North American lumber wholesalers' meeting

EIOR the first time in 104 years, the son of a former L' North American Wholesale Lumber Association president has been elected to that office.

Stephen V. Snavely, Snavely Forest Products Co.p., Pittsburgh, Pa., was elected president as NAWLA gathered for its annual meeting. His father, Chris Snavely, was president in l97l-72. Other officers elected: lst v.p. Fagan Cox, John Cox Lumber Co., Houston, Tx.; 2nd v.p. Stephen Boyd, Manufacturers Reserve Supply, Inc., Irvington, N.J.; treas. Jerry Gustafson, Tumac Lumber Co., Inc., Portland, Or., and secretary Nicholas R. Kent, NAWLA exec. v.p.

The apparent consensus among attendees was that business this year for most was 'Just okay," but that next year

Story at a Glance

Good '97 lumber market forecast cost control in distribution and the role of technology discussed Stephen V. Snavely elected president.

would be slightly improved. While many were carefully hopeful, some pockets of concerned caution remained.

Dr. Lynn Michaelis, Weyerhaeuser's top economist, foresees no big volatility in lumber prices in 1997, but $60 swings are possible. Slightly slower growth is likely, he said, calling it a good thing as growth that is too strong results in destructive inflation. Housing starts will be down in early 1997, Dr. Michaelis said, though by 2000 they may rise to 1.8 to 1.9 million; all in all, a good lumber market next year.

The president of the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association, Roger Scherer, told the opening general session that technology was the key for dealers competing with Big Box retailers. He sees ordering inventory over the Internet as an important part of the future, saving costs.

Industry expert J. Michael Marks said lumber had changed from a sales driven to a price driven industry. He stressed the need to eliminate all possible distribution coss as a path to profitability. "We're so busy with distribution, we haven't thought enough about the end user," he said. Commercial alliances between various industry members can be a way to cut costs and lock in sales, Marks noted.

Wholesalers Open Teacher Program To Retailers

Due to the popularity of ia Teachers Tour programs, the North American Wholesale Lumber Association is inviting retailers and others industry members to join its new North American Wholesale Lumber Environmental Education Partnership (NAWLEEP).

, "EVer since we hit the road and told the story of the NAWLA/CRA Redwood Region Teachers Tour program, the response has been phenomenal," explained NAWLA's executive vice president Nicholas R. Kent. "Virtually everywhere we go, we get the sane question: how can we get involved?"

, Previously structured only for wholesaler participation, the program has been reformulated as a partnership for the creation of new environmental education programs to prepare educators for the natural resources utilization debate.

Sponsoring organizations, such as the National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association and regional associations including the Northern Californiabased Lumber Merchants Association, must contribute $ I,000 each year they are involved. To directly sponsor individuals, the groups or member companies must provide $250 per teacher, transportation to and from the tour and, optionally, pocket money.

NAWLA's co-sponsor, the Temperate Forest Foundation, will assume alarger role, handling all site work, including creating tour agendas, soliciting manufacturer participation and financial support, producing informa- tion packets and coordinating actual components of the tour (hotel guides, buses, scheduling, etc.).

Each facet of every tour, from teacher selection and housing arangements to schedules of activities, will be reviewed by the NAWLEEP steering committee to ensure sponsors that the tours meet or exceed their expectations. Especially important is post-tour followup contact with the teachers.

This summer, 30 teachers each will aftend tours June 19-72in Charleston, S.C., and July 1Gl3 in Arcata, Ca. Future tours may include the Mount St. Helens, Wa., area, the Southeast and Northeast U.S., and eastern and western Canada.

The program is designed for teachers and/or curriculum writers of grades 3 through 5 specializing in environmental studies, science, biology or related topics. Applicants selected for the tours will be supplied with roundtrip transportation to tour locations, local transportation, as well as lodging and all meals on site.

The tours typically include visits to managed public and privately owned forestlands, nurseries, research laboratories, lumber mills, fisheries and state parks, where instructors can speak with foresters, biologists, mill workers and government officials from various regulatory agencies. Teachers will learn about sustainable development, harvesting techniques, reforestation, protecting streams, minimizing soil erosion, wildlife conservation, bio-diversity and government regulations.

The John J. Mulrooncy Award, which recognizes exemplary service to the North American lbrest products industry, was received by William Stimpson, fonncr chairman of the board of the Gulf Lumber Co., Mobile, Al.

An expanded structure for NAWLA's successful Teacher Tours program encompassing other industry organizations was formed as NAWLEEP, the North American Wholesale Lumber Environmental Education Partnership (see story on previous page). NAWLA is also developing an Internet Web site and a new sales training manual.

The association has 33 dircctors, including four new ones: Robert Bell, Bolen-Brunson-Bell Lumber Co., Memphis, Tn.; Peter Krihak, Holbrook Lumber, Albany, N.Y.; Brad Johansen, Welco Lurnber Corp., Vancouver, B.C., and Beverley Gilmore, U.S. Glu-Larn, Inc., Bedfbrd Park. Il.

This year's mccting was held at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, Tucson, Az. The l05th annual will be at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort, San Antonio, Tx., May 3-6, 1991

Thc first annual NAWLA Traders Market will bc held

(Contituted *-ith more photos on next page)

Kent. (4) Bill Ford, Frank Cammack. (5) Merry Schmidt, Bobby M. Thomas, Ralph Schmidt, (6) Greg Kruse. (7) Gary Bennett. (8) Steve Killgore, Clayton Barns, Barry Kronick, Gene Walters. (9) Steve Tyahla, Larry Cantlilfe. (10) Charlie Moss, Bernie Bernstein, Jon Reed. (11) Joe Nealon, Jim Mace, Eric Canton. (12) Jim Epperson Sr (13) Craig Broady. (14) Bob Pippen, Charlie Crawlord. (15) Sue & Bill Scott. (16) Terry Griffith, Jim Graham. (17) John Heath. (18) Jim Outram. (19) Gary Tragesser, Frank Bennett, (20) Bob Jahns. (21) Chuck Geisler, Anna Canton. (22) Eric Wilson, Bob Petow. (23) Dinny Waters, Mark Junkins. (24) David Stearns, Bob Chadbourne. (25) Jim Epperson Jr., Ken Caylor, (26) Walter Russell, Stan Bell, (27) Buddy Klumb, Carol Pipkins, Ken Robinson.