SOUTHERN ASSOCTATTON

Mlsslsslppl Bulldlng Mrterlel Derlers Assoclrtlon Inc. has elected Janette Breedlove, Breedlove Lumber Co., Charleston, as president for 1989.

She is the first woman to serve 8s president of MBMDA and probably the first to head any other federated association, according to executive vice president Robert Gatlin.

Others elected at the 63rd annual convention in March include Charles Patterson, Discount Paneling Center, Kosciusko, lst v.p.; Curtis Seay, Liberty Building Supply & Hardware, Liberty, 2nd v.p.; Wesley Rushing, Jones County Building Supply, Laurel, national dealer director, and Bill Reynolds, Waynesboro Hardware Co., Waynesboro, and James Burnett, Mid-South Lumber & Supply, Vicksburg, executive committee.

Directors are Tom Wiggins, Cash & Carry Building Supply, Columbusl Bobby Olmsted, Greenwood Lumber Co., Greenwood; Mike Nabors, Phillips Building Supply, Grenada; Dorsey Ray, Virden Lumber Co., Indianola, district l I Horace Scott, Hometown Building Material Co., Meridian; Steve Breland, Breland Building Supply, Philadelphia; Kerry Howell, Howell Building Supply & Decorating Center, Louisville; Larry Weston, Weston Lumber & Building Supply, Jackson, district 2; Jamie Morris, Phillips Building Supply, Laurel; Lynn Moak, Mid-City Paint Supply, Summit; Eric Small, McComb Building Supply, Mdomb; Terry Moak, Builders Mart Inc., Tylertown, district 3. Ken McEntyre, Atlas Roofing Corp., Meridian, was elected to the advisory board.

Mid-America Lumbermens Association is supporting House Bill 1085 increasing small claim jurisdictional limits. The bill has been considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee, receiving a majority, and passed out to the Senate floor, although the limits were reduced from $3.000 to $2.500.

MLA delegates to Conference with Congress, March 20-21 were headed by president Grady Ollie Jr., George Ollie's Lumber Co., Inc., Pocola, Ok. Others included MLA past president John Collins, Collins Lumber Co., Inc., Ada, Ok; MLA director Bob Henkle, Grand Country Homeworks, Grove, Ok; MLA vice president Bill Mayfield, Reynolds

Builders Supply, Smackover, Ar; MLA district director Tommy Bryant and his son, Matthew, Bryant Bros./N. Arkansas Cash Lumber Co., Batesville. Ar: George Mayo, Mayo Building Supply, Bentonville, Arl Evalena Mayo, Mayo Building Supply, Bentonville, Ar; Norma Ernst, Collins Lumber Co.. lnc.. Ada, Ok; Judy Ollie, Geo. Ollie's Lumber Co., Inc., Pocola, Ok., and Bob John, executive vice president, MidAmerica Lumbermens Association.

The association is organizing a three day cruise to the Bahamas in December. Information is available from Arkansas regional manager Truman Hall or Bill Champ, Oklahoma regional manager.

Oklahoma Young Lumbermen toured the Macklanburg-Duncan plant in Oklahoma City during the Inaugural Oklahoma Young Lumbermen Seminar in Stillwater.

Joe Hurd, chairman, John Henkle, Pat Sullivan and Bill Champ are planning a late summer meeting including children for the group.

Florida Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association is inviting dealers from other federated associations to participate in a roundtable for dealers with an annual sale volume in excess of $15 million.

The roundtables will discuss a variety of subjects including advertising, business planning, computers, employee relations, inventory control, profit and loss review, tax shelters and yard security. The first meeting will be held Nov. l0-13 in the Orlando. Fl.. area.

Carolinas-Tennessee Building Material Association will hold two seminars to explain the controversial new regulation Section 89, the complex law entitling employees of equal position to receive equal benefits. The association estimates Section 89 will cost employers $150 to $200 per employeejust for paperwork plus the additional costs of increased benefits.

Although it went into effect Jan. l, dealers have been allotted about six months to comply. The CTBMA seminars will be held May l0 in Charlotte, N.C., and May 17 in Nashville, Tn.

Structural Panel Exports

U.S. softwood plywood and other structural wood panel exports broke the one billion square foot mark in 1988 for the first time ever.

The American Plywood Association (APA) said that the record-setting volume exceeds the industry's previous best (set in 1987) by some 208 million square feet. Total exports last year, according to official U.S. Department of Commerce figures, were 1.004 billion square feet, 3/8-inch basis.

The record year, according to Tom Fast, APA director of international operations, Tacoma, Wa., was the result of favorable exchange rates, strengthening economies around the world, continuing progress in reducing tariff and other import barriers, and aggressive international promotion by APA in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service.

starts for January and the 2% decline in building permits confirm lhis belief, according to Gary W. Hoormann, North American Wholesale Lumber Association lnc.