Promote... promote...promote to sell treated wood

CALI-.S of pressure treated wood lilare at an all time high. Record numbers of outdoor projects are expected again this year.

Dealers can benefit from these trends. and increase their sales of pressure treated wood to contractors and homeowners, by utilizing the promotional programs of treating companies and providing accurate information about the use and characteristics of treated lumber.

Sales can be encouraged if retailers are responsive to questions and queries prompted by remodeling publications and television shows. The popularity of pressure treated wood for backyard amenities has produced consumers who need answers only retailers can provide. Useful information and helpful employees are more likely to produce return customers than loss leaders or a few cents difference in price.

Dealer involvement in deck projects, for example, can generate large volume sales of pressure treated wood. A homeowner planning a deck may not be aware of the versatility and durability of pressure treated wood. Offering sales literature and exposing customers to the materials available at the pre-building stage will establish a mutually profi table relationship.

If homeowners are modifying an existing deck or completing a back yard they may be considering planter boxes, built-in storage, benches or gazebos. Home and garden magazines generate the interest, but customers look to their dealer for help in adapting plans and substituting available materials. Brochures which explain the capabilities and benefits of pressure treated wood as well as design sug,gestions and possibilities are available from both manufacturers and industry associations.

(See the New Literature section on page 50). "Pressure Treated Wood in Landscape Architecture," a color brochure available from the Western Wood Preservers Institute, describes the proper treatments for lumber used in such projects.

Pressure treated wood is a permanent building material and most treaters provide extended warranties. In order to capitalize on this, dealers must be sure customers know what materials are appropriate for their needs and maintain a sufficient inventory of lumber suitable for ground-contact, such as LP-22 and LP-44 (the double digit standards) as well above-ground applications, such as LP-2 (the single digit standards).

Story at a Glance

Several promotional ideas you can use to increase pressure treated wood sales.. sources for literature and brochures to help move the product.

Building codes require wood used for structural purposes and exposed to the weather to be pressure treated. Many building departments consider decking, like supporting joists and posts, to be a structural element.

Special customer service for contractors is another excellent way for dealers to secure business in today's competitve building supply market. To create sales, dealers can help contractors sell projects to a client by providing appropriate sales literature and prompt bids for materials. For example, "What You Should Know About Pressure Treated Wood." a brochure produced by the Western Wood Preservers Institute that discusses safety, use and durability of pressure treated wood in layman's terms, may help the contractor explain his plans to a potential customer.

Although the market for pressure treated wood is strong, is it still competitive. Tapping into outdoor living trends and industry promotions and responding with effective customer service are ways to satisfy customers and ensure continued sales.

DRESSURE TREATED wood

F continues to be an expanding profit center for dealers as the number of pressure treated wood products designed to satisfy customer needs grow.

For example, Weyerhaeuser, which has changed the name of its LifeWood pressure treated lumber line to LifeWood Lumber and Outdoor Millwork, introduced four new products at the National Home Center Show last month. This brings to 35 the number of products in their core group.

The new products are a newell post; a Queen Anne handrail to fit over Queen Anne and other LifeWood spindles; spindles for stair and deck railings in three styles and finials mounted on square bases.

Outdoor millwork products such as these are precision-cut finishing pieces designed to complement decks, gazebos, and other outdoor projects.

The millwork products are pressure treated with chromated copper arsenate to protect the wood from termites and fungal decay, even when they are in direct contact with the ground. All LifeWood pressuretreated products are covered by a limited lifetime_ warranty.

"The outdoor millwork products allow do-it-yourselfers to customize their outdoor projects with very little effort," says John Cashmore, marketing manager for Outdoor Woods. "For example, handrails are notched to fit snugly over different styles of spindles. Different combinations of specialty products offer virtually unlimited design possibilities, yet are built to fit together easily and will last a lifetime." Universal Forest Products, Inc.