PERSONAIS

Dan Russo has joined Diamond Hill Plywood Co., Darlington, S.C., as v.p.sales & mktg.

Terry Moncure has been appointed mgr. of the industrial division at Pleasants Hardware, Richmond, Va.

Dick Kennison, ex-president of Elder Forest Products' Kenfor division, has created Kennison Forest Products, Sulphur, La.

Thomas F. Fitzgerald, v.p.-sales, Chemical Specialties, Inc., Charlotte, N.C., has been appointed v.p.-sales & mktg. Michael Kujacznski, formerly sales mgr.-north central region, has been named senior sales mgr.-northern region. Durand "Darby" Darbyshire, ex-Southern Forest Products Association, is now mktg. mgr.-north central region.

Ilarold Garber, ex-Southern Forest Products Association, has founded ITX Corp., Jacksonville, Fl., which provides international housing construction training and consulting. The company is also involved with building materials exporting and consulting into China and other countries.

Mona Creer is now a sales assistant for the lam sales department at Anthony Forest hoducts, El Dorado, Ar. Ray Tibbotts is now mgr. of Seven D Wholesale's Clearwater, Fl., office. Mike Marmo, ex-A.C. Dutton, has joined the office.

Larry D. Stone has been named exec. v.p./c.o.o. of Lowe's Cos., North Wilkesboro. N.C. Robert A. Niblock, v.p. and treas., is now in charge of the investor relations.

Williom A. Loftus has been promoted to exec. v.p.-retail at Ace Hardware Corp. Ray A. Griffith has been named v.p.retail development and mktg., and Lori L. Bossmann, v.p.-controller. Other promotions: Rite D. Kable, senior v.p.-wholesale; Paul M. Ingevaldson, senior v.p.-international and technology; Daniel J. Miller, divisional director of rctail operations and new business; Wayne Wiggleton, director of lumbcr and building materials, and Wolf Gruber, president of Ace Hardware Canada Ltd. Randy Hook, nationd mgr. of new business, will assume new duties for Ace subsidiary National Hardlines Supply.

Jim F. Roy, Rock Hill, S.C., is now general mgr. of Willamette Industries' Building Materials Group in North Carolina and South Carolina, handling plywood production facilities, forestry operations and administrative functions.

Sherry Specr has been appointed mgr. of Home Depot's new Hermitage, Tn., store. Bobby Murphy is mgr. of the new Anderson, S.C., storc.

Brian Crcs has becn named mgr. of 84 Lumber. Charlottesville, Va. New comgrs.: Curtis Rose, Flemingsburg, Ky., and Tad Dunford, Kingsport, Tn.

Joe [Jhlick, Jr. has becn appointed sales technical rcp at General Products Co., Inc., Fredericksburg, Va. Jemes E. McWeeny has been named cenlral regional sales mgr. James L. Horel is now Southeast regional sales mgr.

Steve Maddox is a new outside salesperson at Streuli Sales, Inc., Grecnsboro, N.C.

Hugh Weeks has been named account executive of Federal Insurance Co., Chadottesville, Va., and is handling the VBMA insurance programs. He succeeds Lynn Zimmerman, who is now with another company.

W. Thomas Stephens, formerly with Johns Manville Corp., is now pres. and ceo of MacMillan Blocdel, succecding Robert I'indley, who is retiring.

Brian W. Makins is a new sales rep at Gelnot Co., Fredericksburg, Va

Rick Hunter is now branch mgr. for Furman Lumber's Orlando, Ft., distribution center. Jim Hart is branch mgr. for Furman's Greensboro, N.C., DC.

Phillip S. Walter has been appointed v.p. and general mgr. of new business development at American Woodmark Corp., Winchester, Va.

Paul Robbins has joined Celotex Corp., Tampa, Fl., as director of transportation. John Vance has been named mgr.-operations administration for gypsum and fiberboard. Charleton Lum has been appointed mgr.-operations administration for mineral ceilings and foam insulation.

Shane O'Neill, O'Neill Manufacturing Co., Rome, Ga., has been appointed 3rd v.p. of the Architectural Woodwork Institute, Reston, Va.

Lou Hahn, research director, G.S. Roofing Products Co., Charleston Heights, S.C., has been named president of the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association, replacing Bob Metz.

Robert E.G. Ractliffe has been named president/ceo of Ply Gem Industries, Inc., replacing Dana R. Snyder. David J. LaGrand replaces Ractliffe as pres./c.o.o. of Nordyne, Inc., subsidiary of Nortek, Inc.

