Innovative company's new materials handling systems

I UST WEST of downtown

lU Tampa is one of the most modern and efficient wholesale lumber operations in the country. Located along railroad tracks that were originally laid to transport troops and equipment for the Spanish-American War, Logan Lumber Co. has been in business for more than 50 years, servicing retail lumber dealers throughout Florida.

Changing business conditions in the late 1970s made increased productivity a necessity for remaining profitable while maintaining quality products at competitive prices. Material handling was a major cost of operation. Constant moving of material required a lot in terms of time, manpower, fuel and maintenance. After much thought and consideration of alternatives by the firm, the decision was made in 1978 to begin construction of a warehouse that would enable utilization of efficient material handling methods and equipment.

A new 40,000 sq. ft. warehouse was completed in 1979. It is 30'.high at the eaves, and features a cantilever rack storage system which utilizes the high cubic capacity of the building. The tops of the units of lumber stored at the highest level are approximately 27' above the floor. The main rack area contains 24 rows of cantilever racks with an average of seven storage levels per row.

Supplementing the main rack area are order staging racks used for storage of lumber that has already been sold and is awaiting truck loading. Total capacity of the cantilever racks would be approximately 1,875,000 board feet if completely loaded, according to Charles Miller, operations manager.

The rack system is serviced by two electrically powered, rail guided, sideloading lift trucks, operating in aisles that are 80" wide. The narrow aisles greatly increase storage capacity. Each unit in the system can be placed or retrieved without moving anything to do it.

All upper grades of lumber, all kiln-dried common grades, and all pattern stock such as channel rustic, tongue and groove, and bevel sidings, are stored in the main rack area. The storage address ofeach incoming unit will be assigned automatically by computer, based on the length and height of the package to be stored, when a newly installed computer becomes operational.

This method of lumber storage has made it practical to store ran-

Story at a Glance

Flodda wholesaler's prototype warehouse. .equlpment de. signed lor more ef ficient material handllng. increased productivity lrom new methods.

dom length units of either one or two thousand board feet in all lumber items, ready for immediate shipment. These units are made up when carloads of material arrive, are placed in rack storage, and are not moved again until sold.

Logan Lumber Co. also developed a cost effective method of making up orders and assembling random length units. Using assembly trailers designed by Lamar B. Logan and pulled by modified electrically powered golf carts, lumber packages are assembled without the use of a forklift. Each golf cart and assembly trailer combination costs much less than a conventional forklift and is more efficient to use, providing lumber items are laid out by length.

A two-man crew starts at one end of a row of lumber and required lengths are loaded on the trailer as it moves down the row. At the end of the row, the random length unit or order that has been assembled is strapped using the strapping dispensers that are built onto the trailer. Then the unit is stored in the main rack area to await sale, or in the order staging racks area to await shipment. Several customers of Logan have adopted this method for making up orders and have been pleased with the results.

David Martin, sales manager, comments, "Being relatively small and independent, you have to be innovative to keep pace with large, vertically integrated competitors. " i i.\ttrtit,9,)F.$lri!{itii$S}P,}itii,li""i{-$j#l:i;i:iiti.{.*iit}.1{.titiii:r.i:iii.i:i.iiiliii

With a field sales staff of seven territory managers, and an office support staff of three inside salesmen and four product managers, Logan Lumber Co. is keeping pace with changing market conditions in the rapid-growth Sunbelt market.

Payless CashwaYs, Inc. will open 18 new stores in '84 including units in Longview and College Station, Tx., both new marlcets, plus two in Houston and one in Dallas...,Iuban-Watson Lumber Co. has opened a new 40,000 sq. ft. store in Baton Rouge, La., the largest True Value hardware store in the state...

Sutherland Lumber Co. will build a $2.5 million store in Burlington, Ky...PixleY Lumber Co. Claremont, Ok., is celebrating its 20th anniversary...Fones Bros. Hardware. Little Rock, Ar., has been acquired by George Pitts, Jr.. North Little Rock, for an undisclosed amount...

