Virtual Store Secures Real Inventory

Housemart.com, Tulsa, Ok., now has what many other on-lines stores do not: inventory.

The business has struck a deal with Sutherlands, gaining instant access to about $50 million in building materials by using the chain's inventory and certain stores as shipping points.

"Housemart.com will be able to focus on exceptional customer service and refining the online store without spending a great deal of time worry-

News Briefs

( Continued from page I 6)

Atrium Door & Window has merged into Wing Industries, Inc., Greenville, Tx.

International Paper donated 2,650 acres of Mississippi land to the non-profit environmental group the Conservation Fund ...

American Architectural Manufacturers Association has formed the G/ass Materials Council: ing about vendors and products," said Chris Sutherland, Jr., ceo of Housemart.com. "We are essentially leveraging 80 years of building material know-how to use on the Internet."

The agreement turns a group of 20 Sutherlands' retail stores over to Housemart.com from l0 p.m. to 7 a.m. seven days a week.

The company's Internet address is www.housemart.com,

Bradley P. Boone, PPG Industries, and Grant T. Muller, Pilkington Libbey-Owens-Ford Co., are cochairs ...

St. Joe Co., Jacksonville, Fl., is auctioning off 800,00O acres of its northwest Florida timberlands in parcels ofabout 100,000 acres

U.S. EuroPallet Council has been formed as the official licensing and inspection authority for Europallet production and repair in the U.S.; Europallets are the standard 8o0mm x l200mm, nineblock pallet commonly used throughout Europe ...

Huber Engineered Woods' AdvanTech flooring and sheathing was used in two Southern Living Idea Homes to be showcased this summer h U'imarily Fo[ucg 2" dimgffiim lrom Z"il" [irott0[ 2"I12" ilt $adet#1,#2,ffi anilH,8'-20' wifi lon[cF leltg[s ildhilc urun inruiny. lhormllolddm[. ltlus

North American Building Material D istibution Association adopted a new mission statement: "NBMDA...develops and promotes the effectiveness of distribution processes to improve member profitability and growth" ...

Tennessee Forest Products Center's recent study revealed forestry and the forest products industry contribute $15.5 billion to the state's economy.

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WOOD MOULDING & Millwork Producers Association's 1999 execulive committee was installed at the group's recent annual meeting in Monterey, Ca. (L-r) 2nd v.p. Charles Shawver, Rocky Mountain Forest Products; executive v.p. Bob Weiglein, WMMPA; immediate

Lowe's Changes Ad Practices

As a result of a consulting firm's tests, Lowe's has amended several of its longtime advertising strategies.

The changes include deletion ofcartoon figures from the #2 home improvement retailer's circulars and a stronger emphasis on tv ads.

"We've got to be smarter in the way we use our dollars," asserted Dale Pond, v.p., merchandising and marketing. He further noted that the tests, administered by QualPro, Nashville, Tn., revealed that customers prefer pictures of real people over cartoon figures and that additional circular pages don't improve sales. Lowe's newspaper circulars are delivered at least 25 times a year to 30-40 million homes. Future page counts will be shortened by 24 pages, to a maximum of 48.

After admitting that tv "has an even more important role than we thought," Pond disclosed that tv ad expenditures will increase over ZOVo this year. The strong link between consumers and sports marketing was another factor QualPro addressed, affirming Lowe's Nascar auto racing sponsorship.

Lowe's denied that the findings led to its recent decision to place its $100 million broadcast ad account in review. W.B. Doner, its current agency, is among five firms in competition for the company's business.

G-P Plywood Stars on TV

Georgia-Pacific has launched a multi-million dollar consumer tv ad program to promote its plywood.

The 30-second spots on G-P Plus Plywood Sturdi-Floor are expected to run on cable stations, including the Weather Channel, Fox Sports and Home & Garden Television.

Prefab Housing Growth

Worldwide demand for prefabricated housing is projected ro increase 2.2Vo annually through 2OO2to l.l million unis worth $63 billion, according to the Freedonia Group.

The U.S. and Japan, which accounted for more than TOVo of world demand in 1997, will continue to dominate the market, although growth will be more rapid in other regions, especially Latin America.

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