Westerners score with redwood

E) EDWOOD DEALERS throughout the West are Tl finding redwood's quality performance makes it one of the most marketable specialty woods for high profit, high volume sales.

An informal survey of lumber dealers conducted by the California Redwood Association shows that most customers planning to build a deck or other outdoor project want redwood. Successful dealers have capitalized on that pre-sold demand with redwood promotions ranging from simple mentions in the Yellow Pages to full scale display decks and how-to clinics.

Some of last year's successful promotions follow: o Economy Lumber's four Denver stores followed Redwood Design-a-Deck Plans Kits sales of a year ago with a redwood deck display. After two years of redwood deck promotions and more than 200 kits sold, Economy has been able to build a steady demand for redwood garden grades. Last year's sales totaled 600,000 b.f., well ahead of the year before. o In Rock Springs, Wy., Kellogg Lumber's special one-day-only, cash-and-carry redwood garden grades promotion sold 50,000 b.f. Kellogg combined the special one-day price promotion with Redwood Design-a-Deck Plans Kits, extensive advertising, a trained sales staff and color design literature from the California Redwood Association and redwood mills. r Wickes Lumber, Vallejo, Ca., maintains an instore redwood deck after three years ofsuccessful redwood deck promotions. The display deck sells customers on redwood year-round while special howto clinics in the summei have sold as much as 70,000 b.f. in four days. r Boise Cascade Building Supply, Rohnert Park, Ca., sold 10,000 b.f. of redwood garden grades in two days by building a redwood deck display and offering how-to instructions with the kits. o Dixieline Home Center's four San Diego stores sold more than 250,000 b.f. of redwood garden grades in June, alone, though Dixieline does not conduct special promotions. The chain runs redwood mentions in newspaper ads throughout the building season but does not hnd it necessary to heavily promote redwood. According to a Dixieline retailer, customers come in to their stores wanting redwood, Dixieline merely lets the customer know they stock it.

Consumer demand for redwood decks, garden rooms and other outdoor amenities continues to grow, initiated and maintained by the newspaper and magazine advertising and publicity placed by California Redwood Association. Dealers planning promotions early will have unique opportunities for successful redwood promotions. For a free sample package of design literature and sales aids describing how to run a successful redwood garden grades promotion, dealers can write the Califorri'ia Redwood Association, Dept. P-80, One Lombard St.. San Francisco. Ca. 94111.

New Look For Hardware Show

The "Golden Gatewav to the 80s" reflects a new concefit for the Western States Hardware Show, to be held Feb. 24-26, at Brooks Hall in San Francisco's Civic Center.

According to William Maze. show manager, the show, now in its 3lst year, will feature advanced registration, dealer seminars, major wholesaler promotion, and a total new look to enhance product exposure and offer exhibitors a wider choice of booth selection for prime positioning.

The California Retail Hardware Association's (a regional trade association located in San Francisco) 79th annual convention will run concurrently with the show at the Golden Gateway Holiday Inn.

Hours for the show are Sundav. Feb. 24, l0 a,m. - 5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 25, 12 noon - 9 p.m., and Tuesday, Feb. 26, l0 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Arizona firm's 1st birthday +

Sun Valley Door & Supply, lnc., a Phoenix door and supply outlet, celebrated its first year in business by moving from a 16,000 sq. ft. facility to a 27,000 sq. ft. plant and warehouse in Phoenix.

The event was observed by an open house in November which was attended by some 250 dealers and friends.

The corporation is the outgrowth of five friends getting together on a hot August evening in 1978 and deciding to do something different in the wholesale door and supply market in Arizona. It primarily services dealers in the Phoenix metropolitan area and Northern Arizona from Prescott along the high line to Pinetop.

The new firm has a complete prehung door shop with a wide range of flush doors, stile and entrance doors featuring Simpson door and louver products. They also stock Betterbilt aluminum insulated and single glazed sliders, single hung windows, patio and storm doors. (Betterbilt Aluminum is now breaking ground for a manufacturing plant in Prescott.)

In addition, the company carries a Weslock residential lock line, aluminum thresholds and weatherstrip, Cox sliding door and bifold hardware as well as miscellaneous hardware to go with door openings. The newest additions to their inventory are the National Industries insulated steel and residential doors and Lawson Manufacturing bathroom accessories.

"We opened in September of 1978 and this has really been quite a year. We had a heck of a windstorm in May doing considerable damage, then we moved in September. We are hoping now to settle down and provide the service and product our customers expect of us," says Wally Pensinger, pres.