State by State Summer suruey of pressure treated sales

rr RESSURE treated wood has F proven to be among dealers' hottest products in the South, despite the varied conditions of each region. Here, a mid-year look is taken at where, when and why treated lumber is selling through a random sampling of retailers in each ofthe l3 Southern states.

ALABAMA: "lt's doing very well. We sell it every day," says John Kirkpatrick, J&K Lumber & Supply Co., Jasper. "ln Alabama, there's no real peak season. lt has picked up in the last five or six years, but it should continue to sell at current levels. No more. no less."

ARKANSAS: "We're not selling much at all, and why beats the heck out of me," confesses Bob Grady, Grady Sales, Salem. "We've got about three truckloads and no takers. But we did have a late spring. It should pick up."

FLORIDA: "ln Florida, the pressure treated lumber business is unreal," says Bert Jewell, Granger Lumber & Supply Co., Lake City. "We're moving, on the average, two trucksl0-wheelers - a week. People are using it for decks, gazebos andwhile the water levels are lowfor docks.

"The season is late spring to early summer. July starts getting too hot for outdoor projects. It's selling about the same as last year. In the future, it should hold its own and, if anything, do even better."

GEORGIA: "There's been a good bit of movement," says Ron Evans, Chambers Lumber Co.. Gainesville.

Story at a Glance

Random suruey of pressure treated wood sales by dealers in the 13 southern states... while responses lange from excellent to poor, most business is good, with rctailers optimistic about the products' future.

"Selling has been about average. This is the time of year for it, through August, at least. The weather remains fine, but that's when people start pulling inside and thinking about other things."

KENTUCKY: "Pressure treated lumber is moving pretty well," says Wilk Sparks, Frakes Lumber Co., Vine Grove. "We had a pretty good spring and it should last through the summer. In this area, there are a lot of new homes being built and home additions. And pressure treated wood is one of the best products we've found for decks, especially pricewise what with redwood getting so far out of hand. We sell landscaping timbers, decking materials. For deck flooring we're stocking 5/4 x 6s, which look a lot nicer than 2 x 4s."

LOUISIANA: "lt's been selling well," admits Tim Page, Tim Page Lumber Co., Winnfield. "Spring is the time of year for putting in decks' and gardens. April until the first of July. Then it gets real hot down here. I think sales have picked up a whole lot over the last five years. You pay a little bit more for it than untreated lumber, but it lasts so much longer."

MISSISSIPPI: "We sell 20 times as much as we did five years ago," says Bill Williamson, Phillips Building Supply, Grenada. "And down here, pressure treated lumber sells year round. Still, most of the building is done in the summer months. We're hoping it stays above normal this year and next, but youjust don't know when people are going to build."

NORTH CAROLINA: "Pressure treated lumber? Lord, yes. We sell more of it than about anything else we have out front," says Kevin Carlisle, Wall Lumber Co., Morganton. "Spring through summer is best, but the weather permits it to be sold throughout the year. And as long as the building holds up, it will sell well. They're directly linked. "

OKLAHOMA: "lt's doing pretty good, about average," notes Robert Czaplinski, Benson Lumber Co., Newkirk. "lt stays strong until the middle of summer, when it gets too hot, and then it picks up again in the fall. From the end of September 'til early November. We have two peak seasons in Oklahoma.

"lt's bought for decking and farm uses, such as corrals and horse trailers. We're also selling a lot of treated lattice panels for fencing and enclosing porches. It gives you shade and still lets a cool breeze in. It's doing better all the time."

SOUTH CAROLINA: "We're selling one-and-a-half to two tractortrailer-loads a week," smiles Ronnie Creel, Shaw Lumber Co., F'lorence. "Late spring is the best time of year. It starts slowing down in mid-August when it starts getting cool. It's been stable for the last five or six years."

