Merchant Magazine - January 1996

Helping to buil.d youl 0uslness.

For the natural beauty of cedar, count on Capital. We manufacture the best in cedar lumber, siding, finish, decking, fencing and specialty ltems.

For nearly a half-century Capital has been building a reputation for excellence. From our own mill #99 and six strategically located distribution centers our fleet of 18-wheelers delivers the cedar you need when you need it. We offer a wide variety of grades, patterns, textures and sizes.

We have millions of board feet of cedar, redwood, fir and whitewood in inventory, with more than a thousand standard items. And we're equipped to dry, surface and profile special orders.

For quality and service, call Capital.

GtflC* In business since 1955, HooverTreated Wood Products, Inc., is the premier full-line pressure treater in North America. In addition, Hoover's fire retardantformulations are licensed to a select group of licensee treating plants.

Hoover has had the same American ownership since 1983 and the same executive team for over20 years. Stability and experience assurethe industry's most effective products and support.

BD[T@RTAL

Eyeballing focus groups

If you've ever considered using a focus group as a way of learning what your customers think about your merchandise and services, you may want to re-focus.

Done right, focus groups can help you understand your customers' thinking and, sometimes, why they do what they do. But don't use the resulting data as the sole criteria for major decisions because the results may be blurred.

Some funny dynamics can result when a group is selected and asked to frankly discuss various topics. This is especially true if the selection process results in participants who aren't representative of your customer base. Not what you may think the base is, but what it actually is.

The knowledge among the group that they are being observed from behind that one-way mirror and that their remarks are being taped brings out different reactions. Peer pressure to say something, anything, comes into play. Others like to pontificate, whether they have a well formed opinion or not. Some timid types feel compelled

DAYID CUTLER editor.publisher

to try to give the "right" answers. Others feel the need to make a dramatic statement, just to shake up the panel and the sponsoring company. A chance to escape their homes brings others, who may just give me-too answers of no value.

Marketers who sponsor focus groups insist these low value responses can be factored out, that years of experience have produced the insight to disregard them and that the resultsjustify the relatively modest cost of the groups.

We're not so sure. The wisdom to separate good from bad responses could require a knowledge and insight that even Solomon lacked.

Additionally, observing and listening to a group may produce only opinions you find uninformed, stupid, pointless, unrealistic and asinine. To name just a few.

Because good information will be developed in a well run session, the challenge is to sift out the nuggets. But if you can't be sure which is which, it's best to take the whole business with a few grains of salt. A half pound, in some cases.

Seruing the lumber & home center markets in 13 Western states - since 1922

"'Y:1,?::5:"

?*'Es;:3o'o'

/ Handroils'l'iL,ottd PtYwood

"'olg eored fencing ,/ Loftice ) "o..o-Posfs' bolusters

/ Picnic:*|];b top fence posts

,/ French Gol

,/ Stair sfringers

/ Be nch suPPo-rts'to-:!tt nt

,/ Patio squares

'r tonatca7e fimbers'

/ sp dimension' ott "r:Z"r:rt " the rest

TluE Dean Mart's Green Lr7ht Specials

One Stoo ShoppinU

No need to buy three truckloads from three different suP pliers to get what you want. Buy one truck from Bean and get it all... untreated, treated, pattern stock, fencing, etc. We offer mixed trucks with dozens of items.

One call gets it all.

Curt Bean Lumber Co., your one stop shopping supplier.

New energy ratings for windows and doors

If\OMPARING energy perfor\-rmance among windows, doors and skylights has typically been like comparing apples and orangutans; there are simply too many factors measured by different manufacturers in different ways.

But the day is not too distant when fenestration products will have a single rating encompassing thermal transmission, solar heat gain, optical properties, air infiltration and condensation resistance.

Although windows and doors now have certification labels only for Uvalues (thermal transmission), "in a few years, we'll have a single annual energy usage number, one number on all products like the MPG on cars," says National Wood Window and Door Association's Rick Markway.

The energy performance characteristics of fenestration products are unique when compared to other building materials. All may be a source of solar heat gain and light. Overall energy performance can be affected by the variety of materials used to construct the frame, sash and glazing components. As well, durability is important, since the longer energy saving attributes last, the greater the cost effectiveness of the product.

Until a few years ago, door and window manufacturers displayed energy performance in various ways. Some described their glass performance by showing R-values comparable to those of many insulation materials. Yet although the glass may have had a high performance, the rating did not characterize the performance of the entire window system. Similarly, others touted the energy efficiency of their frames or other compo-

nents, which also did not reflect the performance of the entire system.

Other manufacturers did provide energy ratings for the whole product, but used different methods to arrive at their ratings. Some used various calculation procedures, while others provided a variety of thermal test reports. The end result was more confusion.

As a result,.the National Fenestration Rating Council, a non-profit public/private group of manufacturers, builders, designers, specifiers, code officials, utilities, regulators and consumers, was formed to establish a national energy performance rating system for fenestration products based on "whole product performance." So while a particular skylight may'have high performance glazing, its overall performance may be reduced by a poorly performing frame. Similarly, a highly energy efficient frame may be wasted on ineffective glazing and sealing.

The first energy factor NFRC addressed was thermal transmission

(U-value). U-value is defined as the number of BTUs that will pass through each square foot of area per degree of temperature difference from one side of a window to the other. The typical range of U-values is from 0.15 to 1.15. The smaller the Uvalue, the less heat transfer between the inside and outside due to a tem-

Story at a Glance

More energy performance factors to be rated on window and door labels next step: overall energy rating number.

AAA Window Company

stipulalos that th€s6 ratlngs ruBro dotorminod in accordance with appllcable NFRC Focedrres.

Model1000 Casement

perature difference. U-value is especially crucial during the heating season when the temperature difference is greatest between inside and outside. This year, certification labels will also show solar heat gain and visible light transmission. NFRC has adopted the technical procedure for air leakage and is currently working on the certification procedure to add air leakage to the label. In November, it adopted a "Procedure for Determining the Annual Heating & Cooling Energy Ratings of Fenestration in Residential Dwellings," which will be used to incorporate all elements into a single long-term energy rating.

= 0.2 0.5" gap

ntngs arc detemined fot afixed setof envlronmqtal crlndltions ud specifrc podrct shes and may not be apropdate tor dtrr,$y determlning seasonal energy performarrca. fu additlonal lnfqrnation drtd,&

NFRC will continue to refine its current procedures as well as add other rating factors such as condensation resistance and longterm energy performance. Members are also working on rating procedures for specialty products such as curtainwalls and fenestration attachments.

Manufac'turer

D*mlned h Accordance wi$ NFRC,m

Brickmold (brick moulding) Standard trim piece to cover the gap between the window frame and masonry or siding.

Butt joint Joint formed by ends, edges or faces coming together.

Cames Lead strips that divide, hold and surround small pieces of glass in leaded windows.

