Dealers profit in pressure treated market

By Scottie l)ennison American Wood Preservers Institute Mclean, Va.

r-ILL Ellis of Fountain Inn, E

S.C.,'like many Americans, became dissatisfied with city life, and moved to the country, purchasing a farm to complete his dream.

Bill noticed fence posts of untreated wood on neighboring farms were showing signs of decay after relatively short periods of exposure and selected pressure treated wood for his own fencing and barn repairs.

Why pressure treated wood? Test data available from the USDA Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wi., has found that pressure treated wood will last in excess of 50 years. Once in place, it's there to stay. Bill Ellis picked a product to match his needs, one he could rely on.

Bill also knew that pressure treated wood resists the biological degraders that destroy wood, termites, insects, decay fungi (plants that use wood as food), marine organisms and corrosive elements (sea air, seawater, even urban smog). Pressure treated wood

Story at a Glance

Consumer gaining awareness of pressure treated wood . dealers flnd it easier to sell, more profitable merchan. dising begins with knowledge.

is durable, as well as aesthetic and economical.

Whether the consumer is a farmer like Bill Ellis or a contractor wirh large volume purchases, lumber sales in the United States show a growing public awareness of the benefits of pressure treated wood. Because of this growth in the market, a lumber dealer, whether retail or wholesale. should be able to merchandise this product effectively.

Merchandising pressure treated wood is a matter of education. A dealer should keep up with a growing industry if he is to realize success.

According to Alex Barnes of Barnes Lumber Corp. in Charlottesville, Va., the treated market is growing at a much faster rate than the untreated market.

"It is much simpler to sell treated than untreated wood." And in hand with that, much more profitable.

Charlie Brown, manager of Lindsley's Lumber in Port Charlotte, Fl., agrees. "It's very easy to sell pressure treated wood, especially because of all the bugs and termites down here.''

Effective merchandising begins with knowing the basic principles of the product. This will enable a dealer to persuade even the smallest lumber consumer that pressure treated wood is more cost effective, durable and versatile than untreated wood.

Pressure treated materials are divided into three major categories, depending upon the preservatives used in their production. In order of predominance they are: creosote and creosote solutions, organic preservatives in an oil solution (primarily penthachlorophenol in petroleum), and waterborne solutions of inorganic preservatives (arsenical mixtures, i.e., chromated copper arsenate, or CCA).

Virtually all pressure treated wood in the United States is treated to standards of the American Wood Preservers Association (AWPA). There are two grades: above-ground grade, suitable for fence panels, decking and other applications where hazards of decay and termites are relatively low and soil<ontact grade, treated to higher retentions for fence posts, fresh-water docks and other more severe exposures. In salt water, where there is danger of marine borer attack, wood treated to even higher retentions is required and available.

Pressure treated wood that bears the mark of the American Wood Preservers Bureau is part of an ongoing quality control program. If the mark has a single number, such as LP 2 or LP 5, it is for above-ground use. With two digits, such as LP 33 or LP 77, it is suitable for ground and fresh water contact.

With basic knowledge of pressure treatment, a lumber dealer is on his way to more effective merchandising. He knows what Bill Ellis knew, and what most contractors know, that pressure-treatment makes wood a superior choice for a host of applications.

For more information on pressure lreated wod products, send a vlt-addrcs*d, stamped envelope to the American Wod Presemers Institute, I65l Old Meadow Road, McLean, Va., 22102,

Copyright: 1983, American Wood Presemers Institute.

Southern housing starts llit 120,200 in the first two months. nearly an 8090 increase over the same period in '82 National Association of Home Builders forecasts that Houston, Tx., will lead all metro areas in starts with Dallas-Ft. Worth in second place.

Sales of new slngle-family houses jumped 9.9V0 in Jan. to the highest level in 28 months sales in the South were the best since Aug. 1979 .. however, the number of mortgage loans in foreclosure increased to 5.770 nationwide. .

Hardwood lumber production in Feb. (latest figs.) in the South was 390 higherthan Jan. Production up l59o; incoming orders 890 higher and shipments l49o higher than in 1982

'[imber Realization Co. plans to sell Great Northern Nekoosa Corp. an option to buy about 136,000 acreas of timber in Mississippi Louisiana-Paci,fic will go into production at its new Corrigan, Tx., Waferwood plant this spring and convert its Urania, La., particleboard plant to Waferwoodproduction...

