Prefinished wood r a ready market

,1|\ RE YOU keeping your cus&l tomers in the dark or are you telling them the advantages of buying prefinished exterior wood products?

Yards often get into a commodity mentality and don't take the time to sell prefinished siding, fascia, soffit and rim. However, many prefinishers will handle builder calls for retailers and provide infonnation and samples needed to complete a sale.

Factory prefinishing has been an industry for about 30 years, but only about 87o of exterior wood is pre-finished nationwide. The Midwest and Northeast are strong prefinish areas. The South, says Ron Cottelli, president of Triad PreFinish, Greensboro, N.C., is "one of the last frontiers for prefinishing."

He finds major advantages in factory prefinishing. "First, coating all four sides of a board seals it from moisture. Second, in a controlled environment the coating can be applied to a proper thickness and allowed to dry and adhere to the wood before installation and exposure, eliminating problems encountered when painting is done in the field. Factory finishing seates unifonn coverage, avoiding wet lines and an uneven appearance as the paint begins to age. In addition, prefinishing costs aft,out 307o less than a painter in the field."

Cottelli notes "more demand for the quality at a lower price" offered by prefinishing in the South as people come from areas where it is widely used. His company offers builders extra services including matching nails and accessories such as vent covers or aluminum vent strips finished to match the wood.

Bob Harvey, sales manager at Carolina Colortones, Arden (Asheville), N.C., adds "instant curb appeal" to the list of advantages offered by prefinishing, explaining that with prefinished siding a house is immediately atractive.

Southern retailen are slow to react to the advantages of selling prefinished lumber, Hanrey notes. He crlls it "a shame" that only a small percentage are aware of the benefits.

Prefinishing avoids the cell degradation, oxidation and chalking that can occur in as little as two weeks building facility this month. One building will house two machines for painting and staining and drying equipment with the second used for inventory and storage. With more room, they will have a showroom for displays and sample boards to show contractor, retailer and homeowner customers the different colors and types of products available.

Harvey plans o extend sales across North Carolina into the Greenville area as well as south to Georgia using the same methods the company has found successful in the western part of the state. They advertise on local radio and tv and call on contractors and architects. "After a customer tries prefinishing, the product sells itself," Harvey maintains.

Prefinishers operate or ship into when bare wood is exposed to ultra violet light, Harvey notes. Life of a coating applied after sun damage is cut in half in his opinion.

He and Chuck Campbell, owner of tle l5-year-old company, believe in offering extra services. They market matching nails, a special rustic cross channel adaption of a tongue and groove, v-joint siding pattern and a corner edge that creates an oblique line when siding is butted into it. They insist on careful wrapping, banding and protection for inventory. They ship to customers across North Carolina and into South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, often by company trucks.

Convinced that prefinish is "ready to take off," Carolina Colortones will move into a new, 22,W0 sq. ft., dual almost every southern sCate. They are ready to provide the products which they believe offer many advantages to a builder. Now it is up to the retailers to create a bridge between manufacturer and user. As suppliers, they stand to gain a lot with very little effort.

Story at a Glance

business for a dealer.

IUOU CAN lncrease your treated I wood r€v€nue. Honesl

Making a profit ftom reated wood has become difficult for most retailers. Even when sales are good, competitive pressure has squeezed out much of the margin. Some dealers use oonrmon SKUs of treated wood as loss leaders.

Despite market conditions, it is duct knowledge sessions, videos or writt€n courses such as the wolmanized Ressurc Treated Wood Instinrte provide the basics. Train salespeople to think about cross merchandising. Instill a positive attitude. According to the Jounul of Consumer Marketing,6% of those who quit shopping at a stor€ did so because of indifference by an employee.

BulHlng Ppduc-tr Dlgoet displays and product literatur€ assist sales. Try idea brochures, building plans, warranty folders, Consumer Information Sheets, counter racks, posters and banners.

F7 Respect your / Invcntory

Neither your customers nor your employees will have high regard for