Cap Decorative molded projection cover- jamb ing the lintel of a window.

nterior

Windows: piec@rby-piece

SUCCESSFUL salespeople should be familiar with the \)components of the products they sell, especially with multi-part and multi-accessory items like windows and doors. Sales people should acquire a working knowledge of the most common terms, such as:

Anchor strip Board around a window, door or its parts nailed to house framing.

Apron Horizontal trim board below a window stool.

Backband Millwork surrounding outside edge of window casing.

Bead (bead stop, stop) Strip of metal, vinyl or wood around the periphery of a pane of glass to secure it in a frame or sash.

Bedding (bed) Method of glazing in which a thin layer of sealant is placed in the glass rabbet.

Book size Height and width of a door before prefitting.

Bottom rail Bottorn horizontal member of a window sash.

Casement Window sash that swings open on side hinges.

Casing Trim surrounding a window or door on the inside to cover the space between the frame or jamb and the wall.

Core Innermost layer or section of a flush door.

Crossbanding Door ply placed between the core and face veneer in five-ply construction or between the back and face veneer in seven-ply construction.

Double glazing Use of two thicknesses of glass, separated by an air space, within an opening to improve insulation.

Double-hung Window with two vertically moving sashes, each closing a different part of the window.

Drip cap Projecting fin or groove at the outer edge of a sill to divert water from the top casing so it drips beyond the outside of the frame.

Edge band Strip along the outside edges of the sides, top and/or bottom of a door.

Face panels Hardwood plywood, laminate, hardboard or composition panels used for the faces of flush doors.

Glazing Installation of glass in a frame.

Header (lintel) Horizontal member above a window opening to support the weight of the wall above. Header is generally used in reference to a wood beam, lintel to a steel beam.

Story at a Glance

Familiarity with components and terminology helps sell windows and doors do you know each definition?

Head jamb (head) Horizontal members at the top of a window frame.

Hung sash (hanging sash) Sash hung on a cord connected to a counterweight.

Hinge Joint on which a door swings.

Hopper (hopper light, hopper vent, hopper ventilator) Inward-opening sash hinged at the bottom.

"J" channel Roll form channel used to trim off siding to the vertical portion of doors and windows.

Jamb Vertical member of a window's or door's master frame and panels.

KD (knocked down) Unassembled components except glass to make a window or entrance door.

Lite (light) A pane of glass used in a window.

Lock block A concealed block the same thickness as the door stile or core which is adacent to the inside edge of the stile at the midpoint and into which a lock is fitted.

Meeting rail (check rail, lock rail) The part of a sliding glass door, sliding window or hung window where two panels meet and create a weather barrier.

Meeting stile Vertical member in a pair of stiles.

Mullion Vertical member connecting two or more

windows or patio doors together in a singre roush

opening.

Muntin (glazing bar, sash bar, window

Secondary, decorative framing member to hold window panes in the sash.

Rail Horizontal member of a window sash or door frame.

Reglet Wood or plastic moulding placed in a concrete or masonry opening creating a uniform groove for a gasket to hold window glass.

Saddle bar Light steel bar placed horizontally across a window to strengthen leaded glazing.

Sash Section ofa window that includes the glass and framing components which are directly attached to the glass.

Side tite (side light) Fixed typically narrow window next to a door or window opening.

Sill (outside sill, sill plate) Horizontal member at the bottom of the window frame.

Singte glazing Use of a single thickness of glass in a window or door.

Single-hung Similar in appearance to a double-hung window, but features a stationary top and a movable bottom half.

Slider (horizontal slider) Window with panel that slides horizontally in the frame.

Stile Vertical edge of a door or window'

Stool Flat. nalrow, interior frame member that fits on top of a sill to keep the bottom sash in place'

Stop Stationary lip at the back of a rabbet and/or removable moulding at the front of the rabbet that hold lite or panel in sash or frame with the help of spacers.

Tempered glass Safety glass that has been heattreated to add strength and shatter into small pieces when broken.

Threshold Length of wood or other material along the bottom of a doorway.

Transom (transom bar) Horizontal member separating a door from a window panel above it or separating one window above another.

Transom lite Window sash above a door.

Triple glazing Use of three panes of glass with two air spaces in between.

Weep cut (drip cut) Groove in the underside of a horizontal board or masonry unit projecting beyond the wall service below to keep water from moving back toward the wall.

Weephole Small opening in a sill or wall through which water may drain outside the building.

Doors:

Brickmold head

Deadbolt

Lock bore

Header

Southern pine supports trusses

. r r except in the West

I\TEARLY 60Vo of the lumber used I \ to make trusses is southern pine, primarily No. 2 grade, then No. 3 grade and No. 1 grade, according to a new study of wood truss manufacturers conducted by the Southern Pine Council in cooperation with the Wood Truss Council of America.

For the survey, the nation was divided into four census regions with 232 companies randomly selected, representing 280 wood truss manufacturing sites (l9%o of all such sites). Their responses were then projected regionally, resulting in an estimate that truss manufacturers consumed 5.942 billion bd. ft. of lumber in 1994, including 3.509 billion bd. ft. of southern pine.

Market share for southern pine was 98Vo in the South, 42Vo in the North Central, 45Vo in the Northeast and 3Vo in the West. Most of the southern pine used in the West was in states near the traditional southern pine producing region (Colorado, New

Mexico and Arizona), with very little elsewhere in the region.

Westem SPF had the second highest overall market share, but reported volumes reached less than half of those reported for southern pine. Douglas fir-larch, once the dominant species for structural applications, now has a market share of 107o.

Although results indicate truss manufacturers generally do not target particular species for certain truss components, southern pine tends to be used more for chords, while SPF finds more web applications.

The single largest market for trusses is residential construction, which consumed approximately 3.8 billion bd. ft. of lumber in trusses in 1994 (64Vo of the total truss lumber volume) or 2,598 bd. ft. per new residential housing start.

The highest volume of nonresidential truss markets is found in the South, which typically has one of the most active nonresidential construc-

tion markets.

As a group, 74Vo of truss manufacturers see single family residential as the truss market with the greatest potential for future growth. Excellent growth opportunities are also forecast by 64Vo of the respondents for multifamily residential construction and by 4OVo for new non-residential construction. The truss industry is predicted to grow 7 .1Vo over the next five years.

Overall, respondents indicate that more uniformly dried material would increase their usage of southern pine more than any other factor. And, if wood truss manufacturers aren't getting their needs met by southern pine

Story at a Glance

New study reveals southern pine is top species for trusses, but some manufacturers may switch to SPF ... little SYP penetration into West.

Iumber producers, many warn they will begin substituting Canadian SPF.

- The 50-page " 1995 Study of Wood Truss Manufacturers" is $10 from the Southern Forest Products Association, P.O. Box 641700, Kenner, La. 70064; (504) 443-4464.