Southside Hardwctre and Garden Center, High Point, N.C., has been named Pro Dealer of the Year by Pleasants Hardware, WinstonSalem, N.C....Hechinger Plans to add seven stores this year, all with a modified warehouse format... 84 Lumber has opened two additional stores in Houston, Tx...

Pay 'N Pak is remodeling its stores in Tulsa, Ok., adding lumber and building materials with warehouse type racks...Lowe's which acquired four shuttered Homecrafters Centers in Nashville, Tn., for an undisclosed amount, is closing its Nashville unit and moving across the street to a Homecrafters building; Mo. is Lowe's next target for exPansion with a 25,000 sq. ft. store in the planning...

Home Centers of Americo has opened its 4th Houston, Tx., store in an 80,000 sq. ft. abandoned Woolco outlet...Semmes Hardwere Co., Savannah, Ga. has closed with B rown- Rogers- Dixson Co., Winston-Salem, N.C., acquiring its inventorY...

U.S. G1'psum Co. is expanding its Kinkead Div.'s shower door plant in Union City, Tn., by 3090 ...Engineered Contponents, Inc., a Houston, Tx., subsidiary of The Ceco Corp., has acquired American Building Products, Tualatin, Or., for an unnamed cash sum... Mitchell Building Systems, Columbus, Ms., a div. of Ceco, is completing a M20,000 complex in Jamaica...

Southwest Shelving Co., Arlington, Tx., has added a Bernice, La., plant...Genstar Building Materiqls Co. has reopened its Peachtree City, Ga., roofing plant...Lone Star Induslries Inc., is selling its ready-mix concrete and aggregates operations in No. Tx. to Pioneer Concrete of Texas Inc.

Corcoran Partners Ltd. has purchased SK Hqnd Tool Corp., a div. of Dresser Industries Inc., Dallas, Tx...Universal-Rundle Corp. is closing its New Castle, Pa., plant, shifting production to Monroe, Ga., and Hondo, Tx., plants...Sclrlage Lock Co., was a supplier for 30 Nautilus Award winning projects including the project of the year award winner in Longboat Key, F1...

G lobal Software, Inc., Raleigh, N.C., has been acquired by Ultimac Components, 1nc., business systems for the building material /home center industrv...

Bruce Hardwood Floors is celebrating its l00th anniversary... GAF Corp. will close three of its 15 roofing materials plants...

Cameron Wholesale, Waco, Tx., has been named a top dollar volume distributor by Webb

Manu"facturing Co....Booker & Co. Inc., operating in Fl. and Ga., received the Southeast regional Wholesaler of the Year award from the Nationul Buildins Materials Distributors Association...KeroSun kerosene heater distributor has filed for bankruptcy under the protection of Chapter 11...

(Jniversal Forest Producls' divisional organization has been revised with the Atlantic Div. including Salisbury, N.C., Guinn, Al., and Union City, Ga.; the Southeast Dv., Moultrie, Ga., and Auburndale, Fl., yards; Southwest Dv., sales and mfg. in Grandview, Tx; all facilities are now designated as Universal Forest Products of the name of the state in which it is located...

Westwood Lurnber Ltd., Inc. has opened a Southern div. in Peachtree City, Ga... P.W. Pluml-v Lumber Ccrp., Winchester, Ya., Jack G. Thigpen Lumber Co., Chattahoochee, R., Bell' grade Lumber Co., Memphis, Tn.. and Di-rie International Trade Corp., DeQueen, Ar., are new members of the Nstional Lumber Exporters Associat ion...

OId Dominion Wood Preservers has opened a new treating and dryrng facility in Suffolk, Va., replacing the Portsmouth operation which closed in Nov. after l8 years...Eppercon Lumber Sa/es, /nc. has moved corporate offices to new quarters in Statesville, N.C ....7.8.S. Manufacturing is a new firm formed in Winnfield, [.a., by Jimmy Price and Kiah Beville...

Housing Starts in Dec. (atest figs. available) held strong in the South where more than 50Vo of the nation's houses are being built ...nationwide starts fell back 5Vo to a seasonally adjusted annual 1,667,000 units from Nov...new home starts for all of 1983 were uP 6090, exceeding 1.7 million units for the lst time since l%9...the National Association of Home Builders predicts 1.7 million units in l9M with Tx., Fl. and Ca. accounting for 35.490 of all housing starts in 'M...Ga., Ok., N.C. and Va, are expected t0 among the too 10.

