ood millwork has profit potential

the USA" trademark. It appears on hang tags, in brochures, on television commercials and other promotional items.

A similar type of logo is being created for solid hardwood specialty products. The identification mark will aim to create instant recognition with a preception of quality on behalf of consumers.

Story at a Glance

New marketing promotion fuels big dollar hardwood millwork sales. logo, sales brochures, point of purchase materials and publicity available to build consumer awareness.

So far, the new solid hardwood millwork program includes the following marketing tools:

Research - HMA doesn't profess to know all the "ins and outs" of the millwork trade. So, we have begun our program with research. A survey is currently being distributed to millwork operations to determine promotional needs and wants of their hardwood customers.

Sales brochure - The need for hardwood millwork sales literature is immediate. A brochure for the d-i-y market will be available late this month. Associations like the Architectural Woodwork Institute are already producing effective sales literature for the high end custom market, but this brochure will fill the void of hardwood millwork literature that talks directly to the average home remodeler and builder.

Bar codingOne of the hottest issues in retailing right now is the bar coding of lumber. HMA's membership realizes that bar coding is inevitable and that we should do all we can to make the evolution a smooth one. HMA has some ideas for easing the economic and logistical fears of bar coding hardwood lumber on all distribution levels. We will make those ideas public after discussing them with the National Forest Products Association Bar Coding Task Force and reviewing the group's new standards manual (due this fall).

Point-of-purchase materialsHMA plans to develop other support materials for the retailer, including a "seasonal" hardwood aisle-ender, where free hardwood millwork project brochures can be displayed.

PublicityHMA specializes in consumer publicity. Thanks to our involvement in home remodeling and construction projects, HMA has generated publicity in Country Living, Family Circle and l00l Home ldeas, just to name a few home furnishings magazines. Several editors have already contacted us for ideas on small-scale home remodeling projects featuring hardwoods. HMA plans to create solid hardwood millwork applications to showcase the product's natural beauty and durability, and then publicize them.