OPERANNG OPPORTUNITIES

Wally Lynch

Builders Express, Inc.

11550 Plano Rd.

Daf f as. Tx.75243 contribution should be budgeted and measured to indicate average proltciencies.

The following material b o contin' uation of the anolysb of retail management skills begun in September. Please refer to the chart on Page 26 of that issuefor bockground information-ed.

Good Personnel Policies

(1) Without a written personnel policy, the very foundation for effective people utilization is lacking.

(2) People must be paid, have vacations and some benefits.

(3) Everyone should have a written position description, on-going training opportunity and a structured c.ueer path.

(4) Stock options, profit sharing and other similar opportunities for growth existing for all people are above average'

Effective Salesmanship

(l) Without published, agreed uPon quotas and defined sales territories there is no structure for effective selling.

(2) Sales people should receive on-going sales and product training.

(3) Individual sales volume and margin

(4) Sales people compensated upon budgeted volume and margin performance, indicates an above average prograrm.

Advertising and Sales Pmmotion

(l) Advertising is one way communication; without a marketing plan there is no script or scenario for effective advertising.

(2) Point of purchase signage shows some activity.

(3) Some sales promotion and advertising done seasonally or sporadically is okay.

(4) Sales promotion and advertising done consistently by plan, using major media (print, radio and tv) is better.

Eftective Facilities Utilization

(1) Showroom, warehouse and Yard schematics are the framework of facilities utilization, without pre-planning and updating, effectiveness is lost.

(2) Good housekeeping, traffic flow and easy customer access is important.

(3) Complete futuring and equipping should be maintained in all areas.

(4) Complete cube use in all areas gives better than average effectiveness.

Timber Products Inspection, lnc.

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL INSPECTION AND QUALTTY CONTBOL SER. VICES FOR ALL WOOD PBODUCTS, AND ALL SPECIES, TNCLUDING GRADEMARKTNG OF LUMBER UNDER THE ALSC PROGRAM, QUALITY iIARI(ING OF TREATED LUMBER UNDER THE AWPB PROGRAM, AI{D CIUAI ITY CONTROL/. QUALTTY MARKING PROGRAUS FOR FIRE RETARDANT TREATED WooD.TRUSSES. AND BUILDING LOGS. SERVICES INCLUDE IRNNING, QUALI. TY MONTTORING. CERTIFICATION, SAMPLING, REINSPECTION, SPECIF|CATION WRITING AND/OR CLARTFICATTON AND CONSULTATION ON LUMBER FREATED/UNTBEATED), TRUSSES, PLYWOOD, POLES, CROSS rlES, FINGERJOTNT. I.I\MINAIED STOCK, AND BUILDTNG LOGS.

Effective Experse Control

(l) Without sales and expeiwe budges the foundation for expense control cannot exist.

(2) Operating statements should be issued periodically and consistently for expense control.

(3) An operations manual for the company can be the basis for average exp€nse control.

(4) Segmented budgets and operating statements, developed and used, reprcent better than average expense control.

Unit Control

(l) A unit control system should exist.

(2) Inventory partially managed through a unit control system shows minimum participation.

(3) Inventory totally covered by a manual unit control system, shows average control of units.

(4) Inventory computerized to complete item control shows above average handling.

Effective Buying

(l) It is atmost impossible to buy effectively without some buying and/or group afhliation.

(2) A company buytng policy is neccssary for minimal buying abilitY.

(3) Constant availability of product' good quality, good value and competitive price indicate average capability.

(4) tf the company successfully and consistently sells private label products profitably, better than average skills are indicated.

Pricing Know How

(f) A pricing policy must be maintained.

(2) Pricing based upon one mark uP, indicates minimd pricing skill.

(3) Price lines esrablished with variable mark-ups indicate average pricing performance.

(4) C-ost effective or compensatory pricing indicates better than average pricing skills.

Like any composite evaluation, otery d€tail wi[ not fit every organizalion exactly. The range of capabilities described for each skill area is broadly and generally acceptd and in place in lumber and building material operations throughout the country. lf they do not exisl in your trading area,they will.If they do not exis within your organization, you're playing the game without all of the tools or without the right ones.

BEST 0F SH0W awards went to (left to rioht) Fred James, Mid-states Wholesale Lumber, 0klahoma City; Tony Ware, Lee Roy Jordan Redwood Lumber Co., Dallas, accepting from Gerry Weltzheimer, convention chalrman;

Oklahoma

(Continued from page 25)

Hilton West is expected to become a tradition at the convention.

Two general meetings with speakers, a business session including election of officers by the board ofdirectors and a banquet rounded out activities for the delegates.

Larry Smith, Billingslea Lumber Co., Lawton, will become president at the Dec. I installation. Vice president will be Ken Rothschopf, The Lumber Mart, Guymon. Randy Rogers, H. E. Leonhardt Lumber Co., Oklahoma City, was elected treasurer.

Gordon Wells and Dan Flanery, Cedar Creek Wholesale, Broken Arrow and 0klahoma Citv: LaVonne Roe, International Paper Co., and Biti Waymack, Cedar Supply, Inc., Carrollton, Tx.

New district directors include Mike Little, Sperry Lumber Co., Sperry, l; Tom Sanders, Sanco Lumber Co., Grove, 2; Don McClain, McClain Building Center, McAlester, 3; James Lovell, Prague Lumber Co., Enid,4; Weltzheimer, 5; Mike Yates, Western Lumber and Hardware, Elk City, 6.

New associate directors are Joe Colley, Colley and Co., Pauls Valley, and Dale Fuzzell, Blue Circle Cement Co., Tulsa.

' Glen Haney, immediate past president, chaired the nominating committee which included Bud Blakely, Robert Davenport, J. O. Baker Jr. and Don Pannell, all past presidents.

Southeast

(Continued from page 24)

Virginia Building Material Association has published a 1985 dealer and membership directory.

In addition to listing members of the association and officers, the directory carries information about all retail building material dealers in the state.

The booklet also lists an honor roll of 4l companies which have belonged to the association for 50 or more years. Fourteen of these companies date back to 1926 when the association was founded.

Kentucky Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association in conjunction with the Western Wood Products Association has scheduled a full day employee seminar at the Lexington Hilton Inn, Lexington, for Dec. ll.

Following a new format, the seminar will be divided into two parts. Lumber basics will be stressed in the morning session with the afternoon portion covering design values, span computa- tions, purchasing and reinspection and sales oriented material.

Participants may attend both sessions or split the registration attending in only the morning or afternoon. Completion of a lumber basics seminar in the past will be required for participation in the aftemoon session.

Nearly 20 companies have reserved space for the table top display at the convention at the Executive Inn West in Louisville, Nov. I l-13. The convention should be far larger than those in the past, according to William Thompson, executive vice president.