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wood and pine mills and plants in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Participants will also have the opportunity to visit several Revolutionary War historic sites.

Mississippi Building Material

Dealers Association has initiated its dealer member membership contest. The top recruiter wins dues free for one year. The contest ends Feb.29. James Burnett, Mid South Lumber & Supply, Vicksburg, has taken the early lead, recruiting one new member.

Older Stores May Be Better

Despite a tremendous increase in new store construction last year to woo customers away from places at which they traditionally shop, most consumers would rather continue to shop at the old stores, provided they are up-to-date and more conveniently located, according to a recent Gallup poll.

Three out of four consumers say they would remain loyal to their current mass retail store even if a competitor's store opened slightly farther away.

"This means potential competitors to existing mass retail stores have their work cut out for them," said International Mass Retail Association president Robert J. Verdisco. "A new store must literally squeeze in between potential customers and their preferred stores to draw customers away."

Most retailers spent more on remodeling in 1994 than in 1993, and many are making remodeling mandatory.

Most consumers surveyed agree that in the last three years: the look and design of their mass retail stores improved (84V0), old stores achieved an up-to-date appearance (90Vo), preferred stores are clean and well-maintained (9l%o), and the lighting at most stores makes them a pleasant place to shop (8870).

Checkout Line Speedup

Customers slowly filling out checks can create real cashier's line log jams.

Maryland-based home improvement retailer Hechinger's may have a solution.

Their resisters have built-in check