WBtilA's successful 58k annual: " Preview for '72"

fT was billed as a o'Preview for L '72," the wBMA's 68r/z annual convention in Seattle, and it was all of that. But as the group's second, convention for the year it was more than that; it was a dramatic demonstration of the depth of support and enthusiasm o.f the organization's members and supporters.

When the Western Building Material Assn. decided to change the convention from February to November they knew it meant two in one year. Would it work, would the second one be a success? You better believe it. More than 700 attended and nearly thirty firms exhibited, using the popular new "sample room" format (For new officers and d.irectors, see accompa:nying box, page 12).

New president Bert Kinzig, who recently sold his Scappoose, Ore., yard, plans to spend his year in office visiting every member of WBMA, figuring that is the best way to really implement his goal of dealers exchanging ideas.

WBMA's rrewly elected vp. Bob Bush is also the president of the Congressional Medal of Honor So. cietyo the first man West of the Mississippi chosen and the first to be elected to that post by a unanimous write-in. Bob won his C.M.H. in the bloody fighting for Okinawa as a 17. year-old hospital corpsman.

The 1972 convention will be irr Portland, Nov. 16.18. Headquarters will be the Sheraton Motor Inn with exhibits and programs at the Me. morial Coliseum.

The board of directors established a new department for WBMA, Government Afiairs, to strengthen the group's legislative clout and clarify government regulations. Jerry Buzzard heads the new operation and is working out of HQ at Olympia.

Situated in the Sea-Tac Motor Inn, the convention began on the morning of the 22nd with a kickofi breakfast talk by one of the best inspirational speakers around, Cavett Rob.

Story qI d Glonce

A look at the New Year proves pleasing . . . Bert Kinzig cho sen new president. . next convention: November in Portland . . new dates prove popular.

ert, who provided an efiective stem. winder for the meeting.

Next, dealers and wholesale distributors and manufacturers settled in separate rooms for panel discussions.

Manning the dealer group were panelists from three Western states. Moderating was Chuck Link, Boise Cascade; panelists were Dean Drake and Jack Sullivan from Arizona; Gordon Knott from California; Morris Tarte and Jerry Williams from Washington.

Dean Drake spoke on inventory and receivables, cautioning that all fixed assets should be leased, so that they become a business expense, thus freeing capital for expansion. He stressed the, importance of adequate return on investment and various ways to measure it.

Tucson's Jack Sullivan related his experiences between his two yards and door company and how the interaction had proven beneficial to them. Gordon Knott related factors leading up to the introduction at his firm of EDP, the problems programming it and how they finally broke down inventory into programable categories and are now debugging the system. Their volume is $500,000 to $I million annually.

Meanwhile" the ,distributors and manufacturer's panel was hard at it. panelists were S. M. Van Kirk, NBMDA; Jim Appel, Johns-Man. ville; Clay Blackstock, Lumber Supply & Warehouse; Fay Johnstone, Plywood Distributors; Al Kutz, American Tar Co.; Arnold Kupker, P. H. Bowman Co.; Bob Peterson, Palmer G. Lewis Co.; and moderator Pat Reiten of Simpson Timber Co.

Kupker said that they sell direct when there is no other way; Van Kirk that they noticed the upsurge of two types of wholesalers (1) big, metropolitan and (2) specialty. Bob Peterson noted the tendency of more manufacturers to get into national distribution. He said they did it to (I) provide quality distribution and

(Continued, on Page 12)

Plywood Firm Exponds

Plywood Los Angeles recently cele' brated moving into a 40,000 sq. ft. office and warehouse facility in East Los Angeles by hosting an open house and birthday celebration for George Kersey, the president, with an attendance of some 500 people.

Also known as Plywood LA, it be' gan some 15 years ago and has grown to be one of the West's larg' est independent plywood wholesalers and has 60 employees.

Heavily retail oriented, Plywood LA sells a diversified line of panel' ing, basketball backboards and more recently, a new product'concept, easy' to-assemble stacking tables, cubes, cabinets and dog houses.

To keep pace with the demand for do-it-yourself products, Plywood LA has expanded production and will soon be on the market with a varied line of decorator shelving and other products to be announced in the near future.

MR. LUMBER DEALER:

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