TENNESSf,E: "Pressure treated wood in Tennessee is doing all right," says JeffJern, Robert Walker Lumber Co., Nashville. "The season lasts through the summer months. It's actually slow right now. It's mostly the economy. People are watching their pennies. Let's hope it doesn't stay like this."

TEXAS: "lt's selling pretty well," says John Dove, Fort Worth Lumber Co., Fort Worth. "ln Texas, it stays somewhat level year round. There's no real peak. The weather is fairly constant, although we do get some cold days in winter.

"We expect pressure treated wood to grow as more people are beginning to realize it's worth the extra money because it lasts $o long. There are many instances where it's foolish to use untreated wood."

VIRGINIA: "Treated wood's doing real well. It's held its own this year,'o says Jerry Orrender, Wise Lumber & Supply Co., Wise. "The big season lasts from the first of April until the end of July. By that time, everybody's built their decks. It's picked up over the last four years and will it continue? I hope so."

Approximately half went into residential remodeling for decks, porches, exterior uses; one quarter into new construction for same usel the rest for other uses.

.Sun L4'ast( rr.s. l)allas.'1x.. rcportcdly was lrcgotiating thc purchasc ol' lluttth' l)utt, llurul.t ('rl.t' and Ilott.st'rtork.s urtits l'ront ('lruttncl llonu' ('utlcrs at prcss tintc, httt wottlcl nol conlntcnt olt thc acquisition or what thcy plitnncd to rlo with the strlrcs

Ittn\"s has ollcncd nt:w storcs in North ('hattirnoogit, 'l'n., ancl Moorcsville. N.('.. rclocatcd ii storc in (iolclshoro, N.('., rctrollttcrl storcs in ('orbin. Kr.. Ocall. lrl.. ancl Wcst Knoxvillc. 'l n.. ancl startccl a $1.-5 million cxllansion <tl'a I)ort St. l.ucic. Iil., slorc

I lortrc /)(7)()/ o[)e ncd an lJ2,(XX) sq. li. storc in Jcnscn llcach, lrl. . . . Olslrun Lunrbtr ('o.. I louston, 'l'x.. is rcntodcling a lumbcr wurchousc udjaccnt to its showroonr . . .-l'hc Putv ('tt. has clpencd storcs in Morristown, Tn., and Ashcvillc, N.('., both lornre r ll(cGu/lin [.Ltntber ('o. operations

I)..1.1)..5. Lunhtr is a ncw ('hickasha, Ok., store, l-arry Ilrown, nrgr. [:oxvt'orth-Galbraith Luniltcr (i,l. has renrodeled and expandecl its Winnsboro, Tx.. store .lbitu Lunber ('o., Abita Springs, [-a., will acld 3,500 sq. fl. to its store

Williams Brollters, Atlanta, Ga., is restructuring the lumber div. with plans to close Lilburn, Roswell and Cobb, Ga., stores thissummer...

Distributors Wareh{)use, Miami, lil., is adding a lumberyard adjacent to its facility.., Alamo I;'orest Produc'ts, San Antonio. Tx.. has a new sales office in Portland, Or. Tri-Stares Lumber Co., Fulton, Ms., is planning a new treating plant to triple itsproduction...

14 rt lJttiklittg hlutcriuls, z\tlantir. (iir., has nanrecl ll'c.vtrltutttscr l\naling l)iv.. ('hcsapcakc, V'1., Supplicr ol'thc Ycur lor l)ccorittive lluilding N'latcrials lirr thc scc<lncl consccutive ycilr

'ldrth<' llonrc ('anlcr /lr'., lJocit l{atun, lrl., is going out ol' busincss . ('lturtncl Ilonu' ('urtcr.s /rrt. is closing thc I lunl.t' l)un I lorrrt' ('(ilt(r rcgional adrninistration ol'l'icc in San Antoni<1. -l r.

