Redwood plywood fills market need

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exaggerated according to Pete Reyneke, the sales manager of the PIYwood division of Miller Redwood Co., Merlin, Or.

"Our company," Reyneke saYs, "has made a strong push over the past year to make sure our redwood PIYwood products were available, and that builders, architects and distributors know about it. And now we're beginning to see the results."

Back in 1980, the comPanY found itself in something of a Catch 22 situation. Redwood plywood was synonymous with Simpson Timber, and to some degree, Pacific Lumber Co., who together were producing about 60 million feet of 3/8 " redwood plywood annually. In comparison Miller Redwood was something of a specialty producer, offering a higher quality panel in terms of veneer grade and bond performance.

Reyneke says, "we had a nice group of customers who refused to use anything but Miller Redwood Plywood. And they bought all we could produce."

In 1979 Facific Lumber Co. made the decision to halt production of redwood plywood, and in 1980, Simpson followed suit. Miller Redwood found the market all to itself. For a while, Reyneke says, Miller Redwood was doing all it could just to meet the demand for redwood plywood-it was difficult to get enough veneer from its Crescent City, Ca., mill. "Not because it wasn't available,'r he says, "but because so much of Miller Redwood's timberlands consist of oldgowth redwood, and many of the logs were too big to get on the veneer lathes." sold all the redwood plywood it could make, and at the same time invested in new equipment to substantially increase the amount of veneer it could produce. But once they were in position to make all the redwood plywood the market could buy, demand began to slacken.

"In late 1982," Reyneke saYS, "we realized just how much SimPson and Pacific Lumber were creating a market for our product. With them out of the picture, potential customers for our product began to think that no one was making redwood plYwood

For two years, Miller Redwood anymore."

Story at a Glance

Redwood plywood still avail. able and in demand...supply faltered when big companies stopped manuf acturing it...speciality producer takes over, develops marketing pro. gram, gets good response.

In mid-1983, Miller Redwood launched an aggressive marketing campaign directed at distributors, builders and architects to tell them that redwood plywood was indeed still available. "We found out pretty quickly how much demand for the product was still out there," Reyneke says. "We have had very good response. It's a product people still want."

Why redwood plywood? It is a very good siding product, says Reyneke. It on next page)

Plywood

(Continued from page 32) provides the look, appeal and mystique of redwood in an economical panel form. Plus it insulates and has superior dimensional stability and weather resistant characteristics. "And the value redwood plywood adds to a building far exceeds the cost of using it over conventional panels or other tlp€s of siding," he says, "and that translates to more sales appeal."

Miller Redwood produces redwood plywood in two grades, premium sawtextured, which is faced entirely with all-heartwood veneer, and select sawtentured, which is faced with ven@r which contains some sapwood and pin knots for a more rustic look. Available thicknesses are 3/8" and, 5/8", and faces can be specified plain or grooved in a variety of patterns.

OK. Dealers Think Positively

More positive attitudes regarding business conditions in 1984 were expressed by the majority of dealers attending the annual convention and trade show of the Mid-America Lumbermens Association in Kansas City on January 26 and 27. Favorable financial conditions and a strengthened economy were cited as bolsters to improved industry business.

Dealer attendance was up sharply over last year and exhibitors were enthusiastic about the amount of orders placed on the floor. Although the audit of sales has not been finalized, it is conservatively estimated that sales exceeded $5 million. Final figures will be released when the tabulation has been completed.

The opening program with Howard Ruff marked the best business session for several years.

Most of the suppliers and manufacturers who exhibited are saying, "One of the best buying conventions we have attended in a long time."