Let's Sell Reality In '73

by [. Roger Plauche director of marketing Marlite Paneling

it includes so many of the answers to frequently-asked questions. It helps pre-sell consumers before the salesman even begins talking to them.

The decorator paneling center features our l/*" panels on one side. The header spotlights our new Sarona series. which can be utilized in almost any bathroom decor. It also 1is the featured paneling in our new tubrecess kit. In addition to actual samples, there are full-color pictures of attractive room settinp so that the prospect can see how the paneling looks when installed. Another section -entitled "You Can'Do lt"-shows the do-it-yourselfer how to install the pa.nels. A "wall estimator" section also is included.

The same basic approach ftor 7/E" plank material is used on the reverse side of the free-standing unitn where emphasis is put on easy -installation of "mini paneling"-16"x8'plank. A literature rack is included.

We feel that the decorator paneling center gives the dealer an excellent vehicle to increase his home handyman business. A generation ago most people thought of the do-it-yourselfer as the fellow who couldn't afford to hire someone. The quality of his work was not thought to be acceptable. Then more people became interested in cabinetry and later branched out into home improvement projects. Today, with the combination of high labor rates and lack of skilled people, we find families tackling all sorts of pmjects. And, the emphasis is on quality. They are brand-name conscious.

Although families are watching

Story dt a Glonce

How one company attacked the problem of explaining installation of paneling to customers, without really taking the time to tell them.

their money more closely than ever, home handymen are interested in quality. They want to be proud of their homes. They don't want to spend a lot of time cleaning and replacing. They want to enjoy their leisure time. Although price is a considerationo it isn't necessarily the primary consideration. First of all, they want a product that will do the job they have in mind. If they want a textured panel, or a special pattern, they know they will have to pay for tle technology and engineering that goes into the production of that panel.

Brand-name products, especially those supported by national advertising and in-store displays, continue to rate high with the home handyman. People want to know that a good company stands behind the product they buy and will step in if there is any problem. This, of course, also gives the dealer the insurance he is looking for in today's competitive marketplace.

The ultimate sale is made between the dealer and homeowner. We feel that the job of the manufacturer is to make that sale as easy as possible for both sides. That's why we feel that our new promotional'aids will help sell reality in '73--and at record levels !

D espite a N ixon administration campaign of jawboning to inhibit upward moves on interest rntes, tlre prime rate has risen to 6/o from its earlier 53/+% mark; the lrrime rate is Lhe minimum interest r&te banks charge their best customers financial forecasters have so far been mum on what, if any, fulure hikes might be in the offing .

The Federal Trade Commission has expanded its inuestigation ot' the lumber and plywood industries, bearing down particularly on major Southeastern producers and their rau material pro(urement practices. . earlier announced probes by FTC, IRS and the Cost of Living Council are proceeding.

Carolina Pacific Pl1'wood, part of Southwest Forest Industries, has been ordered by the Price Commissir-,n to cut iheir prices and relund oaercharges to their customers; firm attributes the violations to a "misinterpretation of Price Commission regulations" . ., Douglas County Lumber Co,, Roseburg, Ore. has rolled back their price increases and has agreed with the PC to ref untl some 8l .l million to customers ,

The N'tl. Assn. of Home Buitd.ers, in addition to appealing to the White House to curb log exports in an effort to lower lumber prices, has directed its legal counsel to check into possible legal actions against the lumber and pl.ywood industries regardrng prtclng

The Arizona Lumber & Builders Supply lssn. has moved to 5717 No. 7th in Phoenix West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau is in new quarters on 6980 S.W. Varnes Rd.. Portland

. Strong-Tie Structures, a Simpson Co. subsidiary, has moved from Santa Fe, Ca. to nearbyBrea...

