LOUISIANA OUTLOOK

JAMES L. DUKE execudve vlce presldent

lf'S UUe to start thinking convenItion. Our annual meeting will again be held at the fabulous Royal Sonesta Hotel, New Orleans, Feb. 2-5.

We think this will be our best ever. The format will be changed slightly to include a great ladies program and fantastic entertainment, along with the usual informative business sessions, good food and fellowship.

The executive committee met in Baton Rouge in the summer. Many items were discussed including a new bookkeeping format, future outlook, president's budget, etc. Approval was given to holding the'84 summer conference at the Marriott Grand Hotel in Point Clear. Al., July 19-22.

Employers should be alert to symptoms displayed by employees who are stealing from their place ofbusiness. The basic motivation for employee theft is need, temptation, opportunity and thought that they will not get caught. vlce precldent

Very little can be done to control need and temptation. But to a large degree employers can control opportunity and perception of risk just bybeing aware that problems edst and by setting good examples. Also, employers should have policies regarding punishment for employees who steal from their companies. Employees should know these policies and no exceptions to them should be made.

Some of the telltale signs of employee thefts are (1) altered or destroyed company records; (2) forged signatures; (3) frequent inventory shortages; (4) excessive amounts of employee overtime; (5) merchandise cartons that have been opened and not returned to their proper places; (6) customer complaints about merchandise not received but for which the customer was billed.

EIVE SEMINARS will be conducted I by the association between now and February under the supervision of the education committee.

Developed to provide practical business and management programs for owners, managers, supervisory personnel and employees of lumber and building material dealers, the offerings range from five hour informational conferences on current topics to three day comprehensive seminars.

Three basic estimating classes will be given by Dr. Bill Stewart of Texas A&M University with one in Dallas on Oct. 26-28 and Houston on Jan. 30-Feb. l. Three supervisory skills for the yard foreman seminars will be conducted by Dr. S.P. Johnson in Austin, Oct. l3; Longview, Nov. 17; and Dallas, Jan.26. An effective retail merchandising seminar will be offered by Robert P. Potts in Austin on Nov. 9. Dr. Joe Allen Cox will conduct a session on recruiting, interviewing, selecting the right employee in Austin on Feb. 16. Averting financial crisis will be the subject of a seminar in Waco, Jan. 10-12. Dr. Teny Maness and Dr. Franklin Potts will be the instructors. The cost of these seminars is income tax deductible as an educational expense to maintain and improve professional skills, including registration, fees, travel, meals and lodging. Enrollment is being taken by the L.A.T. office.

BABGAIN hunting customers crowded the new Alamo Lumber Co. store in Alice. Tx.. on opening day. The lacility,with 20,000 sq. ft. including 7,000 sq. ft. of air conditioned retail shopping area continues the 75 year old record of service to the Alice area established by an Alamo lumber yard built there in 1909. Troy Powell is manager ol the 0peration which includes lumber storaoe sheds and a ready-mix concrete plant on-a four acre site.

Weyerhaeuser

(Continued from page 15) troduce the company's expanded line of building materials. And, it is intended to let customers know of Weyerhaeuser's intent to be their "First Choice" building materiais supplier.

"Our goal, quite simply, is to be first choice with our customers," says Winward, "and our advertising will tell that message. To us, being first choice means providing a full range of quality products with competitive pricing, reliable delivery and dependable service by people who care.

"We intend to better serve the wholesale building materials needs of lumber dealers, home centers, mobile home manufacturers and industrial customers," he adds.

At Weyerhaeuser's Ashburn CSC, for example, asphalt roofing has been added to the product mix.

"Asphalt roofing has been a big item since we added it," Sessions says. {'Customers not only use it for new housing but for reroofing older homes. We also sell it to the manufactured housing market. "

At Charlotte, N.C., the big nonwood items have been asphalt roofing and fiberglass insulation. Similar stories are repeated throughout the Weyerhaeuser distribution system, whether it's at Ashburn, Ga.; Birmingham, Al.; Sweetwater, Tx.; Miami, Fl., or Memphis, Tn.

Weyerhaeuser CSC customers are finding an array of non-wood items such as nails, gypsum, rebar, anchor bolts, stucco netting, farm gates, metal doors, ceiling tile, T-posts and barbed wire. The mix of wood and non-wood products varies at each CSC, depending largely on local market needs, but nearly all of the Weyerhaeuser units haveadded some non-wood products.

Technology Committee was established in 1966 to promote education and training in the lumber industry. With the cooperation of the Industrial Arts Department at Memphis State University a course in wood technology was established.

The club maintains the hardwood panel display in the Memphis International Airport and sPonsors the "Trees-Our Renewable Resource" exhibit at the Memphis Pink Palace Museum. Members have donated more than 9,000 sq. ft. of oak Paneling to Theatre Memphis. TheY also established the arboretum at Southwestern University and are involved with the Goldsmith Civic Garden Center. A conservation committee works with public and private agencies to improve forest practices and replace the "cut-out-get-out" syndrome with a striving for "sustained yield."

LUMBERMEN'S CLUB

(Continued from page I1)

Ball. A Lumber's Lady Fair is selected each year to represent the industry as an ambassador of goodwill.

An Education and Wood

The Goodwyn Institute Library has worked with the club to organize its records into a collection of history and anecdotes. The Memphis Public Library now houses this memorabilia.

It has long been a tradition for candidates for president, first and second vice president and director positions to be nominated on either a red or blue ticket with the candidates conducting a five day campaign for votes. In earlier days, the campaigning was conducted by street car instead of auto and took two weeks. During this time each candidue personally visits as many members as possible.

Elections are held on SaturdaY night followed by a banquet where both the winners and losers must make an appearance and speak before the manbership.

The competition of business is forgotten in dedication to the lumber industry and the brotherhood that membership in the Lumbermen's Club of Memphis fosters. Camaraderie and fellowship have been important in making Memphis the Hardwood Capital of the World.

Change Inventory to Time

Work out a deal with your local radio station to provide prizes which they need for contests in exchange for radio time of equal retail value. This bartering results in radio time costing you wholesale rather than retail dollars.