Weyerhaeuser revamps distribution policies

ITHERE are times, saYs Tom Ses- sions, when it's hard to keep up with all the changes taking place in Weyerhaeuser Co.'s wholesale building materials distribution system.

Like the cutting of the corporate umbilical cord to the 64 Customer Service Centers (CSCs) allowing each unit more independence.

Like the addition of non-wood merchandise-foam insulation, asphalt roofing, nails, wire mesh-to a Weyerhaeuser distribution inventory mix that traditionally has been limited to wood products.

Like the freedom to buy products from any reputable supplier at the best price, rather than primarily being a funnel for Weyerhaeuser wood products from its mills to the marketplace.

"The company has changed its system of doing business and it is much better now," says Sessions, manager of the CSC in Ashburn, Ga. "Management has loosened the strings to let us operate in an entrepreneurial fashion. And it's working."

The chief string-loosener at Weyerhaueser's corporate headquarters in Tacoma, Wa., is Herb Winward, newly appointed business vice president for building materials distribution.

Winward repeatedly cautions fellow executives to avoid what he calls the "big brain" approach to the company's CSCs. While encouraging his Tacoma staff to develop overall business strategies, he says he wants to ensure that unit managers have enough elbow room to operate more as independent businesses.

The company's goal is to transform Weyerhaeuser into the

Story at a Glance

Weyerhaeuser overhauls dis. lribution system . . . Customer Service Centers can buy lrom other suppliers, stock nonwood products . . launches "First Choice" promotion.

preferred supplier of a broadline of wood and non-wood products in markets throughout the country.

Weyerhaeuser's resolve to make a success of its revamped and expanded distribution system is backed by a major advertising and promotional campaign, the first of its kind and size for Weyerhaeuser in several years.

The "First Choice" campaign, begun in October through several trade publications including Bu i ldi n g Products Digest, is designed to in-

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Hechinger Co. has opened a store in Sterling, Va., with plans for two more in that area in early '84; a Durham, N.C., store opened last month Mountain City Lumber held a grand opening in King Mountain, N.C. . .

Champion International is expanding its Novoply particleboard plant at South Boston, Va., with the Oxford, Ms., plant due for conversion to a fines face product. . ..

Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and Lakeland,Fl....

Georgia-Pacific is negotiating to buy EthylCorp.'s pvc compounding and resin business including facilities at Gallman, Ms., Tiptonville, Tr., Delaware City, De., and Baton Rouge, La. Richqrdson & Bryant Corp. has reopened the Wood Mosaic plant in Louisville, Ky.; Frank Paxton Co., Kansas City, Mo., has agreed to buy the lumber yard on thesite...

Prentiss Creosote & Forest Products, Inc,, Prentiss, Ms., has been purchased by Henry M. Lipsey, C. Sessions Polk and William T. J. White who will serve as pres. Leesrille Lumber Co., Leesville, La., closed since 1980, is negotiating financing to resume operations

Dean Hardwoods Inc., Portsmouth, Va., has purchased the Maritime Lumber Services Inc., Wilmington, N.C., for an undisclosed amount Leader Lumber, Inc., Dallas, Tx., is opening a branch office in Conroe, Tx., Tom Farr, managing partner, in charge

Lumbermen's Wholesale Ser' vice, Inc., Louisville, Ky., is a new distributor for Z-Brick . . Hughes Supply Inc., a Fl. distributor, has acquired the Peninsular Supply div. of ITTGrinnell including sales outlets in

Tolleson Lumber Co., Inc., is building a $1.5 million wood treating plant in Athens, Al. Robinson Lumber Co. is adding a domestic wholesale dept. to its New Orleans, La., operation with Dale Bernard and Dan Rader in charge. .

White Stores, Wichita Falls, Tx., under ownership of Canadian Tire Corp. of Toronto, is reformatting and remerchandisingall 8l stores . Home Centers of America, Inc. with three Home-Pro Worehouse stores in San Antonio, Tx., is opening a fourth in Corpus Christi, Tx.

Home Depot Inc., Atlanta, Ga., will move West to open three stores in Phoenix, Az.; Clearwater, West Palm Beach, St. Petersburg and Deerfield Beach, Fl., stores are in the works . . Payless Cashways has opened new units in Pasadena and Baytown, Tx., bringing the number of stores in the Houston market to nine . .

Lowe's is retrofitting a Wilmington, N.C., store to its Super RSVP design with a Dec. target completion date; stores in Auburn, Al., Warner-Robbins, Ga.; Danville, Lexington and Richmond, Ky.; Elizabeth City, Reidsville and Washington, N.C., and Staunton, Va., arenow operating with the RSVP format...

Fires of suspicious but unknown origin damaged two separate truss mfg. operations in Bartow, Fl., within four days . . Imperial Lumber Co. sustained over a$l million loss. Custom Building Supplies Inc., had $15,000 in damage

National Forest Products Association has reopened its Southeastern District field office . . . August hardwood lumber production in the South was up 990 from July, 3990 higher than '82 , Hardware sales index for July showed a9.39o increase over the previous year in the Southeast and 7 .2o/o hike in the Southwest .

International Paper Co.'s Mineola, Tx., wood treating plant sent 15 tons of lumber to Washington, D.C., for use in a deck being constructed at the Ronald McDonald House . .

Scotty's held a grand opening for a Margate, Fl., unit; a new unit is being built at Temple Terrace (Tampa) and a replacement store in Big Pine Key . . McCoy's Building Supply Centers has a new store in Waco, Tx., with units in Greenville and Tyler in progress. .

Housingstarts in August Qatest figs. available) hit the highest /evelsince Dec. 1978 at a seasonal- ly adjusted annual rate of 1,935,0(n units, up 8.4% from the revised annual rate of 1,785,000 units in July . . singlefomily starts rose I0.7Vo to an adjusted annual rate of 1,135,0m units . apartment starts gained 5.390 to an annual rate of 800,000 fiil0 cal|$ uill| |]|0 il0 PR0F|I$!