Steve Tinkler has joined Elco Consumer Products as mktg. mgr.

Peter M. Lieb has been appointed chief counsel-litigation at International Paper.

Jacques Sardas has been appointed president and ceo at Dal-Tile Intemational, Dallas, Tx. Chris VYellborn has been named c.f.o.; Matt Kahny, v.p.-mktg., and Dave tr'innigan, v.p.-American Olean. Barry Kulpa, former c.o.o., and Lisa Samara, former v.p.-mktg., have left the company.

Jim Johnson is now director of business applications at Master Lock Co. Don Sprader has been appointed directorsalaried relations and organizational development, and Rick Kolaczewski, controller.

Julie O'Neill has been promoted to associate buyer for the Manco, Inc.'s Home. Solutions Business Unit.

Kurt Mundloch is now purchasing mgr. for Empire Comfort Systems, Inc.

Robert M. Radostits is the new national sales mgr. for Bostik's Construction & Distribution division. Christopher A. Stevens is now product mgr. for the MRO and industrial business sectors.

Cathy Marx, Southern Forest Products Association, has been appointed to the editorial advisory board for the new Building Components Magazine, which replaces the Wood Truss Council of America's WoodWords.

Brian Daniel Stuckey, Home Depot, Atlanta, Ga., married Mindy Marie GrahamAug.9.

Matthew Rechin is the new national mktg. mgr. at The Flood Co.

Chad Edward Spradlin, appliance specialist for Lowe's Cos., Knoxville, Tn., married Kimberly Jane Letsinger July 4.

Marshall Artz is the new security guard at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., according to co-owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

EIFS And Stucco Top Picks

Exterior insulation & finish systems and conventional stucco proved the favorite siding materials in a recent survey of homeowners in 12 Southeastern states.

EIFS or stucco was preferred by 47Vo of the respondents in the South Central region (Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas), leading bick (37Vo), stone (2lVo), and vinyl/alumi n um (20 Vo).

In the South Atlantic (Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina), 42Vo chose EIFS or stucco over brick (37Vo), wood (2l%o), or stone (l4Vo).

G-P Separating Timber Unit

Georgia-Pacific Plans to Put its lucrative timber business into a separately-traded company.

The timber group, which owns about 5.8 million acres of timberland and generates $547 million, will not be spun off, but will remain under Georgia-Pacifi c' s management.

If approved by shareholders, the timber group would be North Arrerica's third largest private timberland owner with a separate class of common stock called "letter stock." Georgia-Pacific's existing common stock will be reclassified to reflect the building products, paper and PulP businesses.

Blaze Destroys Texas Yard

An early morning arson fire consumed Foxworth-Galbraith Lumber Co.'s Lampasas, Tx., building materials center and all of its inventory.

With losses exceeding $500,000, the company has not Yet decided whether it will rebuild. It acquired the yard from W.F. & J.F. Barnes

Lumber Co. in 1984.

A $1,000 reward is being offered for information on the Aug.6 blaze.

Ten Team Up For Expo'98

Instead of holding separate fall buying shows, l0 member wholesalers have agreed to jointly sponsor Distribution America's Expo '98.

The members include Orgill, Inc., The Emery-Waterhouse Co./RKB Enterprises, L.G. Cook Distributor Inc., Frederick Trading Co., Jensen Distribution Services, Blish-Mize, The Kruse Co., California Hardware Co., United Hardware Distributing Co., and Amarillo Hardware Co.

Although several members are scheduled to have shows early in the year, the l0 members pledged not to hold competing shows from July I through Dec. 31.

"They agreed to make this show their show," said Ruth Hamburg, corporate communications mgr. at Distribution America.

The show is set for Aug.27-30 at McCormick Place, Chicago, Il.

Strawboard Has High Hopes

Given time to prove itself, "strawboard" could one day become a commonplace, commercially successful part ofthe particleboard industry, predicts Composite Panel Association spokesman Tom Julia

At least six plans in the U.S. are manufacturing or plan to manufacture agricultural residue into 4'x8' boards to sell to the cabinet and ready-toassemble furnitue industry.

The producers claim their producs eventually will replace wood-based particleboard because they are stronger, lighter, hold screws bctter and are more moisturc resistanl

Such claims, though, will take time to prove, says Julia, whosc group sup ports the strawboard industry.

New Homeownershlp Record

The U.S. homeownership rate reached 65.7% in 2nd quarter 1997, the highest level in nearly 17 years. More than 67 million American households, the highest total ever, now own their own homes.

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