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See your Champion representative todayand see how you can profit from handling Weldbord-the s_tructural panel best suited for your trading area. Wre committed toyou. WeTe Champion.

February

fbrftlr Lombcr & Buildhg illcrbl Dakrs Alsoddor - Fcb' 9, "Good ldea Seminar" 9lm.-4p.m., association hcadquarters, Orlando, Fl.

Misisippi Lumber & Boildhg Melcrhl Dcehrs Ascocir'ior ' Feb.- 9'11, 58th annual convention and building products show, Royal D'Iberville, Biloxi' Ms.

Ceroline Lumbcr & BuiHhg Mrtclhl Dcdcrs Ascodelior ' Feb. $11, building products show, Charlotte Civic Centcr & Radisson Plaza Hotel, Chadotte, N-C.

Americen Herdwere Menufrcturcn AssocietionFeb. ll14, Winter Hardware & Home Center Show' I:s Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nv.

Okhhoma Lumbctmcn's Associetlon - Fcb. l'1, advertising & sales promotion s€minar, Carl Dll, Lincoln Plaza Forum' Oklahoma City; Feb. lli, Camelot Hotel, Tulsa.

Netional Roofing Contrrctols AssocietionFeb' l&17' 9th annual convention & exhibit, Georgia World Congrcss Center, Atlanta, Ga.

Lumbermen's Association of TexrsFeb. t6' recruiting' interviewing, selecting the right employee seminar, Austin' Tx'

Kentucky lrrmber & BuiHiry Mrlcdd Dalcrs Ascodrfoo' Feb. l?-2, one week combo, Maui & Waikih' Hi.

Georgia Chapter, Netionel Associetion of RemodelersFeb' 2d25, second annual Southeastern remodeling show, The Waverly, Atlanta, Ga.

Builder Marts of Americr. lnc.Feb. 2t-Mer' l. l3th annual Independent's Days produos & management services expo, Atlanta Hilton Hotel, Atlanta, Ga.

Otlehoma Lumbctmm's Associedon - FGb. 2!f, improving consumer selling skills seminar, Jim Pence, Howard Johnrcns North, Oklahoma City; Msch I' Camelot Hotel, Tulsa'

March

Wood Hcadry Allhncc Intcmetiond llrdc Sior & ScnirlrItlerth 3-6, Commonwealth Conventbn Centc, Louisvillg Ky' Tenncssce & Xatodry Lunbcr & N@ Melcril Dalas Ag societions-ilrrtt Gt, stimating clinic' Executive lnn, Paducah, KY.

Internrtionel lhrdwood Products Asodilion - I|erth Gl0' 28th annual international convention and Global Woods '84, The Newporter Inn, Neuport Bcach, Ca.

Southcn Hrrdwood TnIfic Asocirdonllrrcb 7{' 53rd annual meeting, The Peabody Hotd, Memphis, Tn' Nrdonel Home Gnter ShorItfuth ll-lf' McCormick Place, Chicago, Il.

Oklrhome Lumbetucn's Assod.tlotr - lfuti lllli, matcrid estimating workshop, Bill Stewart, Lincoln Plaza Forum' Oklahoma City.

Netionrl Lumber & BuiHing Metcrid Dcelcrs AsodrdorMerch 1315, Conference With Congres, Wadrington,D'C' Southern llrrdrood Lumbcr lludrctunr Arodrfi'olMerth 21-23, annual meeting, Royd Sonesta Hotcl, N€w Orleans, La.

Viryinir B.trd"S llrt rld Asoddon'Mrrcn an2t, annual 6nvention, Williansburg Hospitality Housc,Wilfiamsburg, Va

Nationd Herdwood Lumber Ascoddonzmuc Uffity Dept. of Forestry & Natural Resourcc'March 2630, hardwo-od manufacturing & marketing seminar' NHLA facilities'