is gaining strength

I\ EALERS who think lattice is l, the same old familiar product that's been around for years haven't done their homework. There have been some changes.

Always a popular product with builders and homeowners, especially d-i-yers, lattice is on its way to becoming a popular product with dealers. However, some dealers are still unimpressed with its potential. As one put it, "l get rid of a lot of lattice. Most of it is swept out the back door as trash."

The dealer who believes this needs to get with it. Super, heavy, tough and durable are replacing the words often used to describe lattice in the past. Products designed to be durable with little maintenance are earning a new reputuation for lattice.

Much of today's lattice product is made of pressure treated southern pine or western wood, cedar, redwood,Douglas fir and hemlock/pine.

Several manufacturers including T. R. Miller are producing super duty lattice using pressure treated material. Wider than average slats are being used as well as the traditional narrow slat. Measuring2t/2" in width, these have a thickness of approximately l " at the intersection where the slats cross. Manufactured in a 4x8 panel, the material carries a lifetime Wolmanized guarantee against wood rot and decay. It can be used for fencing as well as lattice.

Burns, Morris & Stewart also produces lattice in treated southern pine. Both their treated and untreated lattice is glued as well as stapled at the intersections. Panel sizes are 4x8 and 2x8.

Woodway by LWO Corp. offers either a square or diamond design in regular or heavy strength as part of their quality program. Cedar, redwood, Douglas fir,hemlock/pine and treated woods are available.

Vinyl lattice is fabricated with foamed polyvinyl chloride with joints chemically welded. White or colors are available, eliminating the need for painting. A special heavy duty product is made for use subjected to loads and impact.

Although vinyl lattice sells for about a third more than wood lattice, "retailers turn their inventory as frequently as 25 times a year and make gross profits up to $1,380 per net square foot of floor area per year," according to Susan Boyd at Cross Industries in Atlanta, Ga. The product averages 800/o repeat customers.

Story at a Glance

New lattice products more durable, easier to sell pressure treated material carries lifetime guarantee...vinyl eliminates painting, maintenance.

An estimated 9 million panels of lattice are used each year in outdoor applications such as porch and stair railngs, fences, arbors, screen walls and foundation screens for houses and mobile homes. With new, improved products and quality control, this figure is due to grow.

If a dealer's not part of the profit picture, he needs to do his homework.

Suttt.v's lnt'., Wintcr llaven, [i1., has appointcd a contntittcc ol' board members to considcr a $125.7 nrillion buyout oll'er lionr (ill-lnno-RM .\.4. ol' llelgium (GIR Grculrl which currently h<rlds about 42'th ol'the 14.7 nrillion shares outstancling

Mt'('tt.y,'5 ('orp. will opcn ir Mt('os,'5 lluildirtt: Suppl.v ('cntcr in Mission, l'x., this spring .'l'|rc Patv' ('o. is invesling ntorc than $2 million preparing a leased building in Asheville, N.('., f<lr its 8th store .

I{onu' Quurlers will movc its corporate Ilq. to larger of fices in Virginia Beach, Va. I'lt'chirtq4u plans 1o construct a I[ornc Quur' ters lMarelrcu.se .Slore in l)enbigh, Va., for opening next year . .

Lowe's has relocated its Boone, N.('.. store. increasing its square fbotage to 4(),000 (see p. 29 for story) . . litxu,orth-Gqlbraith Luntber Co. is rebuilding the McKinney, Tx., store destroyed by winds and rain last fall lliunnnn lluiklinti Matarials, l)ass ('hristian, Ms., is dissolving lirllowing thc death ol' owner llarry Wittnrann ... lJuilc.v' Lutrthcr (\t. is closing its Wythevillc. Va..storc... lluntlt, l)utt l)o-lt- l'rturscl.l llorrtr' ('(nt(r.\ in l:ulcss and Arlington, 'l'x., arc bcing closed by parent co. ('lrunn<'l Ilomc ('cnt(r.\... 14/itkes Lumbrr ('0., Monroc, I-a., is preparing to close lSelN,ood U..5. 4., Tylertown, Ms.. is restructuring, taking the name Walthall Wood Works.

Grossman ls, which is spending $19 million to renovate M(torc's stores this year, has hired .Sltcarson Lehmon Hutton Inc. to evaluate the possibility ol'selling part of its holdings .

Moore's BuildinSa .SttPPlies. Petersburg, Va.. held an appreciation night for its suppliers with 400 attending.

Pointe Coupee Lumher Co., Lafayette, La., is adding new lines and expanding inventory . . . One-Stop tsuilding .Suppl.v, Demopolis, A1., anticipates a 15,,,20% sales increase as a result of recentexpansion...

An unknown thiel'stole $5(X)0 in cash fionr the ofllce sal'e at .S'r'rr//yls I tu rdv,a rt'. (lharlotte I Iarbor, I;1. Lowc's <Jisplayed its lawn and garden line at the Somerset-Pulaski Area I Iome lluilclers Ilome and Product Show . . lilit'kts Lunbcr ('o. hatl a l2xl2 fi. kitchen and a l2xl2 fi. deck display in the llirrningharn, Al.. Spring llorne and (iarden Show. ..

Modern lluildcrs llome ('attler, Mountain View. Ar.. celebrated its 25th anniversary last month . Whit Davis ltunbcr. Jacksonville. Ar.. had a 36th anniversary celebration on April I . .

Wickcs Lttnber ('o. stores in Northport, Al., and McAllen, Tx., are anlong the 25 Wickes outlets with the besl overall business performance improvement lastyear...

Linden Lumber Co., Demopolis. A1.. has a new hardwood flooring plant . 4lamo Forest Produt'ts, San Antonio, Tx., has opened a Portland, Or., sales office...

.\trinxlelktv' l.umbar ('o., Birnringham. nl., has acquire; I.aadcr Ittnbcr, /nt'.. l)allas. T' (sce p. 29 lbr story) . .

I) und I Woul Pnxlucts.Ty, town. Ms., has addcd it new plar cr and a lattice panel div.

.lllison Pole ('o., llillister, Tx., has been acquired by Texas I'ucilic Wood Protlut'ts. Livingston. Tx. (see p.23 for story)

(ttrt Rcttrt l-unber Cb.. Glen, wood. Ar., plans to build a new mill (see p. 7 lbr story) Mac Millun Rloedcl Ltd. will opell,,:,'a waferboard plant in (lolbert, Ga., this sumnrer . Weslvrottd Fttrcst Products, lnc., has moved to larger quarters in (ireensboro, N.C....

.\t. ('harles ('ompanics. Washington, I).C., which has acquired Whirlpool Kitt'lrcns, lrt'., will locate headquarters in the Tidewal.er area of'Virginia

('hantpitttt hzrs addecl new equipment at both Citronelle, Al., ancl Camden, Tx., operalions

The buyoul of GAI'' ('orp. by Samuel J. Heynran, chairman and ceo, and a management group has been completed . . 4rrowootl Tet'ltnologies ftlc.. Roiboro, N.Cl., is being purchased out of bankruptcy for $6.3 million by Fibrehonrd (brp., Concord.Ca....

.San Antonio Hoo-Hoo Club No. 20 reactivated with more than a dozen members initiated at,,the LAT convention; pres. PhilCocks and former pres. Carle Halle were, on hand . . . May has been designated National l{ome Decorating Month . ::a::,.

Housing starts far March (latest figs.) dropped 5.41t/o to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.4 million units . single family starts slumped to an annual rate of 994,000 units; multi-family to an annual rate of 403,000 building permits fell 13.1oh