Why Western Truss Manufaet.U.fef*,,,,,Aren't Using Southern Pine

Washington,, "It is too tough to switch now. Southern pine is being pushed by one broker up n":",*

;ome are looki"* * tt;.''.'......,,,.,.,.,

Washington "southern::rplne rs not cost comnetitive';'l..""'l':".....:.lli.i"::'l

Washington t,i,ilxi,,,i5,t,,ulp.re difti-

So.utf iUffi ,pine ff ndffaffi rl:Iff t{o:vt e stem trust,:,fiaike ls lie$. been::irr?inlrnElj,:t:,t,t,fr.,uss m!'aiiufacturers,.*o'tn"

Washington "I wish southern pine would come up North more readily."

would

love::to see it start to come up North:at reasonable prices, because :f,:::really lover:r::ffie values associated:with it." ' 'ii

Montana "The cost is,a problem andr::$p in Montanai::if:,is tough

'..'...,.!o

,:::r::Washington "I have used it onCEr:,in: 2L) years and it was really great;'but,,,southern pine is just too far away.il:::: ::::

Csl:t:fothiC .irl. don't really *nO*"6nything a$out southern

g"t'1i... i;Siile."

:,.,.,,,,,fUAtU, fiSgg.1hgp ping.:.:l$:.iit6o: ..i.:f#.iwat.i...thE.. pingi.coitll1ill,loo ' high."

Washington lfl have nei'er SCen..iti:i..: ':.::,, :'....,' .'.. i '... .:

".,.,""'

"":.''.'.

DECOMING perhaps the first forIJest products association in cyberspace, the Southern Pine Council has introduced a home page on the Internet for treated southern pine lumber products.

Retailers, builders, architects, engineers and consumers now have an online information port to access details and directions about designing and building decks, gazebos, fences, bridges, wood foundations, marine projects or virtually any outdoor structure.

Initial interest in creating a web site was member-driven. "It all started at a treated products subcommittee meeting last April," said Jeff Easterling, treated markets manager, Southern Forest Products Association.

Story at a Glance

New World Wide Web site for treated southern pine lumber products ... lnternet users can ask questions, offer comments or order literature.

Southern pine online

treated southern pine is prominently positioned.

"We had members who had been surfing the 'Net' and had found a lot of negative information on treated wood. We thought we should look into finding a way to get the correct information out about treated wood."

Reached on the World Wide Web at http://www.southernpine. com, the Southern Pine Council site is already getting an average of three "hits" a day. Visitors are iiiiil welcomed to the home page ii: by an array of colorful graphics, the Southern Pine Council logo and the notation "Bringing Wood to the Web."

They can then scroll down to a table of contents, listing I I subjects. By selecting one of the headings, they are taken to such sections as free literature, various design and construction guides, or a brief statement describing southern pine lumber as an environmental asset. Since concern over misinformation on the Internet was the initial impetus for creating the page, a Q&A about pressure

The web site currently features about 60 screens of information and colorful photographs. Viewers can scroll down a list of available publications, for instance, look over a picture of the document, read what it offers, and place a check in an adjacent box if they would like to receive a free copy. At the end of their search, they simply type in their name, address and other pertinent information and hit the "Send" button. That instantly transmits the request to the Southern Pine Council, which can print out the inquiry and promptly set up a mailing or answer.

Although the majority of inquiries have been requests for specific literature, viewers are also encouraged to submit questions or comments. Much of the E-mail is waiting for the staff to read in the morning, especially on

Monday, since a great deal of Internet activity is done during evenings and weekends.

The Southern Pine Council is compiling a database of the responses to track what types of individuals are inquiring. "In reviewing the response, we have found that quite a bit is from professionals, including the technical community," Easterling notes. As a result, future plans include expanding the site to offer additional technical information, such as maximum span tables. And since the site is equally accessible to someone in New Orleans or Norway, it will soon offer export buying guides in different languages.

After its first weeks online, most surprising to Easterling is the high number of responses from dealers. He says, "I had no idea that many retailers surfed the 'Net' for information."

COMPLETE show houses surrounded exhibit buildings (from lower left, clockwise). Sleek, clean lines are continental favorites. Heavv construction machinerv was also oresenf. Weinig had a well-equippied booth. Ladders to reach the skv. Not all French doors are French Doors. Entrv doors: 30 models to choose from. Circulai stairs are very popular. More ladders (what do thev do with them all?).

Plastic, any shape, any size, Light, bright kitchens. Some American lirms, like JeldWen, were big players at the show. Therma Tru talking doors in French. Citroen introduced a new pickup: the Jumpy. Stefan Johansson's Alumax Indy Car in subsidiary Kawneer Eurooe's booth. Different boards for different folks. Panel saw, large size.

world's biggest building industry show

Itr/E'RE talking big here. Show

Y Y area: 2.5 million square feet. Exhibitors: 3,918. Visitors: 598,858, of which 70,124 were from 132 foreign countries. The show program weighs 5-314 lbs. and is nearly 2 inches thick.

It's Batimat 95, the French extravaganza held every other year in Paris for anybody and everybody connected with building and building products.

While similar in scope, if not in size, to many U.S. trade shows, Batimat (rough translation: building materials) nonetheless has several twists probably unique to the French. Not the least of these is the eating and drinking that goes on in the exhibit booths. Metsa Timber, one of Europe's largest sawmilling firms, had a full-size bar at the rear of its extensive display. At l0 a.m. one moming it was full of showgoers quaffing the local champagne.

Held in a cluster of huge buildings near the River Seine, the main show uses airport style moving walkways to move people between eight large buildings. Due to the size of the show, the heating, ventilating, air conditioning and tool displays are at a site on the northern fringe of Paris. Transportation between venues is by

Story at a Glance

Monster French trade show draws nearly 600,000 everything to do with building and building products ... next show: fall '97.

taxi, bus, rail or, for big spenders, via helicopter right from the helipad on the show grounds.

The French love of food is well tended. Five different restaurants with five price levels are placed about the grounds. At the stand-up deli near the main entrance a ham sandwich and a small salad with two American Cokes were $23.85. (We didn't bother to price out the most expensive eatery.)

The huge show attendance is even more remarkable considering the price of admission. Pre-registration: $ 15. Registration at the show with an invitation card: $20. If you just walk up, it's $47 to get in.

Computers were much in evidence with buyers using their laptops, as exhibitors often had two or three computers in their booth. A special show section featured more than 20 firms

exhibiting computer hardware and software for buying, selling and using building products.

Among the handful of American companies exhibiting were Jeld-Wen, Velux, Alumax and Therma Tru, with the booths generally manned by their European staffers. The National Association of Home Builders also had a booth. Foreign companies marketing extensively in the U.S., such as the German machinery manufacturer Michael Weinig, were also present. Reflecting the continuing move to a global economy, show organizers Groupe Blenheim said each year more foreign firms and visitors are represented at the show. The company puts on 245 shows worldwide each year. Virtually all the signage directing visitors through Batimat was in both French and English. Nearly 40Vo of companies represented were from outside of France.

