Alcoa Avenue, Vernon in the 1956 CD. The windows have lost their louvres, and the front building has been extended to the right (notice the white line in the brickwork near the door), but otherwise it looks much the same.
GSV
From this angle, the Tubesales name is still visible on the gable of the factory building behind. I don't know how long Tubesales was at this address - the 1987 CD lists them at the appropriately named 2211 [S] Tubeway Avenue. TW Metals (see below) is still there today.
GSV
The following is abridged from
the Company History page at twmetals.com:
1946
Tubesales was started by Forrest G. (Frosty) Harmon and Mason E. Franklin. With a borrowed 10,000 dollars the partners opened their business from rooms over Tony’s Goodfellow’s Grill on Central Avenue in Los Angeles. The new company quickly developed a reputation for competitive pricing and a prompt delivery.
1998
Tubesales acquires TD Materials a distributor of Aerospace Extrusions and Philip Cornes a nickel alloy and stainless distributor based in the U.K. At the end of the year Tubesales and Williams & Company who were both owned by The Superior Group were merged to form TW Metals.