DeQueen Plywood Corp. has begun production in DeQueen, Ar. . Idqho Timber Corp. has purchased Alumni Forest Products in Vicksburg, Ms. American Can Corp. has moved its Southern Woodlands Hq. to Butler, Al. . Chompion Internationql Corp. has bought 19 acres in an industrial park at Waycross,Ca....

Carolina Forest Products, a div. of Universal Forest Products at Salisbury, N.C., is operating a new trading dept Allied Plywood and Luntber, Inc., Nederland, Tx., is a new business, Wade Meriwether. owner

Mqnville Corp. has located the sales office for its recenrly acquired Joyce, La., sawmill and plywood mill at West Monroe . . Holly Hill Forest Industrieshas completed their new dry kiln at Holly Hill, S.C. . .

Laminex,lnc. has been formed in Orlando, Fl., by Philip E. Ramsey, formerly of North Branch Lumber, with Jim Buffington as v.p., marketing U.S. Shelter plans a $3 million office building center for Sparranburg, s.c....

Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. rvill open a RubberGard roofins plant ln Prescott, Ar., . . GAF Corp. is asking its stockholders to reject a takeover by S. Heyman andassociates...

Ed Lev,is Sales Co.,lnc., Louisville, Ky., has received a special arvard from The Savogran Co. for possing one million g in sales Cltupik Corp. has been named exclusive distributor of Sintpson Tintber Co.'s prefinished oak doors in Texas . .

North Anterican Philips Corp. has acquired Westinghouse's lamp business including plants in Paris, Tx., Little Rock, Ar., Reform, Al., Richmond and Orvensboro, Ky. Rutland Products, Gastonia, N.C., is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

Moore- Handley, P elham, Al., has joined Pro Hardware, Inc. Giant Portlqnd & Mosonry Cetnent Co., Columbia, S.C. has agreed to sell 166,666 new common shares to Burt Sugarman and Rene R. Woolcott for about $l million Louisville Cement Co., Louisville, Ky., is trying to buy Kentucky-Tenessee Clay Co. Swift, Supply, Bay Minerte, Al., is planning to double its floor space this year Carter Lumber Co., Gloucester, Va., is increasing its retail space to7200 sq. ft. . Barber Luntber Co., Fort Pierce, Fl., has been sold to Babcock Lumber and Building Supply of N'lelbourne . .

Pa-vless Cashv'ays, Inc. u'rll open t\\'o additional stores in Houston, Tx., for a total of eight Hottteowners l4'arehouse tt'tll open in Coconut Creek, Fl., this month . . . Handy Crtl' u'ill close three Fl. outlets in Tampa and Holidal' to relocare in Sarasora andOrlando...

Lotre s is completing construction of a new store in Griffin, Ga. . . . Handl' Citf is remodeling eight of its units in Arlanra, Ca. . Scottl,'s is renovating irs Key Westoperation...

Hecltinger is in operation in its nerv Winston-Salem. N.C.. store rvith trvo in Charlotte, N.C., due to open shortly, all part of the l4 to be added in '83-'84 Scorrl"s has opened a new Deland, Fl., unit...

.VcCo-t' Corp., San N1arcos, Tx., has opened building supply' centers in Longvieu, Beeville and Laredo uith land purchased in Conroe, Huntsville, Port Arthur, Kerrr ille. \\'aco and San Antonio for future Tr. expansion

Arson is suspected in a fire rvhich caused S75,000 damage at the Chelsea Lutnber Co.. Chelsea, Ok. ll'ickes Luntber has closed its store in Columbus, Ca.; the Richardson, Tx., store's shorvroom is being remodeled

Eust Coast Luntber Co., Fort Pierce, Fl., expects to complete a 3,850 sq. ft. expansion next month Starr Lumber and Home Cenler, Alva, Ok., plans to. remodel its retail yard in' Blackrvell

W.R. Groce has opened the lst trvo of five locations for its ne*' House l|'orks chain in La., at Harvey and Kenner The Home Depot plans to open t$'o new stores in New Orleans and one in the Miami, Fl., area

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