40 year old Arizona dealer opens new facility

Et * and games paid off at the I grand opening of the new facility at O'Malley Building Materials in Yuma, Az.

The fun began when the advertising department cut atv ad and some 60-second radio ads featuring mgr.Bob Ramsey with the punch line "We've spent a million bucks here and if you don't come in, we're in big trouble!"

"Being a good Irishman in spirit," he says, "my tv and radio name was O'Ramsey. Now, that sure got their attention and lots of laughter."

All tv and radio stations in the

Yuma area were saturated for a week prior and two weeks after the opening. This advertising was supplemented with plenty of newspaper ads and a tabloid insert in the paper as well.

A private party on the evening prior to the official grand opening feted the contractor trade, architects and community leaders with hors d'oeuvres and champagne. A special drawing was held with the top winner receiving a trip to San Francisco for two, complete with airfare, hotel and sightseeing. Numerous other gifts were given away.

The mayor of Yuma cut a ribbonwrapped 2x4 to officially open the store. Pepsi and popcorn were served to customers all weekend. A free sixpack of Pepsi was given as an inducement to signing up for the O'Malley Home Improvement Credit Card. Some 300 applications were taken. Many prizes, a number donated by manufacturers and suppliers, were given away in a grand opening drawing.

Another giveaway was wooden nickels. For each $25 purchased, the customer received an O'Mallev Buck good for $l toward any $10 purchase until March 31, 1986. "An amazing number have been given out so far," Ramsey says. "The idea seems like a good one by the response."

O'Malley's Yuma store is located in the southwest corner of Arizona on the California-Mexico border. Handling a complete line of building materials with Douglas fir predominating in the lumber department, the store serves all of Yuma County, a radius of 70 miles.

The yard, which started at the present site in 1945, was enlarged in 1950 and 1965. The most recent remodeling Iast October replaced all permanent structures. The business mix is approximately 70s/o builder and 3090 consumer although management is striving for affi/40 mix. The enlargement and modernization of the store is already developing more consumer business, according to Ramsey.

A complete lumber yard as well as building materials center, the facility covers four acres. A 13,000 sq. ft. sales floor is supported by 13,000 sq. ft. of attached warehouse, 15,000 sq. ft. of pole sheds and 1,800 sq. ft. ofoffices.

Story ata Glance

O'Malley branch introduces new store buildings lots of advertising for new operations draws large turnout busi. ness mix tilting toward d.i-y. company growing with sunbelt. There are 55 employees with 25 in the yard and warehouse and 17 in sales. Six people are in management with seven in the office. The store maintains its own in-house training, advertising and merchandising departments.

A lot of emphasis is placed on sales with constant advertising and promotion of their private credit card. Special bonuses are given for new accounts. Store volume is about $8 million annually.

O'Malley salesmen are proud of their company and work hard to establish personal contacts and develop customers. An active advertising program supports their efforts. The company will make deliveries up to 250 miles away using a fleet of 12 trucks. Sales have changed as the area has developed and grown. "We no longer sell many of the product lines that were commonplace 25 years ago," Ramsey notes, "because of the specialty companies that have come with the phe-

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W. R. Grace & Co. plans to sell its retail div. including Orchard Supply, Allwood's, Angels, Cashway, Ole's and Handy Dan to finance a $595.9 million buy back of 26Vo of its shares held by the Flick group of West Germany.

Pay 'N Pak plans to open two San Francisco, Ca., area stores in March to supplement a 55,000 sq. ft. warehouse store and a warehouse opened in the Greater Bay Area last year.

Builders Squore has opened warehouse stores in Las Vegas, Nv., and Oxnard, Ca. . Home Depot will build a 52.9 million home improvement center in a Chula Vista, Ca., shopping center. .

Frank and Kristie Streifel have opened a new Coast to Coast store inGustine, Ca. . Coast to Coastis negotiating a lease for an outlet in Junction City, Or., using a vacant dept. store building. .

