SOUTHERN ASSOCIATTON

Mid-America Lumbermens Associationts convention committee recently met with 1st v.p. Billy Plyler, John Plyler Lumber Co., Glenwood, Ar., to begin planning the 1997 MidAmerica Expo.

Members approved repeating this year's free night's lodging incentive and casual dress code and selected a "Jazzing Up for Business" theme. Due to unavailability of the convention center, the show must be held later in the month (Feb. 26-28), but an expanded floor plan permits adding 26more exhibit spaces.

Among the seminar topics suggested: forklift safety, effective advertising, jazz up profit margins, avoiding lawsuits, lowering your insurance rates, and siding variations.

Planning committee members include Diana Plyler, John Plyler

Lumber Co.; Dick and Kathleen Jennings, T.J. Lumber Co., Oklahoma City, Ok.; Kevin Owen, Owen Lumber Co., Belton, Mo.; Jerry Peterson, Miami Lumber, Inc., Paola, Ks.; Mike Harmon. BiltBest Windows, Overland Park, Ks.; Bob Beeler, Roberts & Dybdahl, Kansas City, Ks.; Wendy Preston, Bildcrete by Western Bag, Harrisonville, Mo., and Kent Schrowe, Indiana Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Co.. Kansas City, Mo.

MLA also announced its Group Health Insurance plan coordinator, Carol Vogel, has left the association for family reasons. Because of the changing complexity of the insurance world and increasing number of state regulations, she will not be replaced on the paid staff. Instead, the dealer trustees have retained MSR Benefit

Services, Kansas City, Mo., to market and service its plan. MSR's Warren Williams and Cindy Wilcher will be serving MLA members.

Virginia Building Material

Association will hold its summer management conference Aug. 15-18 at the RamadaPlaza Resort Oceanfront, Virginia Beach, Va.

The agenda includes Tom Lackey, Lowe's Cos., addressing "Credit & Collections Management in a Building Material Business," exhibits, roundtable discussions ("Your Two Best Ideas in 1995," "How to Develop a Business Plan" and "How Close Do You Want Your Suppliers to Your Customers?"), board and committee meetings, golf and tennis tournaments, casino nieht and children's programs.

Lumberments Association of Texas is ironing out details to again sponsor two East Texas forest resource tours. This fall's dates are Oct. 8-10 and Oct. 22-24.

Board and committee meetings Aug. 1-4 in Galveston, Tx., will consist of half-day sessions, followed by leisure activities.

At Brift Lumber, we specialize in redwood fence posts, boards and rails - made directty from the log in our modern sawmill. We're large enough to meet your customers'needs, yet smal enough to care and provide the personalseruice you need.

Call Mike Vinum or Ross Muxworthy at (707) 822-1779.

The FrameWorks@ TimberStranil@ Wall System creates walls that are as true a a chalk line andfee of knots, bowing, twkting and wane.They giue your u s tomers picture -p erfeet sight lines on long anil high walb, and can simplify their lfe all over the house. Kitchens, bathrooms or any room that demands precision for hanging ubinets, plumbing applications or specifufnishes is made a lot easier with the FrameWorkP TimberStrand@ Wall System.Your customus will love the walls thq build-and so uill their customus, litttbt'rStrand L.\1, l)rtlttlut .Srlr/J rrri/ uroft but actuaLly nny sttr( )'ttr!t r'lr.if(),i/('l:r ttnilty lltrrut,glt n'dtt,tl lal,or r()\I\.,4r1./ ttlrcn 1,rt111' (1,-i/(),ir('ili l)tt)rtil()t('.ti)t tailt.fi,ilttttt.,1 l),rrAri(r' )'trr tatt ttttkt tttoft'. lNrRonucrNG THE F RAMEWoRKS' Tr,vtsERSrRAN D. WALL Sysrnpt-pREMruM STUDS AND PLATES THATARE FREE OF KNOTS, SPLITS, WARPS AND WASTE.

You sce it everv d:rr''. A sling of stLrcls kroks good in the rrrr)r'lrilr(' lrrrt rfter ''"- "'-"- Yotlr cLlstonrcrs spencl a ferv hor.rrs digging-rt looks like ;r !{rune ofpick-up sticks.

We h:n'e a soh.rtiorr: tl-re FranrcWorks' TirrrberStrarrcl' W.rll Srrtcrrr. E.rclr n.rll ir .rs truc as a chllk line rrnd fl-ee of knots, bou. rrrg. tu isting lund wane.The Fr:urre Works' Wall Systerrr is rrr:rcle r,vith our Tinrber-Struncl " Lanrinatecl Strand Lr-rrrrbcr. l r-rnic1ue, resource-eflicrcrrt rnaterial tlut rvhen cut into stucls is n':rste fi-ee ancl consistcnt.

Even t]rough these studs lrc lD()re expenslve! y()ur custon)crs rvill quickll' re:rlizc th;rt thcv rna\: ilctll'lll\' \'lvc thcrrr nrone,v due to rctlr.rcec'l l;tLror costs. TirrrberStr:rnd' L\l i. c.rricr t() l).ur(ll('.rr)d, thrrnks to its consistclrcy, hlnging clbincts. plumbing konard G. Ilerring will step down Aug. I as pres. and ceo of Lowe's Cos., North Wilkesboro, N.C., and will retire Jan. 31, 1997, after 40 years with the company. Robert L. Tillman succeeds him. Vyi[iem A. Andres, John M. Belk, Claudine B. Malone and Robert L. Strickland have been reelected to the board of directors. James F. Ealpin is new to the board, replacing Gordon E. Cadwgan. Frederick Lee McConnell is now S.C. and Ga- district mgr., and Sandra Dickerson is store mgr. of the new Fort Walton Beach, Fl., location.

