Record registration at management conference

HE all-time high in registrations at the 20th Annual Management Conference aptly illustrated the enthusiasm Lumber Association of Southern California members have for this event. The interest shown indicates a healthy aware. ness that the solutions of the past must be carefully weighed today for their effectiveness in coping with a whole series of new marketing problems.

Elected to head LASC in the coming year were John Lipani, Weyerhaeuser Co., as president; Leon Lauderbach, Orange Coast Lumber Co., vp.; Gordon Woolard, Burns Lumber Co., treasurer and Frank Purcel, City Lumber Co., secretary.

Outgoing president Bob Sievers opened the Palm Springs-based conference by reprising the progress LASC made in helping to educate

Sfory oI s Glonce

Association's popular skill sharpening sessions provide members with a broad look at marketing, merchandising and management . new sales course for countermen unveiled . John Lipani elected the new president.

new employees, drawing new ones into the industry, completion of the wage and hour survey, wood promotion efforts. their move to new of. fices, development of a new brochure and last but not least. the hir.

ing of Rod Rodriquez as the new field man for the association.

A particularly perceptive look at the monetary factors affecting every business in the country was given by Dr. Edward H. Barker, an economics professor from USC. He called the U.S.'s biggest problem the fact that there are virtually unlimited demands for money on our economy, something no economy can satisfy.

He forecasts an increasing demand from the public for housing of all kinds and ventured that housing could well be the major issue in the I972 presidential election. Private business, he said, would continue to face stiff competition from the federal governments high yield debentures, in its quest for funds to finance industry's needed growth.

The two biggest groups in the '70s will be the young adults and the senior citizens. both of which require less housing and are less able to afford it. As a result, Dr. Baker said, by later in the 70s, half of all housing units constructed will be government subsidized to some degree.

A new wrinkle to the convention program was a special luncheon, for the ladies only. Dr. Charles Scott explained and demonstrated some of the concepts of extra semory perception to a generally astounded audience.

An exploratory look at the customer of the I975s was taken by panelists Jack Ford, American Forest Products Corp., Gordon Kingo Boise Cascade, Tony Pappas, U. S. Plywood and Peter V. Speelc, Fre mont Forest Products.

The importance o{ the dealer in particular and the traditional distribution patterns in general was a main thread of the opinions presented, allowing for an increased awareness of the need to change marketing strategies when the customer's needs demanded. The preponderance of opinion held that the dealer could be an important factor in supplying the increased buying by the modular home producers.

A great degree of specialization was seen by Gordon King; Jack Ford told how AFPC rvent through different marketing channels as demanded by difierent products; Tony Pappas stressed the importance to U.S. Plywood of the dealer; and Pete Speek called "temporary" the problem of {raming contractors buying direct.

An excellent dinner dance that e';cning, Nov. 19, followed the board of directors cocktail party. Good crowds at both gatherings and, how about that dancing after dinnerl

Management training counselor "Jack" Frost of Weycrhaeuser tliscussed next day the basic re-*ources managers work with, money, machine ry, materials and manpower.

Hc related these items into the varying styles of management, autocratic. democratic. idiocratic and bureaucratic and explained horv managers and their pcople tend to opcrate under each set of conditions. He stressed that the wrong climate of management can often f rustratc an otherwise good employee.

"My biggest problem," noted re" tailer Bill Wyland, "is getting good (Continued, on Page 28)

(13) Jim Newquist, Gordon Woodard, "Jack" Frost. (14) Larry Quinlan, Herb Brown, John Kelly. (15) Don Swartzendruber, Collin Lovesee. (16) Bill Hanen, Floyd Yates. (17) Pat Reagan, Don Stobaugh, Gordon Beach. (18) Chuck Jenkins, Ken Dietel. (19) Panelists Gordon King and Jack Ford. (20) Ralph Hill, Jim Maynard. (21) hSeth Potter, George Clough, Wally Swanson. Q2\ Lou DeRose, Dean Votruba, Don Brown. (23) Terry Laughlin, George Swartz. (24) Tony Pappas, Pete Speek. (25) Glen Chasteen, Doug Maple, Jeannie Voshell, Bob Humphrey.06) Visitors Harry Mendenhall, exec. vp. and Lyle Schafer, pres., LMA. (27) Bob McDaniel, Carl Bauer, Carl Poynor, Wally Swanson.

How Retoilers Rote Mfgrs.

A survey of 117 large retailers by the Bureau of Mar' keting Research turned up the following:

(1) Three of four large retailers feel manufacturers have less than a "good" understanding of their nroblems,

(2j Two of three said the manufacturer's interest in the retailer's business was only "adequate" or something less.

(3) Manufacturer's sales aids and helps were consid' ered "poor" by about one out of four retailers.

(4) Almost six out of ten retailers rate manufacturers' salesmen as "poor" or "adequate."

(5) Half of the retailers indicated manufacturers' de' livery services as "adequate" or less.

(6) Almost 40Vo leel manufacturers today feel that the retailer's business is less important than 5 or l0 years a8o.

(7) Between now and 1975, large building supply retailers see a significant increase in sales to con. sumers.

(B) These retailers erpect (percentagewise) that their sales to builders will drop.

New "Pieces per Unit" Tqble

The materials and transportation committee of the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association has computed a new table for "pieces per unit" under VPS 20-70 and is recommending it as an industry standard.

Some variations exist between it and industry practices, principally in the 2x4 package. Industry practice is 13 wide and 16 or 17 high, giving 208 or 221 pieces. NLBMDA recommends 12 wide and 16 high, with 192 pieces. Other sizes would be as shown below:

Crqne Mills Hqs Joined The l. Q. Club

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Cash Prices

The huge smoke stacks that have towered over the Crane Mills' sawmill at Paskenta for years were recently taken down. They and the large waste-fed furnaces that provide heat and steam for the dry kiln operation have been replaced with new automatic equipment that is virtually smoke free. Straighter, more uniformly dry lumber is another plus feature of the installation' which also includes completely new kilns.

A new burner has also been installed that has reduced smoke emission by 75%-80% in the disposal of waste that is unusable.

Cleaner air and better lumber are definitely the results obtained from joining the I. Q. Club Q Quit Smoking).

Monufocturers of Quolity

Douglos Fir, White Fil

Incense Cedor, Sugor Pine

Ponderosq Pine