Anxiety From Hurricane

Batters Florida Wood Sales

Building retailers in Sarasota, St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay, Fl., report that wood frame sales have plunged about 30Vo since fears following Hurricane Andrew prompted restrictive state building codes for high wind protection.

According to Southern Forest Products Association regional market manager Harold Garber, before Andrew hit, about half of the new homes in the coastal area were wood frame, the other half concrete block. Now, the ratio is 20Vo wood, 80Vo block construction.

Where southern pine joists, rafters and headers were once used, builders are now using wood I-beams and LVLs. Garber believes a Wood Framing Guide now being developed should have a positive impact on the return of wood-frame housing to Florida, "The only problem is that this will not happen overnight," he said.

Yard Fights To lsolate ltself

The battle is on between the lumber yard that wants to close off portions of streets to protect itself from local "riffraff' and nearby residents who don't want their neighborhood isolated.

Citing thousands of dollars worth of burglary and vandalism, Builders Supply Co., Lancaster, S.C., petitioned a Lancaster County court to close portions of three streets near its business. Neighbors fear that closing the roads could delay response times for fire trucks and other emergency vehicles.

But the company reports:

In Febrauary it sustained more than $350,000 in property damage after an arsonist set fire to lumber stacked behind a warehouse.

. Areas behind the yard are often used by people who park there at night and leave behind beer cans, liquor bottles and litter.

Many cars parked at the business have been broken into.

Numerous traffic accidents have occurred on the narrow roads that stretch through the seven-acre busiNESS.

"We have been in business for almost 90 years," said chairman C.D. Gregory. "We have always been good neighbors and we want to continue to be."

Stringfellow Sells Remanufacturing Division

Stringfellow Lumber Co., Birmingham, Al., has sold its Associated Forest Materials Division, Hodges, Al., to the MHJ Group, Montgomery, Al.

MHJ primarily produces custom remanufactured lumber for manufactured housing and other industrial markets.

Stringfellow president and chief operating officer Harold Fletcher said the sale would "allow us to focus more on our main business. distribution."

Stringfellow Lumber also consolidated its Third Avenue storage facility and moved all inventory to its 18acre Rickwood Division in Birmingham.

The company will move its East Point, Ga., location to a recently acquired l5-acre location in Winder, Ga., after developing the site.

MHJ Group said it intends to continue the current product lines at Associated Forest Materials Division and to operate it as an extension of its other operating divisions.

Reowooo Tue PlRrureRs, WtNDow BoxEs, AND Bonpen Epclluc Fnou CnllronNtA CAscADE

At Califomia Cascade Industries we produce components for redwood planters from our own daily milling operations. The result is a superior quality product and a dependable, consistent supply throughout the year.

Since 1974 Califomia Cascade has served customers with the finest redwood products. With over 24 million board feet of lumber in stock at our facility, Califomia Cascade gives customers peace-of-mind knowing they can rely on a steady supply of product. And with a fleet of 25 trucki Califomia Cascade offers same-week deliverv.