:rpplications ancl frnishing ts greath.sinrplifrcci.

For nrorc inlbrrnatron regarclinu thc Fratrre'WorksTirnberStr:urcl " Wall Systerrr flonr Trus Joist MacMillan, c()r)tect vour distributor orc:rll 1-fJ(X)-338-051 5.

Paul Ifju has resigned as exec. director of the Southern Cypress Manufacturers Association to join Willamette Industries, Charlotte, N.C., in MDF sales. Chris llinson was promoted to plant superintendent at Willamette's Chester, S.C., plywood plant, and Fdwin Skipper is now plant mgr.

Ilarley'Bubba" Finnell, formerly with Slaughter Industries and Associated Truss & Lumber, is new to Oldham Lumber Co., Dallas, Tx.

Martin "Marty" Johnson, previously with Miller & Co., has joined Cumberland Lumber & Manufacturing, McMinnville, Tn., as sales mgr.

Deanna Garrett has been promoted to customer support mgr. of woodware Systems, Memphis, Tn., reports David Rosenberg.

Barbara Ussery has retired from Ervac, Peachtree City, Ga., after 42 yezus as a lumber trader.

Tommy Darsey, ex-Conner Industries, is now sales mgr. of the new industrial sales division at Northcutt Woodworks, Crockett, Tx.

Carlton Morgan is new to Mead Southem Wood, Phenix City, Al. Candyce Loescher, formerly with Mellco, has joined southern division lumber sales at Timber Industries, Peachtree City, Ga.

Dave Luce has been named sales mgr. at Idaho Timber Corp., Rison, Ar. Toni Holderfield is new to sales. Graham Taylor is a new trader at Lake City, Fl. Dennis Johnson has been promoted to v. p.-Mid-South merchandising for Home Depot's Southeast Division, replacing Dan Tzujioka.

Don Oliver, Owen's & Oliver Lumber Co., Greenwood, Ar., was awarded the Pinnacle Award from Orgill, Inc. for being one of the top l0 dealers in sales.

Dana Fields has been named mgr. of 84 Lumber, Nicholasville, Ky. Other new mgrs.: Matthew Von Kaenel, Lorton, Va.; Jay Moore, Plainview, Tx., and Shannon Lawson, Campbellsville, Ky. New co-mgrs.: Ian Brooks, Campbellsville, Ky.; David Bynum, Goodletsville, Tn.. and Jamie Collim. Nicholasville, Ky.

[,eonard Smith, gen. mgr., Buford White Lumber Co., Shawnee, Ok., was honored as Oklahoma Lumberman of the Year.

Mark Gottlieb has left Ortwater PlasticV Industries after nine years to form his own consulting firm, Marketing Solutions.

Kenneth R. Wells has been appointed pres. & ceo of Briggs Industries, Tampa, Fl.

Thomas M. Green has been named chairman of the board of the International Staple, Nail and Tool Association. Martin C. Cross and Jerry C. Koontz are vice chairmen.

George Riley, Williams Lumber Co. of North Carolina, Inc., Atlanta, Ga., was named v.p. of the Southern Cypress Manufacturers Association.

Thomas O'Reilly, American Woodmark Corp., Winchester, Va., has been named pres. of the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association. Charles A. Engle, Triangle Pacific Corp., Dallas, Tx., and Russ Broughton, Lilly Industries, Inc., High Point, N.C., were named directors.

Andy Bates, Blythewood, S.C., has been named 1995 Sales Representative of the Year by Aristokraft, Inc.

Jean and Don Smith, Sr., Bowman Lumber, Lubbock, Tx., celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary June l.

Ron Smith is now a product mgr. for the plastics division of ABTco, Inc. Other appointments: Jane Isley, customer service mgr.; Mike Sims, director of mktg.; Tom Roe, product mgr.; Richard Post, national accounts mgr., and Marty Fajerman, regional mgr., covering western N.C. and S.C.

Jack R. Waters has been named superintendent of Norfolk Southern Corp., Somerset, Ky., succeeding John A. Irwin.

Joseph Anthony Lombardi, asst. mgr., Home Depot, Largo, Fl., wed Jennifer Lynn Parker Aug. 10.

Scott Treadway has joined Century Industries, Inc., Little Rock, Ar., as v.p.-operations.

Jim McAllister has been named director of national accounts for Ames Lawn & Garden Tools, according to IIugh Martin, v.p.-sales.

R.W. "Buddy" Rumley has been promoted to director of national accounts for UnionTools, Inc.

Joe McKnight is new to the Detering Co., Houston, Tx., as sales mgr.

Richard Losciale has joined Euro United Corp. as v.p.-sales & mktg.

Sam Licavoli is the new senior v.p.-international at A.O. Smith Co. William R. Hennig is now pres. of A.O. Smith Water Products Co.

Richard B. Yiola has been named senior v.p.-sales & mktg. at Furman Lumber, Inc. David R. Bulk is now v.p.national accounts.

Lisa Michelle Goetz. Lowe's. Owensboro, Ky., married Danny Ray Word Jr. July 20. Jonathan William Jarrett, lawn & garden mgr., Athens, Ga., is engaged to wed Linsey LeeAnn Rasch Aug. 17.

Lou Banoyl is head of fleet maintenance at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., according to owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

Massive Asbestos Fraud Charged

Owens Corning has filed suit accusing medical testing laboratories in the Southeast of trying to defraud the company in connection with asbestos litigation cases.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District

Court in New Orleans, La., claims the operators of three labs created fraudulent medical documentation to make healthy or mildly afflicted individuals appear to suffer from serious asbestosrelated pulmonary impairment.