0 years of serving you

Houston-based lumber journal, the Gulf Coast Lumberman. He edited the trade publication for more than 50 years before selling it.

As an editor-publisher, Dionne was a familiar visitor at Southern sawmills and lumber operations. He was an organizer of the Texas Forestry Association and secretary of the Lumbermen's Association of Texas for nearly 30 years.

He also expanded his publishing enterprise to the West. In 1922, he started what is now called The Merchant Magazine. In the early 1960s, David Cutler joined the Los Angeles-based magazine's staff, where he learned the Dionne hallmarks of practical editing combined with active in-field reporting. Later, Cutler purchased The Merchant and soon realized the need for a similar communication vehicle for retailers and wholesalers in the South.

So, in March 1982, Cutler and editor Juanita Lovret introduced the first issue of Building Products Digest, built on Dionne's bedrock philosophy of editing a magazine "from a practical standoint by a practical man who specializes in knowing."

Although the magazine has grown and matured over the years, Volume l, Number I featured most of the regular features of the issues of today-a monthly calendar, trade association news columns, an editorial by the publisher, Personals, News Briefs, New Products, breaking news stories, and feature articles ranging from merchandising tips and demand forecasts to dealer profiles. The Personals even ended with Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus announcing the first personnel change at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products. Climax. Nv.

Consider a few of the articles of 20 years ago: upstart eight-unit retailer Home Depot was expanding its four Georgia stores by 25Vo and dropping automotive departments Scotty's opened an experimental "Thrifty" store in Florida Kentucky Retail Lumber Dealers Association voted to change its name to the Kentucky Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association ... Payless Cashways was expanding whole hog, breaking ground for six new stores in Texas Lowe's opened two new stores and was remodeling five others in an enormous new 50,000-sq. ft. format-all of which have since been replaced by superstores three times that size.

Advertisers in that inaugural issue included front cover sponsor Dataline, which has since been acquired by Enterprise Computer Systems; glulam producer Bohemia Inc., and Willamette Industries, which a few years later would acquire Bohemia. Interestingly, although pressure treated wood has become one of our largest advertising categories, only a single treater appeared in that first issue, Mid-States Wood Preservers, Simsboro, La. There were far more ads for redwood, cedar and other western woods than for pressure treated products, reflecting both treaters' unfamiliarity with marketing as well as our own western roots.

Several companies that started with us on Day One have remained regular advertisers to this day, including Elder Forest Products, Coastal Lumber Co., Britt Lumber, and Willamette. To them, and the hundreds of others who have joined us along the way, we thank you. Our appreciation also goes out to our faithful readers; what we do we do for you.

Magaeine Milestones

March 1982 - Premis lssr.rc.

June 1982 - First annual Pressure Treated Wood Special issue. Starting in 1983, the $pecial issue would be eveqy April.

January 1983 - First Southern Pine lssue.

January 1994 - First pullout, walFhanging Deluxe Galendar of Industry Events.

April 1994 - First annual Top 25 Pressure Treaters ranking.

January tSS - First monthly Buyers Guide.

July 1995 - First Expo Preview for Hardware Show's building pioducts segment.

Seprember 1996 - First 0$B Producers list,

January 1997 - First Web Site Direciory.

October 1SO - First Traders Preview for NAWLA Traders Market.

Apill ffi1 - lrlew publisha Alan Oakes replaces retiring founder David Cutler.