Most of the displays wouldn't look out of place in an American show. The big players didn't spare the francs. Two-story displays were common and second story VIP decks frequently topped larger displays. Not to mention the omnipresent food and drink available for the thirsty, hungry showgoer.

Reflecting the age of Europe, restoration is big business. A wide range of products was displayed, and the techniques and tricks to old building fix-up were available on computer software. Along with the old, the newer concept of ecology was widely represented, with many displays screaming out their green claims.

Kitchen business was well represented, ranging from farm spartan to the latest in sleek Euro design. Many cabinets used birch and other lightcolored woods so popular in Europe, often accented by high-gloss surfaces. Plumbing products have advanced markedly in the last decade, but still generally lag American know-how.

Entrance doors are very popular, ranging from utilitarian to mundane to just plain weird. Burl wood doors, though costly, are a popular item. Windows tended to be sturdier than their U.S. counterparts, reflecting the often harsh European winters. Innovative. swingin-any-direction home and roof windows remain continental favorites.

Show organizers made it easy to find companies and products. A computerized locator was by each entrance along with floor layout maps and directions in English and French. Some maps featured a special trail to lead to the companies showing new products.

Among interesting new products was Ateliers Boullet's one-hour fire resistant, glazed partition without intermediate masonry, into which doors can be built; Blasi showed an automatic revolving door with revolving floor; Bubendorf had a roller blind operable by radio control; Emaver exhibited laminated glass whose color could be changed electronically; Hewi France showed a push-pull door handle; as did JPM Chauvat; Maillard displayed telescoping MDF door frames, covered with wood veneer, that reportedly fit 8O7o of all existing frames.

Saint Gobain Vitrage had an exterior glass for facades that had two, nonrepetitive, abstract patterns; Sarpap presented a water-dispersible microemulsion treatment to combat blue stain on freshly cut lumber; Velux France showed a dual blind for a roof window that either screens out light or blacks out the window completely; Cree exhibited a mini-ramp for wheelchair access over thresholds; Idealu demonstrated their non-load bearing tubular steel studs made by welding two symmetrical half-sections; Parquetrerie Berrichonne presented solid oak mosaic parquet floors with adhesive backs said to bond to any subfloor.

Batimat was held Nov. 6-l l. 1995.

The new Baxter Reformulating a 1O0-year-old treater

ElSTABLISHED in the late 1800s I-land now reportedly the West Coast's largest treating company, J.H. Baxter, San Mateo, Ca., was led by three successive generations of family members until the death of Al Baxter in November 1992.

A year later, the board finally decided that Al's son, Richard, should take the helm. "It may have seemed premature," noted one spokesman close to the company, "because in 1992 neither Al nor Richard (then 32) thought he was ready to run the company."

But, supported by his sister, vice president Georgia Baxter-Krause, the results have been very positive. Observers note that the company is in solid shape financially, and sales are growing. President and chief executive officer Richard H. Baxter related to The Merchant Magazine how he is positioning the company for the future:

The Merchant Magazine Do you see a bright future for the forest products industry in general and, more specifically, the wood treating industry in the U.S.?

Richard Baxter In a word, yes. What other building material has all the attributes of wood? It is renewable, recyclable and an environmentally sound choice. If we can continue to communicate this message to the consuming public, I see a very bright future for the wood products industry. As for the wood treating industry, we exist to add value by protecting wood from wood destroying organisms, thereby extending the life of wood and helping to enhance the utility of this valuable natural resource.

The Merchant What kinds of chal-

lenges does our industry face in the future?

Baxter Our greatest challenge is to protect the true image of our industry. People are barraged with the concocted benefits of alternative products, most of which utilize non-renewable resources, consume massive amounts of energy during the manufacturing process and are often more expensive than wood. As an industry, we must also work to strike a balance with environmental concerns by understanding what the concerns are, by using good science and good judgment and by focusing on the facts. Our industry needs to continue to deliver our message to the court of public opinion.

The Merchant How does J.H. Baxter fit into that picture? Do you have a vision of where you want to take the company?

Baxter J.H. Baxter has always been an industry leader. We continue to be proactive in dealing with the issues I've just described. As far as our vision for the future of J.H. Baxter, it's very simple. We are, and will continue to be, the best there is in our field in terms of our products and the value we deliver to our customers.

The Merchant What changes have you made or are you making to move forward toward that vision?

Baxter Change is a way of life for any company that expects to be the best. If I tried to list the changes we've made during the past year, you wouldn't have room to print them. The point is, we try to do something every day to improve our

products and our service for our customers. For example, we are in the process of upgrading our companywide computer system to enable us to respond most efficiently to our customers' needs. Another example of our commitment to continual improvement is our investment in modern drying systems for two of our plants. These projects combined total more than $l million in capital improvements for this year alone. We are a strong and growing company, and our efforts to continually improve everything we do will keep us strong and growing in the future.

The Merchant Is it dfficult to implement serious changes at a 100-yearold company? Was it hard to sell your new ideas to those who have been with Baxter for many years ?

Baxter Change is always a challenge, but in this company it isn't as difficult as one might expect. Our approach has been to flatten the hierarchy of management and do away with the bureaucracy that cripples so many companies. We've created an atmosphere which allows everyone to be part of the process of continual improvement. Our people know what needs to be done and are often better equipped to affect change than I am. My approach has been to give direction, then get the hell out of the way.

The Merchant You're a young man. What qualifies you to head up one of the largest wood treating companies in the Western U.S.? Has your youth been a help or hindrance in leading the "new" Baxter?

t-

The Merchant What kind of industries currently are your biggest customers? Do you see that changing in the future?

Baxter Our customers, and their customers, are the commercial and industrial end-users of quality treated wood products. These customers require their treated products to meet or exceed industry standards and the mandates of the building codes. From a distribution chain standpoint, you will only find Baxter treated products in those niche or "upscale" retail lumber yards that supply the contractor with products which meet the code requirements.

As for future changes, I hope that our continuing research and development of new preservative systems will allow us to expand into products we are not currently handling. However, I will only place the company name on

Story at a Glance

Baxter head discusses challenges, opportunities of recreating century-old treating firm.

products which meet recognized treating standards and perform properly for their intended use.

The Merchant What makes your company dffirent or better? What are the company's greatest assets?

Baxter There is no question that what makes us a better company is our people. And, clearly, our people are our greatest asset. Having literally grown up through the company, I have personally seen the dedication of our employees to the company, to the Baxter family and to our customers. Many of our long-term employees have played a major role in my personal development. Over the last several years, I have had the pleasure of hosting retirement parties for individuals that have served our company for 40 years or more. That, in and of itself, speaks volumes about the dedi cation of our people to our company and our customers. I personally believe we have one of the finest organizations anywhere, and it is our people that make the difference.

The Merchant What are your thoughts on the continuing environmental Dressures on industm?

Baxter It appears that the pendulum is beginning to swing in favor of industry. My fear is that it could swing too far, too fast and send us careening back into the quagmire from which we now seem to be emerging. I personally support a proper balance between industry and environment. I believe in good science, good judgment and a willingness to compromise on issues that affect people from many walks of life. In the end, we must all do what is right.

