N$trWS R[trtrS

Hsdwood lumber production reported for March Qatest figs. available) by member firms of the Southern Hardwood Lumber Manufacturers Association show production down j4Vo from last year, incoming orders down 2590 and shipments ?Dolo lower a Southeost hardware distributor says there is "an increase in the number of line items ordered by dealers" . .

John Milner, exec. v,p. of the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association, says "This industry is not in a recession, it is in a depression'? timber employment declined by 11,0fl) h Al., Fl., Ga., Ky., Tn., Ms., N.C. and S.C. between 1981-1982 according to the U.S. Dept. of Labor.. .

Union Camp's sowmill at Folkston, Ga., is offering machine stress mted lumherwith its new $5d0,m0 MSR equipment capable of handling 40 million bf per year Manufocturers General Salef,, Fort Worth, Tx., is the'new Abbaka Trading Co., Inc., (Juvel sinks) rep for Tx., La., Ar., Ms., and Ok. . .

J.K. Porter, ownerof alumber co. in Wilton, Ar., is a possible buyer for the Edword Hines Lumber Co. mill in Hope, Ar., rhich has been closed since last fall . . . Hines has also closed its mill at Nashville, Ar. . . Bibler Brotherc Lumber Co., Russell':Yille, Ar., is back in operation at about859o ofcapacity.

Eighty% of the stock of Engineered Components Inc., (structural and architectural parts) Stafford, Tx., has been bought by &co Corp. . . . Blue Cir,cle Industries PLC Brilain i* acquitir*,. Kilgsre Ceramics,

Corp., Kilgore, Tx., for about $12.5 million in cash. .

Louisiana-Pocific Corp. reports being half-way to its goal of having a billion board feet of Southern lumber capacity by I 9t5 with an agreement in principle to buy a Nashville, N.C.,sawmill complex as an addition to its newly-constructed mill at Marianna, Fl., and the ones purchased at Cleveland, Tx., Henderson and Pittsboro, N.C. . . . Waferwood production will begin in July with conversion completed at the L-P C-orrigan, Tx., particleboard plant . .

Ralph Wilson Plostics Co., Temple, Tx., has atravelingshow of laminates touring the U.S. McDonorrgh Power Equipment, McDonough, Go., has been renamed Snopper Power Equipment .. Three Rivers Glpsum in the Ddlas-Fort Worth, Tk., area isclosing...

Conner Distributors,Inc., is a new wholesale and reman operation opened in Fort Worth, Tx., by Mike Conner and Doug McWhirt Mason's Plywood, Poneling and Lumbr, Inc., IJattiesburg, Ms., is a new wholesaler, Danny Mason owner. ,

Future of the tqo rcmainiqg Vick6 units in St. Petersburg, Fl., are under review with th€ closrng of the Central Ave. store . t4 Lumber Co. outlets in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are marketing pre-engineered and fabricated panelized houscs futty's is bunng real estate in Dade County, Fl., with plans to open l0 stores in the Miami area by 1984.

Hondy ht is oecning e nsw store in Crarland, Tx., No. 14 in the Dallas-Fort Worth mctrodcr 84 Lumber has new units in Marrero and Patterson,la. . . The O'Mollcy Co. has opened a second retail storc in El Paso, Tl., with 15,000 sq. ft. of showroom.

Lowe's is dcvcloping a mailorder program for imflcmcotation in the mid-EOs . . Lowc's renovatod stores in Fort Wrlton Beach and Melbourne, Fl., Thibodaux and llammond, Le., and Bon Air, V8., havc a rrry Iook onthcir sahs fbors fun Antonio, TI., Gty @utr;il has voted to dlow continuod usc of wood shingfcs atd shakes m single-family rcsidcnccs . .

Kentucky-Indisno Lumber Go., Lexington, Ky., had a firc in the warehouse . . HI's lrrc., Donna, Tl., has instalbd do-ityourself home ccntcr mcrchandis. m9...

Lumbmun's Market RW has been sold to Dixic hmfu GuAe with Am SYints tatiqg over for Howard F. Gilliam, ufio is retiriqg aftcr 30 ycars . . Nationol Wholesle Hordwore Asubtion has institutd a nsw hardware sales index for thc industry.

Wo&tukingMc-rfiery Mqw focttttsx of Anwiu rcports an all time higb mcmbership

Housing $orts iM for the 5th mo. in a roy in Mar. (latest figs.) to a seasmally adjusted annual ratc of 907,fi)0; althoqh pp 2.5th, starts haven't been above thc I millkm mark sincc last July . . acdvity in the South declined from the previors mo....

Starts of single fenily units wcre up t7r, muhiruits dcdinod 6.6q. k iUW FtniE nae an ercuuaging9.1tr, thc fifth consecutive mo. of iucasc thc pace was still 25 9o behind the year earlier.