Redwood builds satisfaction

I F YOU recommend redwood for a I job. you don't have to worry about getting a bunch of complaints later on. More likely. the customer is going to come back and say, "I'm glad you recommended redwood for my deck or whatever."

That's the opinion of John Moore who has been recommending redwood since 1968. As president of Lumberman's Wholesale Distributors of Nashville, Tn., he admits the results have been good. Last year's redwood sales were 15 to 20Vo better than the year before. With l0 employees and a five acre yard, Lumberman's Wholesale Distributors sells only to lumber retailers in a 120 mile radius of Nashville, an area that includes parts of Kennrcky.

Moore explained that redwood, whether it is used for decking or siding, deserves its name as a specialty product. It is a quality product and brings in quality profits for lumber dealers. Competing with southern pine in the decking market and cedar in the siding market, theinitial advantage of redwood, its proponents claim, is its appearance. The fact that redwood is a natural product free from chemical processes also has its advantages, says Moore. In the long run though, it is dimensional stability that makes redwood a superior material and that makes for customer satisfaction. Resistance to twisting and warping will make any wood project look better.

"When you suggest redwood to a customer, frst of all they think of it as top quality, then they worry about whether they can afford it. But ifyou explain the advantages ofredwood and consider redwood's performance and lifetime, you can get a lot of people to choose redwood. Our main efforts go toward getting the retailer to take the time to sell redwood. Tirq often a salesman will take the path of least resistance and here, that's selling southern pine."

Lumberman's Wholesale Distributors has grown in large part due to their special relationship with their customers. Moore feels that it is their job to help their customers sell redwood. This can include providing samples for architects, builders and other potential customers. In other cases, it involves passing along California Redwood Association literature or helping a customer develop their own promotional literature or product catalogs.

Moore also uses other means of redwood promotion. For example, he recently worked to have redwood siding specified for a large condominium project on a well-traveled Nashville street. He's confident that the building's prominance and the beaufy of redwood will help to increase sales.

In Tennessee and Kentucky, redwood is used for a variety of quality applications. Redwood siding is used on homes, apartments and condominiums.

While brick is a traditional material for commercial buildings, redwood is an increasingly popular alternative. For garden projects, Moore points to increased sales of newly marketed air seasoned construction heart.

With sales growing along with the public's awareness of the advantages of redwood, John Moore will be recommending redwood to his customers and his customer's customers to build a prosperous future.

Story at a Glance

Redwood sales up 20o/o lor Nashville, Tn., distributor confidence in product plus promotions help customers sell redwood . . . workang to have redwood specafaed for large condominium proiect is an example of aggressiveness.