The Legacy of The Dean Company: A Family Journey in the Lumber Industry

As told by Charles Dean, Jr. (1937-2025)

The Dean family’s story in the lumber and veneer industry began not as a planned empire but as a bold side venture by a railroad man who saw an opportunity others missed.

Richmond Dean—“Pop” to his family—was already a rising star at the Pullman Company in Chicago when he quietly purchased a struggling veneer mill in 1916. At the time, Pullman was dreaming of building luxurious “Orient Express”–style railroad cars, but decorative hardwood veneers and lumber were almost impossible to find in the United States.

Pop bought the little Chicago operation (originally tied to the Fred W. Black Company) in his own name. He hired his eldest son, Jack, as operational head and later bought out an early partner to rename it simply The Dean Company.

What started as a practical solution to a supply problem quickly became a thriving family enterprise.

Expansion and Innovation

In 1927, Pop doubled down. He bought and converted an old wire-bound box plant in Norfolk County, Virginia—soon to become the city of Portsmouth—and named it the Dixie Veneer Company Division of The Dean Company.

The reasons were pure business genius. This move slashed the enormous freight costs of shipping exotic logs 800 miles from New York to Chicago. It placed the mill right next to the fast-growing furniture industry in Virginia and North Carolina, which was about to eclipse Grand Rapids. Most importantly, it gave the Dean family an independent income stream separate from Pullman.

Charles Daly Dean Sr. (1905-1962)

All four of Pop’s sons stepped in right after graduating from Georgetown University. Each had a distinct role that fit his personality. Jack ran day-to-day operations until his untimely death in 1940.

Thomas Andrew “Tom” Dean, the quiet, brilliant second son, became Pop’s protégé. He joined full-time in 1919 and would later guide the company for decades as CEO.

Philip “Phil” Dean was sent to Virginia to oversee the conversion and management of the new Dixie plant. The author’s father, Charles Daly “Charlie” Dean, took on sales on the East Coast—first in Philadelphia, then High Point, North Carolina—while becoming the family’s globetrotting buyer of decorative hardwood logs from Africa, Asia, and beyond. The business flourished.

A Flourishing Business

The Dean Company imported rare species—Genuine Mahogany, Philippine Mahogany, Teak, and Afrormosia—and turned them into beautiful veneers and lumber. Legendary furniture makers such as Henredon, Heritage, Lane, Hickory Chair, and Hickory Manufacturing became loyal customers and friends.

The company even expanded with additional operations in Oregon and briefly in Kansas City.

When World War II came, the family business proved its resilience. Unlike many companies that were nationalized, The Dean Company kept running full tilt.

Its veneer went into plywood for Navy PT boats, minesweepers, landing craft, and even Howard Hughes’ enormous “Spruce Goose.” At the Dixie plant, German POWs worked alongside American crews, and Charlie Dean stepped in to manage operations while Phil served as a Naval officer in Norfolk.

Post-War Growth

After the war, under Uncle Tom’s steady leadership, the company continued to grow. The author, Charles Daly Dean, Jr., joined in 1962 as a young apprentice log buyer. By 1965, he was managing the entire Lumber Division, traveling the world to source materials in Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, and Burma as the industry shifted from boats to new markets.

The veneer side eventually moved toward an employee-ownership model, but the lumber operations lived on—later becoming Dean Hardwoods, Inc.

What began in 1916 as one man’s clever solution to a railroad car problem had, by the 1970s, become a multi-generational, international powerhouse.

A Lasting Legacy

From Pop’s visionary purchases and the four brothers’ complementary talents to the author’s hands-on leadership in the postwar years, the Dean family didn’t just participate in the lumber industry—they helped shape it for America’s finest furniture and yachts for more than half a century.

Their story is one of foresight, family teamwork, and quiet determination that turned hardwood logs into a lasting legacy.

As we reflect on this journey, we realize how much we owe to those who came before us. Their hard work and dedication laid the groundwork for what we enjoy today.

So, whether you’re a woodworker, designer, contractor, or boat owner, remember that every piece of wood has a story. Let’s keep that legacy alive together!

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