Georgia-Pacific Begins Overhauling

Building Product Sales, Distribution

Georgia-Pacific is beginning a national rollout of its reconfigured Building Products Distribution Division's sales and logistics operations.

Patterned after a prototype concept now operating in the South, the new format relocates the division's sales functions to two state-of-the-art sales centers, in Atlanta, Ga., for the East and Denver, Co.. for the West.

The two sales centers will be supported by a network of strategically located warehousing and delivery operations, to be rolled out in 1996 andearly 1997.

Among the division's 133 current distribution facilities, 60 will eventually be closed, 55 will serve as new logistics points and l8 are under evaluation. The network will feature larger facilities, extended hours of operation, and broader, deeper inventory.

The 63,000-sq. ft. prototype sales center ar Wildwood, Ga., opened Feb. 6 with 150 employees. The new, larger Eastern sales center will open in metro Atlanta in early 1996 and be fully staffed by the end of 1996 with 700 employees (907o sales, marketing, product management; l07o support).

The Western sales center will be located in the metropolitan Denver area and be fully operational by Feb. 1, 1996. The 71,000-sq. ft. facility will house 325 employees (90% sales, marketing, product management; l0% support).

Both sales centers will be staffed by Georgia-pacific employees transferred from other distribution division locations.

Citizens Group Aims At Act

Project CommonSense, a non-profit organization that seeks to protect private property rights, has formed a nationwide citizens coalition to work on reforming the Endangered Species Act.

Headed by Tom Talbot, ceo, Glen Oak Lumber & Milling Co., Montello, Wi., the working group advocates an incentive-based, free market approach towards endangered species protection.

"Our current law turns landowners against rare species," Talbot said. "It is time to take into account the enormous economic costs and job losses under the existing law and create a new approach that protects plants, animals, private property and jobs."

A recent study sponsored by Project CommonSense revealed only l5Vo believe the current punitive system is correct, whlle TlVo said establishing incentives was a more effective approach to protecting species.

Gabinets & Countertops Rising

Kitchen cabinets and related cabinetwork shipments increased 9.8Vo annually over the past two decades and should reach $6.8 billion in 1995 for 3Vo of total U.S. building material shipments, reports Specialists in Business Information.

Among U.S. plastic laminated contertop shipments in 1994, residential remodeling and repair purchases accounted for 35.2Vo, up from 33Vo in 1987 and 19.6%o in 1972.