As we have in the past, our company will support a continuous search for new, more effective, more efficient wood preservation systems. We have made and will continue to make great strides in our quest for new treatment technology.

At J.H. Baxter, we are always conscious of our responsibility of stewardship of our natural resources. An example can be seen in the management of our company-owned timberlands. These timberlands, some of the finest in the West, have been meticulously cared for by four generations of the Baxter family. I look forward to the day that the fifth generation of our family will become the stewards of these precious resources.

NEWS BRIEFS

Retailers

HaIf Moon Bay Lumber Co. Inc., Half Moon Bay (San Francisco), Ca., has closed after 49 years due to rent increases and an inability to secure a long-term lease, Steve Phillips, pres.

Isunbermen's has opened a new 11,000-sq. ft. outlet in Forest Grove, Or.; its adjacent 3,000-sq. ft. hope of nearly 50 years will be torn down ...

Tan g lew i lde Lumbe r, Tacoma, Wa., lost its warehouse and inventory in an $800,000 fire of unknown origin; the hardware store reopened after a speedy restoration and restocking

F oxw o rth- G alb raith Lumb e r Co. has opened a lO-acre Sun City West, Az., truss manufacturing plant and remodeled its Ruidoso, N.M., yard including paving the parking lot

A 30,000-sq. ft. Ace Home Center will open this spring on2.5 acres in Beaumont, Ca.; Tom Kantzallis, co-owner/gen. mgr. ...

Coast to Coast, Madras, Ca., has acquired a 2.8-acre downtown parcel with 3O,ffi-sq. ft. building; owner Gary Hackman hopes to move in by late fall ...

Eagle Hardware & Garden is considering a store on t0 acres in Wenatchee, Wa., but will not build in the proposed 43-acre Woodinville, Wa., Retail Center ...

Home Depot plans to relocate its Monrovia, Ca., unit to a new 103,000-sq. ft. facility with attached garden center ... the Colma, Ca., city council gave Depot a Jan. 10 deadline to correct traffic and maintenance problems before beginning the process to revoke its use permits; city officials say the problems are not unusual and expect them to be quickly resolved .-. .

Cop eland Lumb e r, Prineville, Or., has completed a four-week remodel that makes the store handicapped-accessible

HomeBase is building a 109,505-sq. ft. warehouse with 23,0Gsq. ft. nursery in Pomona, Ca., for a summer opening and plans a similar facilitv for Vacaville, Ca. ... the Irvine, Ca.-based chain recently raised $190,000 for the City of Hope and the Beckman Research Institute ...

Pacific l{aasing Materials & Design, Bellevue, Wa., is opening stores in Tokyo and Ube to sell materials to Japanese builders of American style 2x4 homes ...

Anniversaries: O.K. Lumber Co., San Carlos, Ca., 50th Hoover Treated Wood Products, Thomson, Ga., 40th ... Gemini Forest Products, Los Alamitos, Ca., l5th

Wholesalers & Manufacturers

Cascade Empire, Lake Oswego, Or., plans to close its Rialto, Ca., yard the end of this month

Schmidbauer Lumber, Inc., Eureka, Ca., had part of its mill's roof blow off and P&M Cedar Products, Anderson, Ca., lost parts of sheds in a mid-Dec. storm

Wolk Lumber Co., Newport Beach, Ca., has closed; owner Sterling Wolfe, Jr., is now managing the Tualatin Valley Builders Supply office in Ontario, Ca. ...

Willamette I ndustries, Albany, Or., has merged the sales departments for its Western Lumber and Plywood divisions under sales mgr. Steve Webb ...

Boise ldaho Corp., Boise, Id., has agreed to acquire a l0-acre Albuquerque, N.M., site featuring 35,@0-sq. ft. of covered storage, office and rail access from Alpine Trucking, Inc., to establish a full-

line wholesale building materials distri_br:tio:r facility serving N.M. and West Tx. ..,

Rolling Bay Timber Co., Rolling Bay, Wa, is a new wholesaler specializing in direct mill shipments; Roger Allen, pres.

Inuis & Co., Phoenix, Az., was named Outstanding Fountainhead Distributor of the Year by Inte rnat ional P ap e r' s Decorative Products Division ...

Louisiana- P ac ific and other "John Doe" treaters are named in a class action lawsuit by the Pacific Justice League alleging failure to properly label reated wood products for potential exposure to cancer-causing chemicals ...

Maxaaw Inc.,pxent of Pacifie Lumber Co., Scotia, Ca., has been charged by federal regulators in conjunction with the $1.6 billion collapse of United Savings of Texas...

HansonPlC, London, is negotiating to sell Cavenham Forest Products, Portland, Or., a major sawmill opemtor and owner/manager of 1.8 million acres of timberland, for more than $1.5 billion; Cavenham may be sold as a whole or broken up into individual foresl tracts, with disposal taking up to a year

Armstrong World Industies has enlisted Austria's F. Egger Co. to produce a new laminaGd, woodlike flooring to be unveiled early this year ...

Owens Corning Fiberglas Corp. will team with Mahindra Group of India to build a $100 million glass fiber reinforcements factory in Taloja, north of Bombay ... Owens Corning acquired vinyl window/door manufacturer Delsan Industries, St. Louis, Mo.

APA-The Engineered Wood Associati.on, Tacoma, Wa., renamed its American Wood Jystems subsidiary Engineered Wood Systems ... a 3,000-sq. ft. APA demonstration house is being designed for Tacoma, Wa.; set for July completion, it will be showcased in trhde and consumer magazines ...

Housing starts reports have been delayed due to recent federal government shutdowns caused by the budget impasse.

A Computer lndustry First...

Published Pricing - NOT- What the Market Will Bear

HARDWARE:

Wyse 55 terminal w/ keyboard $449

Barcode scanner $895

Credit card stripe reader $95

Oki 320 serial printer $470

Oki 321 serial printer $s9s

Hand held radio frequency device $3995

TI Omni Laser Printer $1495

Barcode printer w/ non-fade tags $1495

Star cash slip printers $525

Automatic cash drawer $180

Battery backup w/ auto shut down $395

Color VGA console $295

US Robotics FA)Vmodem $695

Pentiuml33MHzcomputer $2995

Dual Pentium I33MHZcomputer 8U0TE Quad Pentium 532MHZ 8U0TE

2.0 gigabyte hard drive fast SCSI $1495

16 port Digiboard card $1495

Point-of-sale - Reprints for 2 years

General ledger lrutty inregrared to all systems)

Inventory maintenance

Payroll

Accounts payable - On-line history

Accounts receivable - 7 yr. historv

Purchasing

Sales analysis

Word processing

Mailing list management

Kit sales (houses, decks, etc.)

Mill production

Takeoffs

Manufacturing (doors, windows, etc.)

Job costing (contract project mgmt.)

