SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION

Construction Suppliers, Association has rejoined the National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association following a 7 to 6 vote by its bbard of directors.

Formedy known as Building Material Merchants Association, the Georgia and Alabama group withdrew Jan. l, l99Z,because memberb felt the national organization did not have an effective lobbying program. Since that time, Allynn Howe has been hired by NLBMDA as a lobbyist. Bartow Snooks, Choo Choo Supply, and Erv Goodroe, executive vice president, after working with Howe while in Washington, D.C., on the Canbdian lumber tariff issue, recommended rejoining to the board. Both reportedly were impressed with Howe's knowledge of timber supply issues and the people on Capitol Hill.

President Dick Barr commented, "We will be a good supportive member of National, as we havd always been. This does not mean that we will not speak our piece and be critical of things we don't agree with. That is the process. We will deliver our votes on issues critical to us."

Lumberments Association of Texasts long range committee chaired by Dick Ledermann and Parker Beebe has recommended to the board of directors the adding of the tagline 'suppliers of lumber, hardware and building materials" to the LAT letterhead and publications to eliminate the need for a new or more encompassing name for LAT.

The board of directors approved bylaw amendments which will allow associate members to serye on all committees except nominating; allow up to l0 associate members on the boatd of directors with voting privileges; merge membr services and education committees; add "security" to the safety committee title, and replace the word "telegram" with "facsimile machine" as a method of communicatiory'notification. Amended bylaws will be published in the 1992 member directory.

Mid-America Lumbermens Ascociation has booked industry editor Kenneth Schept to discuss *How to Compete With the Chains" at the Fall Seller's Market & Expo, Oct. 24-25 at Shangri-La Resort, Afton, Ok.

Whitey Herzog, former manager of the Kansas City Royals and the St. Louis Cardinals, will keynote the opening session of the MLA Expo, Feb. 10-12 in Kansas City.

The show promises to be a big one with 127 booths already reserved and daily inquiries from last year's exhibitors as well as first time exhibitors. 'Baigain Barn" will be a new feature with exhibiting firms invited to bring close-out, one of a kind, slow moving items, surplus ptoducts and damaged items for a special sales area outside the exhibit hall.

Florida Lumber & Building Meterial Dealers Association will sponsor a German study tour and ski trip Jan.29-Feb.7, 1993. A tour of the German building material industry and a laborlawupdate are being aranged.

Associationmembers were askedtohelp obtain lumber and trusses for the addition being built at Give Kids The World Village. Paula Everett and Bill Carson coordinated the project for FLBMDA.

Carolinas-Tennessee Building Material Associstion reports economic recovery has started, but just how strong it is depends on where a business is located.

They have memberc reporting increases in volume over last year as high as 60% to as low as 6 % , January, February and March started off strong, but business eased considerably for many members in April and May. Both months seemed spotty for most areas. Thete were busy days and slow days, Sustained business seenxi a bit difficult to hold to right now. Competition is still intense, causing problems keeping margins uP.

Louisisne Building Material Dealers Association managing dfuector Bruce Cole recently participated in a conference in Portland, Or., to give building material association executives a bettet understanding of the timber supply crisis.

After visiting the national forestlands, mills, Mt. St. Helens volcanic area and Weyerhaeuser's reforestation program, he is urging retailers and suppliers to tell the story of responsible forest management to their customers, friends, neighbors and family and, most important, their congressmen. The problems being experienced in Oregon and Washington could easily happen in Louisiana, he warns. 'We have our owll bird, you know."

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