I)ortuldsott cQ l'ultn Itrmbcr l)eulers. l)crry. Ok., rcceivcd a lllid-.,lrncrit'u Ittmbtnrrcns'lssot iutirttt ccrtilicatc ol' achievcmcnt on its 70th arrnivorsary . Pl.t'vtotxl ('u.s<' ('rt.. ('arrollton, (ia., is ccle brating its 6 | st an n ivcrsary...

('ott.stul Lutnbcr (ir.. Weldon. N.('.. has rclocatcd its (lalifbrnia distribution yarcl to Chino . . llc-tarhut'uscr will close its Jacksonvrllc, Ijl., distribution ccntcr Aug.30...

Lindert Lutnber ('o.^ l-inden. Al., has a new oak floor operation in Linden. Al. . . Gold Rond lJu kling Produt'ts will ex pand production capabilities by 50(X, at its vinyl sicling mlg. facility, I)anola County,Ms....

McCormick Lumber ('o.. [-exington, Ky., has opened a 24,000 sq. Ii. mill & mfg. div.. Mt'Cormit'k Millwork & Ml,q. ('o., in the fornrer Palumbo-Sacller Lumber (ir. mill location in Lexington . .

Lotri s ia n a - Pa c i/i c wlll start construction on an Inner-Seal OSB plant in Silsbee. Tx., in Sept. .Weyerhaeuser Co. will sell its Briar, Ar., gypsum wallboard business in a move to eliminate oPerations outside the company's 'odesired strategic focus" llpina l:n!:ittt'crad l)rttdttcl.s, Ittc.. l)onrpano lleach, lrl., has opencd a ncw 10.(XX) sq. li. mfg. plant ancl regional llq. in Nottinghirnt. f)a. . ('lruntpion Inler' ttutirtnul (itrp.'s plywood mills in ('anrden antl ('orrigan. I'x., and Waycross, (i4.. havc bcen approvcd lor ntcnrbcrship in the .lrttcricttrt l'lvw'txxl .'ls.sttt'ittlitttt

Productr Dlgost 'l'hc .\ttrtl'inc I)ir'. <ll' ll'illunrcttt lttdustric.s is adcling a cr.rstonl-nradc .tt lrr'l/ing lllu.slcr sitw to its particlcboartl ntlg. plant irt ftuston, l.a. .4corn Ruiltlittt< ('rttttltrtn<'ttls, /rtr'. has ollcncd a nrtg. lircility in Oncontit, Al.

UN ll I hmn' Pnxlu<'ts, Ruston, [-rr.. has acquircd thc l]uilder Prtxlttcts l)iv. ol L(.lW'.1 ('orp.... l'crntottl,lnu'rit'un ('orp., I-ouisvillc, Ky., has rcccivcd Sourcc of thc Year and Partncrs In I)rogrcss awards f'ronr .Scar^s, Ro<'httt'k tt ('o.

Mu.sttttitt, ( ttrp. lllans a new OSI} siding and slructural panel nrlg. plant in ('ordele, (ia., start Lrp set lbr late 1990 Ma.sonild s particleboard plant, Stuart, Va., is in the nridst of a $ | ,5 nrilliorr capital cxpansion l)rogram

I ttlt'tttt M<'tul l)rtttlttct.s, lnc.. Ilirminghanr, Al., has changed its nanre to Vulcun Protlucts, Inc. Scusonqll Intlustrics is the llrst mfi. to receive certilication fiom the l''t,nestrutiott (-crtilication program of the ltlati0nal Assatiltiott o./' Llonte Builders

H iutt'hi Pttv,<,r't oots U..5..{. has opened its frrst U.S. assembly Izrcility at its Norcross, (ia., operation. .. C'ooper Industries, lnc., Ilouston, Tx., wants to acquire Rabone Chesterman Ltd. (metal and tiberglass measuring tapes) a subsidiary of Bardsey PLC, London, England. for approximately $l-smillion...

I lousing starts fell 2.lol, in May (latest figs.) to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of l.3l million units. single family home construction dipped .4.6%i while multis rose 6.lo/0... building permits edged up 0.1%