Custom programming @ $45lhr.

Vendor communications with:

Handy Orgill Bros. Ace Allied

Building Stores Coast to Coast HWI

Cotter True Value ServiStar

Henderson-Baird South States

House-Hasson Jensen-Byrd. TRW credit Srv

6 Wyse terminals .2 Okidata 320 prinlers

1 Okidata 321 printer - SCO Unix & software

1 Cash slip printer & drawer

1 Battery backup & modem

1 Pentium 133 MHZ Intel system-SUPERFAST with:

2.0 gig hard drive. color console

4 - 8.0 GB DAT. lape drive . dual lloppy 16 high speed intelligent ports lncludes all installation & 60 hrs.

Offices: Big Sandy, Tx. Fl Worlh, Tx Atlanla, Ga. Honolulu, Hi Pensacola, Fl San Anlonio, Tx LaFayetle, La. Indianapolis, In Memphis, Tn

PA Bend, 0r. Sl. Louis, Mo Spdnglield, 0r.

Tx

CALBIVDAR

Listings are often submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with sponsor before making plans to attend.

JANUARY

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman's Club - Jan. 11, meeting, Maggie's Pub, Santa Fe Springs, Ca.; (213) 467-9473.

California Forestry Assn. - Jan. 11-12, annual meeting, Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, Incline Village, Nv.; (916) 444-6592.

Cotter & Co. - Jan. 14-16, winter market, Bally's Casino & Resort, Las Vegas, Nv.; (312) 975-4903.

International lfousewares Show - Ian. 14-17, McCormick Place, Chicago, Il.; (708) 292-4200.

Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association - Jan. 15-19, estimating, bidding and quoting seminar, Denver, Co.; (303) 793-0859.

Phoenix Hoo-Hoo CIub - Jan. 16, golf, Villa DePaz Golf Course, Phoenix, Az.; (612) 974-1556.

Black Bart Hoo-IIoo Club - Jan. 17, industry night, Broiler Steak House, Ukiah, Ca.; (916) 378-8000.

Humboldt Hoo-Hoo Club - Jan. 18, crab feed, Eureka, Ca.l (707) 822-0371.

Spokane Hoo-Hoo CIub - Jan. 18, club night and past presidents night, Spokane, Wa.; (509) 624-4551.

Western Building Material Association - Jan. 18-21, Young Westerners Conference, Coeur d'Alene, Id.; (360) 943-3054.

Western Hardwood Association - Jan. 18, commission meeting, Olympia, Wa.; (206) 834-5202.

American Hardware Manufacturers Association - Jan. 2l-23, manufacturing conference, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Phoenix, Az.; (708) 605-1025.

Pacific Northwest Wood Products Showcase - Jan. 23-24, Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall, Tacoma, Wa; (206) 224-4340.

Lumber Association of Southern California - Jan.24, management training workshop, Glendale, Ca.; (800) 266-4344.

Lumber Merchants Assn. - Jan.26-27, management seminar, Marconi Conference Center, Mill Valley, Ca.; (916) 369-7501.

National Association of Home Builders - Jan. 26-29, annual convention/expo, Astro Dome, Houston, Tx.; (800) 368-5242.

National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors - Jan 29-31, annual meeting, Washington, D.C.; (202) 872-0885.

American Fence Association - Jan. 31-Feb. 3, FenceTech '96, Bally's Casino & Resort, Las Vegas, Nv.; (800) 822-4342.

FEBRUARY

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman's Club - Feb. 8, feeding frenzy, Shark Club, Costa Mesa, Ca.; (213) 467-9473.

National Wood Window & Door Assn. - Feb. 10-14. annual meeting, Hyatt West Shore, Tampa, Fl.; (708) 299-52N.

Western Building Material Association - Feb. 14-15, marketing course; Feb. 15, estimating workshop, Olympia, Wa.; Feb. 22, estimating workshop, Bozeman, Mt.; (360) 943-3054.

Bautec '96 - Feb. 14-18, building show, Berlin, Germany.

Western lfardwood Association - Feb. 19; resource committee meeting, Salem, Or.; (206) 834-5202.

Phoenix Hoo-Hoo Club - Feb. 20, golf, Legends Golf Resort, Phoenix, Az.; (612) 97 4-1556.

American Forest Congress - Feb. 21-24, Washington, D.C.; Q03') 432-5117.

Wood Moulding & Millwork Producers Assn. - Feb.2l-24, annual meeting, Del Coronado, San Diego, Ca.; (503) 292-9288.

Will Weyerhaeuser Buy Louisiana-Pacific?

According to one business analyst, Louisiana-Pacific may be ripe for a takeover... by Weyerhaeuser.

Terry Schumacher of the brokerage firm Black & Co., Portland, Or., published a l2-page report detailing why L-P. which has more mills than wood. may be the perfect target for Weyerhaeuser, which has more wood than mills.

"It's not a common practice. We've never named a buyer," he said. "But Weyerhaeuser is the only very large company in the industry that has a surplus of affordable logs that could be used to feed L-P's mills."

Most of Weyerhaeuser's excess timber is in areas where L-P has mills. in the Northwest and Southeast.

L-P relies on government contracts and open market purchases for almost 75Vo of its timber supply, which will likely result in lower future profits, according to the report.

The dependence makes L-P a "boom,/bust" company, somewhat unstable during lean timber years but very profitable when logs are available.

Weyerhaeuser, on the other hand,

has a cushion of its own private timber that provides stability despite market availability.

L-P's Barry Lacter called the scenario "very interesting," but said "there is no real-world activity that supports the takeover claims."

Slow Gains For Wood Panels

The U.S. market for wood panels will climb ZVo yearly to 51.5 billion sq. ft. in the year 2000, forecasts the Freedonia Group.

Gains will be slowed by a downturn in the single-family housing market and intense competition within the industry and from non-wood building materials, which will mainly affect softwood and hardwood plywood and insulation board. Imports will likely satisfy most projected market gains due to continued restrictions on the U.S. timber supply, a reduction in trade barriers (especially with Canada), and an increase in the quality of foreign-made panels.

Opportunities will exist in the rebounding nonresidential building market and healthv residential after-

market, with particularly strong gains by OSB (up 9Vo per year) and MDF (+ll%o).

Nearly 70Vo of all wood panel demand will continue to stem from construction applications, especially new residential dwellings. Within this segment, wall sheathing and roofbased markets will be the best opportunities for growth due to competitive advantages over most non-wood alternatives.

Standard Brands Bankruptcy #2

Standard Brands, Torrance, Ca., has filed for bankruptcy for the second time in two years and may liquidate its assets, according to a company spokesman.

The company stated in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that it needed $4 million by Dec. 3l to repay lenders and cover its expenses.

Standard Brands' cfo Howard Schwarz warned the company would file if it didn't receive financial support from its largest stockholder, Venezuelan-based paint manufacturer Corimon, and attempted to arrange financing with Corimon and various institutions.

