Progressivetrainingprogram

YOt ever wonder.ed, Mr. Dealer., rr about lhe background o[ thc wholesale lumbel p"opl" who sell and service your account?

I{AVE

That's quite understandable. {or it is an industly which has traditionally shunned salt.s training pr.ogr.ams. Ho*everl. there are notable erceptions. Let,s take a look at hon one of the West's maior dis_ tributors of for.est pt.odrrcts -,,"r. the problem.

For several )'ears now, Tarter. Webster & Johnson's approach has been to seek interested youn€i men and put them throuqh atr intensive. )-"ar-long training prog.u-.

Its success is evidenced by the several rr,ren who have since rvorked their way to management level, including Jack Ford, now general sales manager and a vice president of the parent company, American Forest Products Corporation.

An acceleration of TW&J's tlaining program has been taking place in recent months. "ft's a result," according to Ford. "of a fole, asted inr.rease irr Taitcr.. Webstt'r- & Johnson's expanded lumber. distribution activities and outlets. We need more traint'd. knowledeeablc men."

TW&J, and affiliated companies, current. ly operate 14 wholesale lumber products distribution centers. Ten of which (includ-

Story dt s Glonce

TW & J finds its sales training program a valuable source of sales and management talent. Here are the. pacestrainees go through during their year-long training program.

ing two hardwood yards) are in Califor. nia. one in Arizona, two in Texas and one in Vermont. The latter, the Houston, Texas. yard and the San Rafael, Calif." hardwood yard wele all acquired or started during 1967.

The current training efiort calls for maintaining a minimum of three trainees in the program at all times.. one each in a northern and southern California distribution center and one at the national lumber sales office in San Francisco.

Customarily a trainee first spends several weeks at one or more of the company,s eleven sawmills. There the trainee obre.u"s and learns lumber manufacturinE methods luch a9 log sawing, drying, gradlng, plan. ing mill procedures and shipping. fhen h" will move to a remanufacturing plant to gain further knowledge of procesies and products such as millwork, mouldings, plywood, etc.

At the distribution center level the trainee then begins working in the yard handling inventories, incomine material. making up orders. Yard operation is learrred thoroughly before moving to a desk in thr. office to spend several additional months becoming familiar with office procedur.es and salei techniques.

Ilecause the training program is a co. operative on the part of all yards. the trainee. once graduated to a fuli sales level, can expect to be moved anywhere with- in the Tarter, Webster & Johnson orean izal ion where his services are m"ost needed,

Plywood Prices Down As Home eosis Rise

While the rising r-:ost of most builtling matelials has addt'd to the mountirrg- c'osts of housing. tht' pricc o{ stlu<'ttrral pl1" n'ood has lrtcn tlec,rcasing, accoldin3 to the Amelicarr Plvrvood Association.

Irtclcascd ('osts are blanrt'tl orl tltree [scl11r'.-sk1'1'ockt'tirtg cost ()f lart<1. mut']t higher lvagt'r'ates and risirrl plices o{ building matclials.

Thc l"t'delal Housing Atlministratiotr claims that it rt'quirt'd $21. 150 in 19(i(r to brn tlrt'samc housc llrat sold for' $17. l;0 in 1962. an int'tcitst' oi 22.9 pt'r'Cell t.

l,arrrl costs appart'ntlt' ilr'(' tllr. maitt lt'ason l',,r' thc inflatt'tl lrlitt' tag on hortsirtg.

I"llA savs tltt' avt'r'itgc lromc lot lltat solrl l'or. $162(r irr I9i]5. cost $:J956 irr l9(r(r. rrn ittcrt'ast' of I l.l.il [)el'(r(trt.

Labol tosts iut' urtttlltt'r' majot' totttriltttlor to tlte ul)lllllr. I sirry.- a mean irttlt'r ol 100 I'ol tht' r't'at. l9;7-.;9. tlrt' ['llA sitrt

Iubot <'osts t'ost' l t , rltt li(r.8 in l 9li to l ]2 itr 1966. att itt< tcitst' of -a2.1' l)('r'( ('lll. Orr tltt' sutttt' irttlt'r basis. llrt' t osl ol conslt ucl iort nrlttt ials rose Ir'orrr 95.1 irr

19.'ri to l0.i.(l irr 196(r. an irrt'r't'trst' ol 9.il

I)('f( rnt.

Plru,,,,rl- lt,,rtt'rt't. \\as ()ll(',rl llrt' ft'n er< t'ltliotts. I sirrg. the ]0() irrtlt'r. l'-[l A sals plvuoo<l pt'it't's dropl-rt'tl lt',rtn l1;'7 irr

195i to ii7.l irr 19(r(t" a tlt'r't't'rse ol 26 P('r'1'.('lll.

Deon Shermon's Newsletfer l)r'an 1". Sltelrlart. lortg--tintt' t'ditol' arrrl ctlit,,r'ial rlit't'ctot' o| l"rtrt',s! lndttslrtcs arrrl crlil,,r' ptrblisht'r oI Itrrcilit l'og,a,'r rrnd

Luntltcrmsn lras t t'sigrtt'tl ft ttm llill,'r Ilt't'rttittt Publications l() ('ntel' ittto lris ou'tt busittess. prrblislrirrg a privatt' lt'ttt'r' adtllt'ssed to clt't isiort mattagemt'ttl itt lltt' lorest pro<lut'ts industries antl to gov- and c.,trgrt'ssi.,tral lead'

:TTil:, li:li.i.s

Georgio-Pocific Re-groups in S.F. ()t'olg.ia-Patifir,'s San l"t'attc:ist:o lumbt'r sales dr'lrartment. as rrt'll as thcir container and tissut' sales divisiorts. ltar-t' l,een consolir'latcd r.r ith tht'ir t'rt't rtt jvt' offic:t's at tht'ir hrrge. new 100"000 sq. ft. container' nrarrrr[acturittg t omlrlt'r irr South San Frtrnrisco. Iio--cr S< huvl,'r. l)avt' NIen-"ing arrtl Il,rlr \lacfit'. all oI rr horn formcrly lrtrrre tlrt'il htrts at l (r (,alifolnia St. irr Sarr l"rlnt'isco" mat lro\\ l,t' rt'a<'l'recl at 219 l,.ast (lrand Art'. irr South San l't'iutt i.t'o.

E. A. Nord Exponds

E. A. Nord Co.. the nation's largest marrufacturer of stile an<l rail door-*. has purchased the \orthu't'stcm Lumber arrd !lanuftrcturilrg Co.. l.rt'rctt. Wash. Nord's [at'torv is adjact'nt to tht' l5-acre \orth' rvcstt'rn site.

]iolrert \I/. \-orrl" r'it e-prt'sident and g.-t'ncral marlager. artd son of \or<['s founcler. sites ittnovtrtion arrd larious ''firsts" {r:rr makirrs his t'ompanl' an irrdtrs' trr'-r'ide leadt'r.

'Ihc \ortl fa< lorv ttou emplovs lrt'lrvet'tt :t50 and 5(X). 'l'her- trnticiPtrte a ttet'tl for 200 to 250 rnolc lhen thc Il('w l)l'ol)ert\ is fullr- dt'r't'Lr1tt'tl.