Golor it Saleable

By Gary Converse Osmose Wood Preserving

wood are appearance, weather resistrnce and color.

Recognizing the need for an atfractively colored pressur€ treated wood, Osmose Wood Preserving and its independently-owned and operated licensed manufacturers introduced Sunwood Brand pressure tfeated wood in these markets over l0 years ago. Sunwood is a color additive to give the wood the wafln appearance of cedar and redwood. Not a stain or a color coat, the colon is created with a color additive applied during the pressufe treating process. Sunwood offers a benefit Mother Nature can not provide: a limited lifetime warranty against termite attack and fungal decay.

they found out it was pressure Eeated wood with a limited lifetime waranranty, they wanted to know how it gets its color and where they could buy it."

Sunwood's most appealing sales feature is visible on sight. Seeing the product is enough for consumers to know Sunwood is different fiom standard pressure treated wood. Osmose believes that U.S. consumers are ready for a product like Sunwood and plans to continue its expansion eastward during 1993. Look for it to be in your market area soon.

*Sources: Russell R. Mueller Retail Hardware Research Foundation, 1990; Resource Information Systerns, Inc. Treated 14/od Special Study Seies: No. 14, 1990.

To increase sales and keep in step with consumer demands, a retail vs commodity approach to pressure treated wood products is developing. Signs of new marketing approaches are evident in lawn and garden departments of home centers and nurseries where a variety of pressure treated wood engineered landscaping and accessory displays are becoming commonplace.

Would-be cedar and redwood consumers are finding it increasingly difficult to locate these species in many U.S. markets. If they find good cedar or redwood, the cost is often significantly higher than what they were planning to spend. In addition, much of the cedar and redwood in today's market is second growth. Cut from smaller trees, it contains sapwood and has not matured enough to develoP the natural decay and tennite resistant qualities normally associated with cedar and redwood.

A study by Resource Information Systems, Inc. reports that the three primary qualities cited by consumers as reasons for choosing cedar and red-

Sunwood sales in western states have significantly increased, particulady in the last five yean, when reasonhbly priced redwood and cedar became increasingly difficult to find. Now widely recognized by western customers, Sunwood was found in a recent study to have a nearlY two to one recognition lead over its primary competitor.

For traditional pressure treated wood buyers, Sunwood offers an opptrtunity to build with an upgnded appearance and still have a warranty against termites and fungal decay. Those who would norrnlly buy redwood or cedar get the color benefits of those woods plus a limited lifetime warranty and a high quality product for less money.

Many consumers east of the Mississippi discovered Sunwood for the first time this year at AmeriFlora, an 88 acre "theme park type" garden expo in Columbus, Oh., from April through october. Sunwood was used for fences, decks, arbors and other garden structtrres in a number of displays and received rave reviews.

"AmeriFlora visitors thought it was redwood or cedat," said Cd McC-all, a garden staff member. "I had a few people tell me they thought us extravagant to build fences, compost bins and cold frames of redwood. When

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