Growing sffong

At Hampton Affiliates, trowth is something we take very seriously. We're extending our reach geographically, expanding operations and diversifying into new products. a Our latest offering is a line of Ponderosa pine hand-finished millwork products, available through the new Hampton manufacturinpl and distribution facility in San Diego, California. This broadens our range of quality remanufactured products, which now includes molding, stepping, clears,

flooringl and radius-edged decking. And, of course, we continue to offer all lrades and sizes of dimension lumber, including pressure-treated products. I As one of the country's largest independent forest products companies, we grow, harvest, process and sell over a billion board feet of lumber a year, serving markets in the United States, Japan, Korea, Europe and Australia. a Our primary focus hasn't changed in over 50 years of successful growth - to meet customer needs in a fast changing forest products mar-

ket. With six mills in Oregon. Texas and Alabama, two remanufactur-

llrood Fiber ADUA]IIACE Fttf,GERfoltI

REDUCED CAELBACKS

WFP FINGERJOINT sluds reduce slud replocemenl by 50 to 75%.

STRAIEHTER WALLS

FINGEUOINTING mixes groin pcllerns & knot slrucfures minimizing fte chonce ol bow ond croolc

CUSfOMER SArISFACfION

Fewer collbocks moke o hcppier builder ond sfioight wolls moke c solislied homeowner.

IMPROVED RESOURCE UfILIZATION

FINGEUOINTING ollows ony length of slud grude lumber to be used lo its f ullesl. Enviromentolly responsible.

WESTIERN ASS0elATr[0N NEWS

Western Building Material Association held its annual convention Nov. l014 in Portland, Or. Brent Taylor, CB Wholesale, Inc., Burlington, Wa., was installed as pres., with v.p.s Carl Van Well, Van Well Building Supply, Dallas, Or., and Chuck Stout, Irrigators Lumber Co., Caldwell, Id. Mick Bush, Bayview Building Materials, Olympia, Wa., was elected to the board of insurance and pension trustees.

Elected directors: Al Davis, Mitch James, Jerry Erickson, Mac Gray, Jim Turner, Frank Rima, Ron Pulliam, Greg Newenhof, Roger Fouts, Bud Wilhite, Charles Simpson and director-at-large David Dittmer. Retiring directors were Alan Stouffer and Chuck Stout.

Dennis Orem, Jerry's Building Supply, Eugene, Or., received the Distinguished Dealer Award. Irvin Dellinger, WBMA, received a Lifetime Membership Award, Gordon Marson, Marson & Marson Lumber, Leavenworth, Wa., and George Borgen, Borgen's Building Supply, Gig Harbor, Wa., joined the 40-Year Club.

Quick Pitch Selling Talks winners: Wood Windows Distributors/Marvin Windows (best presentation), Fields/ ATCO (most original), and Kamlin Hodgkiss, Belco, Inc., Tacoma, Wa. (best first time quick pitch).

The Jan. 18-21 Young Westerners Conference in Coeur d'Alene. Id.. will

include a tour of the Stratford Homes manufacturing facility, roundtable discussions, a half-dozen seminars and workshops, and the "Building Materials Bowl" competition.

The meeting will be followed lan. 22 by an estimating workshop in Coeur d'Alene. Other estimating workshops will be held Feb. 16 in Olympia, Wa., and Feb. 2?inBozeman Mt. A building material marketing course is set for Feb. 14-15 in Olympia.

Lumber Association of Southern California is sponsoring a management training seminar Jan. A in Glendale, Ca., presented by Anderson & Anderson.

At its Dec. 5 meeting, the Second Growth group elected John Neel, Barr Lumber Co., pres.; Michael Mische, Capital Lumber Co., v.p.; Tom Barclay, Ganahl Lumber Co., treas., and Shawn Millerick, Louisiana-Pacifi c. sec.

Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association presented Honorary Life Membership awards to James "Beno," Richard and Thadeus Walker, Walker Brothers Lumber, Colorado Springs, Co., during its fall management conference Nov. 2-4 in Santa Fe, N.M. Lyle Blue, v.p., Bloedorn Lumber Co., Torrington, Wy., was honored for 40 years of service.

lsFinger Joinl Blocla neBox Shook

sFinger Joinl Studs lg(ul Slock nsEdge Glued Producls

T?ucking Co., Inc.

Eagle Descends On Trailer Park

Unlike the Journey's End mobile home park, which recently was able to keep Home Depot from usurping its Santa Rosa, Ca., site, the National Trailer Park in Seattle, Wa., probably will not be so lucky in warding off a home center giant.

Unless the tenants can raise the $5 million purchase price by spring plus an additional $1.45 million for rehabilitation work, the park site will house a 135,000-sq. ft. Eagle Hardware & Garden store.

Eagle exercised an option to buy the park last year, but after the owner sent eviction notices, the tenants sued and a judge ruled they had firstrefusal rights to match Eagle's offer.

But, decreeing it would allow no public comment, the city council voted 6-3 against a $2.15 million financial package to help the tenants buy the park. The ruling costs the tenants $1.8 million previously pledged by the state and $200,000 from the county. The city would have put up the remainder, but council members said they didn't want to take funds away from other low income housing projects for such a gamble.

Eagle said it has been providing money and other assistance to tenants

to find a new home. About 50 of the 1 I 3 sites have been vacated.

cash and logs to restart it. Also unusual is that the bankruptcy judge approved the plan while opposing creditor attorneys are still battling over its terms.

"For the administration, certain members of Congress, and radical environmentalists to claim they were surprised by what the law directs is either pure politics, very poor staff work, or both."

- Jim Geisinger, president, Northwest Forestm Association, on the timber salvage amendment Pres. Clinton signed into law last summer.

Creditors Restaft Sawmill

Former suppliers have taken over bankrupt Preston Lumber Co. and restarted its Cloverdale, Ca., mill as Russian River Sawmills.

In the highly unusual outcome for a bankruptcy, several smaller creditors rallied to put up $675,000 to buy the mill from major creditor Sumitomo Bank, as well as operating

Headed by Richard Priest and Gary Luiz, the mill will operate with 40 employees on a budget of $6 million less than Preston did with 150 workers. Within two weeks of the midNovember approval, it was cutting lumber at the mill that sat dormant for nine months (see Oct., p.2l).

Depot Renames CrossRoads

Home Depot is folding its CrossRoads farmer/rancher-oriented stores under the Home Depot name.

Currently operating CrossRoads stores in Quincy, Il., and Waterloo, Ia., Home Depot will open its third rural market store in Columbia, Mo., in the spring as a Home Depot, as it will future stores in such areas.

"Since announcing our rural concept test, we have determined that our traditional core merchandise departments, which account for the majority of the CrossRoads merchandise mix, do well in rural markets," said chairman and ceo Bernard Marcus. "By using the Home Depot name, we can realize operational effi ciencies."