Egland Lumber, Bakersfield, Ca. is rebuilding after a $300,000 fire that completely destroyed 131/2 M sq. ft., fire was 3rd major No. Calif. blaze in the last 90 days . . . Lindal Cedttr Homes, Seattle, has bought Tacoma's Mutual Fir Calumn Co., R/W Specialtics, Denver, bought Mutual's spindle turning equipment, no prices revealed . . Bohemia 1nc. is the new name for Bohemia Lumber Co.; wide range of corp. activities brought on new name...

Schuch Components Systems, Inc. is a new bldg. components firm in Clendale, Ariz. . Bloedorn Lumber Co. and their associaIe, Torrington Lumber, recently hacl a joint meeting to explain their new centralized acctg, progrems to corp. people at their new Torrington, Wyo. offices; they have closed their Denuer ucctg. office ,

Lum be r land,, I nc., Harrisburg, Ore. hopes to get back to something approaching t'ull actiuity following steps by Relco-Nevada, a Lake Tahoe firm, to reopen its {acilities . EIof Hansson, In,c.o the Swedish import/exporter, recently added a new particleboard line ancl beefed up delivery svc. at their Compton, Ca. warehouse Payless Cashucty has recently opened two new New Mexico stlres, 9900 Montgomery, Albuquerque, NE and Santa Fe directors of both A. I Industries, L.A., and Chesapeake Industries have OK'd their proposed merger, now it's up to the stockholders . . Welch and Bresee, Oakland, Ca. bldg. mtls. wholesalers, recently bought Peninsula Door

Builders Emporium plans to open l0 new stores in the West this year . . Cashway, Inc., EI I)aso, Tex. has bought land for a new store in Salt Lalte City; hopeful opening d,ate, 1974 . . Tri-Mac Panel Products is a new Portland office wholesaler involved in the ma,n,u{acture, import and sales of decorative wall panels . .

Housing start figures continue to be the impossihle dream, Nov. figures are running ahead ot' the cornparable f,gure a year earlier and were 2,445,000 compared with Oct.'s 2,4135,000 on a seasonally adjusted annual basis mobile home figures are not included in the Dent. of (.ommerce tabulations . in Cali{ornia. starts declined in, Octcrber, but bldg. permits moued up; for the 3rd mo. in a row, single famiLy units accounted for more than 1/2 the total . .

Preliminary figures for S&I ualume last year sh<-rw an all-time high: total gain in saaings were atrout $33 billion with lending uolume toliping th'e year earlier figure by an impressive 35% rail rates for lumber to Pacif,c Southwest territory (Ariz., Ca., Nev., N.l!{. and parts of Utah) from Pacific North Coast origins have been rolled back to the level befnre Feb. 5, 1972; action is said to be the result of truck conlpetitian . .

C-P's nerc regional buying offit'e in the City of Inclustry, Ca., set up late last year mainly to buy for the firm's 14 distribution utarehouse.s, is clicking right along, despite a hectic market; Ilob Riggs is the mgr., operation is part of C-P's western regional lumberdiv....

Wltite Front Stores, a big lVest Coast cliscount operation, is closing 2l ot' its 37 stares, most o{ them in No. Calif.; paren,t firm lost $3.5 million last quarter.

Figure out for yourself how much poneling profit you could moke selling rhe high profit spreod in the Abitibi line vs. ihe low priced cheopies.

COSTS OF HANDTING PROFITS FROM SETLING 4x8 PANEUNG JUST ONE 4x8 pANEI.

Lobor costs to order poneling; lo inventory ond hqndle it when it orrives; to put it out for disploy; to figure o competitive selling price; to help customer select o pottern; lo hondle it qfter the sole; to exploin how to instoll it.

TOTAT COSTS l-... .......-.-

Low Priced Abiiibi 8O9* $2.3O**

*Averoged pennyprofit.

* *Averoged dollor profft per ponel over entire Abitibi line bqsed on. overoged selling prices in lhis oreq.

TOTAT PROFtTS 1.....--.."..-...

PnoFrTS $.---... .-...._