Finding new ways to sell hardwood mouldin

and ability to accept stain. They assure d-i-yers that hardwood moulding is no more diflicult to install than softwood moulding. They try to ease the customer's anxiety about working with a high price, luxury item.

They point out that they have both solid oak and poplar mouldings available with pre-cut corners to make installation easier. Oak and mahogany are staples.

In addition to profile displays, they showcase various mouldings which have been built up to achieve a custom woodwork look. By studying these sample boards, a do-ityourselfshopper can see how he can combine crown with other moulding to create a dramatic ceiling trim or use a selection of patterns to create variations in chair rail or base.

LIARDWOOD moulding has the I I potential to be a strong do-ityourself product.

Inspired by the ongoing renaissance in high quality custom woodwork, many d-i-y craftsmen are looking to hardwood moulding for its beauty, durability, fine grain and ability to accept stain. Oak and mahogany products are the most widely known and accepted, but other species including birch, walnut, koa and teak are in demand.

Story at a Glance

How dealers encourage d{-yers to buy hardwood mouldings... possible approaches methods that work for both chains and independents.

A dealer who has the space to stock a selection of profrles and the inclination to work with the do-ityourself customer can find hardwood moulding a real money maker. The d-i-yer will need more guidance and service than a contractor customer, but many dealers find that this extra attention pays off in related sales and devoted customers.

Two lumber dealers in Alexandria, Va., take different approaches to hardwood moulding. Smitty's Lumberteria handles a token inventory of oak shoe moulding because the store doesn't have the space for the stock necessary to promote hardwood moulding. Having decided that they can not be hardwood moulding specialists, they readily suggest that the customers try W.A. Smoot & Co., a lumber dealer who has established the reputation of being an excellent hardwood moulding source.

Smoot, which made a decision several years ago to specialize in mouldings, carries nearly 400 different profiles and sizes in hardwood and softwood species. They have free take-home literature for customers showing all the available profiles. They also maintain full displays. Shoppers are encouraged to examine, handle and touch the samples.

Karen O'Donnell, sales manager, and John O'Donnell, marketing manager, a husband arLd wife team, work with the do-it-yourselfer who wants to use hardwood moulding. They aim, Karen O'Donnell explains, "to eliminate fear." They do this by stressing the superior qualities of hardwood moulding including its beauty, resistance to dents lf the shopper wants to have the mouldings installed by a professional, the displays and information available from the staff help to convince him that hardwood is the best choice. Whether the sale is to the consumer or a contractor, Smoot's finds that the service approach works.

Solid support from a manufacturer or distributor of hardwood mouldings can be an asset to a dealer. Lawton Lumber Co., Greenville, S.C., backs its dealers with what sales manager Buster Williams calls a "dog and pony show," a presentation at the store to show application techniques, uses and finishes. They also provide display boards.

Lawton produces 130 diflerent patterns, all in virola, a type of mahogany which they process in their facility on the Amazon River in Brazil before bringing to Creenville for milling. Williams calls the product "commodity moulding" because they mass produce thousands of feet at a price competitive with fir or pine moulding.

"lt stains well and complements oak, cherry and mahogany," Williams points out.

The price has appeal for both the do-it-yourselfer and builder trade in chains such as Lowe's and Wickes or independents like Frank Ulmer Lumber Co., he explains.

Hardwood moulding is not an impulse item, but its profit margin makes it worth a dealer's effort to build the reputation of being a hardwood moulding specialist.