CHAPTER 16: CREATING TODAY'S MODERN PLANT
In 1977, the board of directors of Buck. Knives authorized Chuck Buck and Don Ham to investigate options for a new production facility that would encompass all of the company's needs.
Buck and Ham reviewed numerous opportunities, and ultimately endorsed the purchase of 10.87 undeveloped acres in an unincorporated area just west of Gillespie Field. It was less than two miles from the existing corporate headquarters on Magnolia Avenue.
Located near freeway, rail and air service, just outside the city limits of San Diego, it appeared to be an ideal location for a large manufacturing plant.
However, as Buck began seeking needed approvals, the plan came under attack from a variety of unexpected directions. First, nearby residents protested the presence of a manufacturing facility in an area then zoned for residential and agricultural activities. Then, the development of the property triggered an annexation battle between El Cajon and Santee.
"Every time we thought we were making progress, we learned that we needed another study, another environmental impact report," Chuck Buck remembered, with an expression on his face that reflected the discouragement they all had faced in those challenging months.
"If we had known how much we would have to do to get our proposal approved, we might have looked somewhere else," he admitted. "Eventually, though, we worked everything through to everyone's satisfaction."
Neighbors were persuaded that the hunting lodge design, proposed by Buck engineer Joe Palich, would actually beautify the area. And soundproofing would keep noise to a minimum. Traffic patterns would be altered only slightly.
I'm sure we didn't alleviate all their concerns, but I do think we proved our sincerity," Chuck Buck said. "They came to understand that we took their concerns seriously.
"Eventually, I think they gave us the go-ahead because they trusted us. They believed us when we said we wanted to be good neighbors. And we meant it."
The neighbors later would conduct their homeowners’ meetings in the cafeteria of the Buck plant.
In 1978, the property was annexed by the City of El Cajon, and it was zoned for industrial use. Finally, on January 9, 1979, the board authorized Chuck Buck and Ham to proceed with construction, and by the end of the year their work was done. The building was well underway.
In August 1980 the move into the new plant and corporate headquarters was complete. Located at 1900 Weld Boulevard, the 200,000-square-foot (about 4-1/2 acres under one roof) facility was warmly praised as an aesthetic masterpiece.
Despite its size, the building did not look so much like a manufacturing plant as it did like a European hunting lodge. The interior layout, mapped by Buck engineer Frank Freeman, proved to be a model of efficiency. Even today, industry experts say Buck has one of the most advanced knife production facilities in the world.
Coincidentally, and appropriately, at the same time these new facilities were becoming a chapter in the Buck story, "C. J." Buck began to play his part in the family-company scenario.
Charles Brian Buck, born November 5, 1960, was Chuck and Lori Buck's first child.
Like many sons with their father's names, nicknames help distinguish the two, and
"C. J." was the name that stuck.
A college student at the time the new Buck plant was becoming reality, C. J. worked part-time at a variety of tasks, making him the fourth generation in the Buck knifemaking family.
From that beginning, he has been moved systematically through a variety of positions within the company, acquiring solid background and knowledge of all aspects of the firm.
Among his roles as he has progressed, C. J. has made knives, he's headed the Buck Custom Knives operation, he's organized management's vitally important strategic planning seminars. Today, C. J. Buck is executive vice president.
C. J.'s sister, Marilyn, and his wife, Paula, also worked actively at Buck Knives. Marilyn is now married to Joe Houser, who is director of quality control.
It's too early to know what the fifth generation (C. J.'s son, Josh) will do, but he's already told his grandma he wants to work at Buck with his daddy.