Copeland Lumber Yards has opened a new 15,000 sq. ft. retail store and warehouse in Albany, Or. Poyless Cashwoysplans to close four Tucson/Phoenix, Az., area stores next month. .

Vance Building Center, Homedale, Id., has been named Pro Retailer of the Year. . Home Depot will open two more stores next month plus 14 others during the year.

O/e3 plans to open stores this year in La Verne and Yorba Linda in So. Ca. plus two undetermined sites in No. Ca. .

W. J. Voget Co. has opened a second store in El Centro. Ca. . The Hardware Co. will open a 10,350 sq. ft. store in Ranch Penasquitos,

Ca. . . Seaside Hardwsre Coast to Coast, Seaside, Or., has been purchased by Bernard "Sarp" Sarpola.

Pubtishers Paper Co. is selling 8090 of the company to Jefferson Smurfit Corp., (see page 23 for details). Louisiana Pacty'cwill build a Waferwood plant in Dawson Creek, B.C., with 8090 of the product destined for the U.S.

Southwest Forest Industries. Inc., Phoenix, Az., has sold iti Knox Lumber Co. retulunit for $29 million to a Knox management group and the Sterling Group, Houston, Tx. Jefferson Smurfit Group Ltd. has sold its 9,3V0 interest in Southwest Forest Industries Inc., ending the takeover threat. .

Potlatch has abandoned plans to buy back 20Vo of its outstanding common stock for an anti-takeover measure at least one shareholder has filed a class action suit aeainst the movp.

National Gypsum Co. is being sued by a stockholder who charges its proposed $l.l billion leveraged buyout is "grossly inadequate". Potlatch is reopening ldaho wood products operations following ratification of a labor agreement with employees.

Crestwood Forest Products has moved its offices from Dublin, Ca., to Bethel Island. Ca. Coos Heod Lumber & Plywood has moved to Berth 200 in Wilmington, Cn., (L.A. Harbor) where it plans to begin building next mo.a?A ' x 60' office and two 60' x 280' pole sheds; a computerized inventory control system is set to begin as well later this year.

Liberty Lumber Co. is a new sawmill in Arlington, Wa., Mike

Buse, owner; Jim Lewis and Terry Lamie in charge of sales. . .Osborne Lumber Co. Inc'. has moved into new 275,000 sq. ft. facilities at 8100 Enterprise Dr., Newark, Ca.

Pope & Talbot /nc. stockholders have approved a plan to transf'er part of their timber assets to a limited partnership Fibre-Form Wood Products, Inc., Rocklin, Ca., has opened an office in Taiwan. ..

Columbio Wood Products is a new firm in Beaverton, Or., Larry Pelatt. owner . . Autumn Enterprises, Inc., has been formed in Boise, Id., by Bill Trammel, Jim Wallace and Ron Brady, specializing in industrial softwood and hardwood.

Southeast RooJing Supply, Newark, Ca., had a $1.5 million fire last month Belknapllc., Louisville, Ky., the nation's largest independent hardware wholesaler. has filed for bankruptcy. .

Sierra Pacific Intlustries, Redding, Ca., has finalized negotiations to purchase the Champion International sawmill in Anderson. Ca.: SPI does not intend to operate the plant but will consider use of the property for future expansion.

Hammennill Poper Co. is considering restructuring and sale of its hardwood sawmill business

American Piggyback, Inc., and Freight Dktribution Services, Inc., have consolidated as FDSI. located in Burbank, Ca. .Northwest Reloadhas been opened in Eugene, Or., by Larry Boyles . .

Contracts for new construction dropped 590 in Nov. (latest figs.) to an annualized rate of $225.8 billion; the setback followed a 4-mo. period of record buildins activity. .

Housing starts in Nov. (latest figs.) fell to their lowest pace in more than 2 yeors: 1,547,000 units on a seasonally adjusted annual rate. single family starts dropped l7.5Vo while multis slipped 2.7V0; bldg. permits for future construction were off 2.4V0. .