PBRS@DVAI"S

Pete Niebling, previously an executive with the North American Wholesale Lumber Association for 22 years, has retired from Tumac Lumber Co., Portland, Or. He started with Placerville Lumber Co., Placerville, Ca., in June 1945.

Hal Fay has been appointed cargo lumber buyer for Dixieline Lumber, Columbia City, Or. Derek Cowling, purchasing/inventory mgr. at the National City, Ca., office, continues to purchase panel products, rail and T&T.

Dennis Ebel, formerly with Triff Lumber, has joined Teton West Lumber, Missoula. Mt.

Jeff Birren has been named v.p. of Pacific Northwest merchandising for Home Depot, Fullerton, Ca. Terry Hopper succeeds him as No. Ca. regional v.p.

Mike Mackin is working in sales at Warm Springs Forest Products, Warm Springs, Or.

Brent Crosby has retired from Pacific Coast Building Products, Newark, Ca., after 40 years in the industry. An active Hoo-Hoo officer and past international pres., he previously had worked for Kaiser Fir-Tex. St. Helens. Or., which was acquired by Domtar Gypsum.

Tim Semons, Wayne Kirks, and Kathy Bazzoli, ex-Red River Lumber, have formed Russian River Lawn and Garden Products, Healdsburg, Ca., a division of Martin Forest Products.

Don Davis is the new sales mgr. at Oregon-McKenzie Lumber Products Co., Eugene, Or.

Kevin Joyce, formerly of J.H. Baxter, is a regional sales mgr. for Midwestern Wholesalers, Inc., setting up a West Coast office. He is temporarily working out of San Mateo, Ca.

Bill Weaver is now v.p.-sales & mktg. at Cascade Cabinet Corp., Woodinville, Wa., reports Lee Zuker, pres. & ceo.

Rod Kautz, ex-South Bay Forest Products, has joined Capital Lumber Co., Chino. Ca.

Beth llaynes is now office mgr. at Redhill Forest Products, Hayden Lake, Id.

Victor Robles is the new gen. mgr. at Foxworth-Galbraith Lumber, Deming, N.M., replacing Ken Brunson, who has retired after 38 years with the firm. Alex Chavez is now gen. mgt., Grants, N.M.; Bob Dykstra, gen. mgr., Silver City, N.M.; Tom Tarango, gen. mgr., Alamogordo, N.M.; Fred Padilla, satellite mgr., Casa Grande, Az.; Dean Alexander, store operations mgr., Casa Grande; William Stricker, yard operations mgr., Casa Grande; Louis Scott, store operations mgr., Yuma, Az.; Mike Beatty and Bob Jacques, zone mgrs., Az. district office, and Ray Barger, credit mgr., Consolidated Roofing & Supply, Phoenix, Az. David Williams is now satellite mgr., Consolidated Roofing, Gilbert, Az., and brother Steve Williams succeeds their father, Ed Williams. who has retired after 42 years as gen. mgr. of Consolidated Roofing, Phoenix

Bruce Ellis, owner, Roswell Lumber Doit Center, Roswell, N.M., and Gary Weiss, owner, GW Hardware, Woodburn, Or., were named to HWI's board.

Kenn Walters, field rep/market development specialist, APA-The Engineered Wood Association. has retired after 39 years serving So. Ca. and So. Nv.

Bob Hansen has joined OSB sales at MFP of Oregon, Lake Oswego, Or.

Rob Cohen has been named metropolitan account rep at the Astrup Co., Hayward, Ca., replacing Brian Holian, who has been promoted to account rep. Jim Brundage is an account rep at the Seattle, Wa., office, serving western Wa., Or., westem Id. and Mt.

Brenda Bryan, mktg. mgr., Payless Cashways, Inc., has been elected pres. of the Home Improvement Research Institute. Jeff Kroll, Armstrong World Industries, is v.p.; Dave Francis, Toro Co., sec., and Fred Miller, Thompson-Minwax Co., treas.

Douglas Holt, mktg. mgr., K Ply, Inc., Renton, Wa., is back from a sales trip to Tampa and Orlando, Fl.

David Casella, Casella Transportation, Petaluma, Ca., married Amy Roberts

Dec. 9 at the Hans Fahden Winery in Calistoga, Ca. The couple honeymooned in Mexico.

Cary Waters has joined the plumbing department at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., report owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

Treater Sues To Restrict Borates In Hawaii

Conrad Wood Preserving Co., North Bend, Or., has filed suit against the director of the Honolulu, Hi., building department to prevent structural use of wood treated with TtuBon-Dor.

Conrad alleges that Randall Fujiki's June 27 approval of TIU-Bon (sold in Hawaii as Ht-Bon) is invalid because he did not follow the Hawaii Administrative Procedure Act, requiring a public hearing be held after at least 30 days' notice.

Seeking an injunction in federal court until a public hearing, Conrad maintains that the chemical does not provide adequate protection from termite damage and has not been aP-

proved by the American Wood Preservers' Association for treatment of Douglas fir, the species primarily used for construction in Hawaii.

Ht-Bon licensee PAC-Chem Limited Liability corp. responds that the suit is without merit and Conrad's claims are not based on actual results in the field.

HI-Bon treated lumber is distributed in Hawaii through Honolulu Wood Treating, Midpac Lumber Co., HPM and Hilo Wood Treating, all of which offer a standard $5.000, 20year guarantee underwritten by manu-

facturer US Borax. US Borax says that, after five years of use in Hawaii in constructing more than 3,000 homes and hundreds of other jobs, only four claims - all minorhave been made regarding remodeling jobs and no claims made against the written warranty.

PAC-Chem theorizes that "Conrad has not been able to get a foothold in the local market with their more expensive Chemonite treatment and is attempting to use the federal court system to eliminate competition."

FOR DOMEST]C SALES CALL:

Jerry Long. Michael Parrella. Lynn Bethurum, Janet Parrella, Pete Ulloa, Bruce Keith. Matt Petersen, Jim Lawson.

FOR INTERNATIONAL SALES CALL: Nestor Pimentel. Abel Flores.

Window & Door Demand Up

Rebounding nonresidential construction and strong demand in residential aftermarkets will drive U.S. demand for windows and doors to increase 4.7Vo annually through the year 2000, to reach $26 billion, according to a new Freedonia Group study.

Residential aftermarkets will be buoyed by repairs, maintenance and renovations to an aging housing stock, although single family housing starts are expected to decline.

Additional growth is forecast to result from the development of more energy efficient window and door products, as well as innovations in product durability, ease of installation and performance.

Vinyl/plastic windows and doors will post the strongest gains, primarily due to pricing and ease of maintenance advantages over alternative materials. Vinyl window and door products will also benefit from increasing thermal efficiency regulations, restricting aluminum products, and tightening timber supplies, limiting wood.

Despite the trend toward plastics, wood millwork will comprise over

56Vo of aggregate window and door demand through the year 2000. The segment will benefit from a strong end-user preference for wood and from the growing popularity of clad wood windows and doors.

Demand for metal windows and doors will benefit from a recovery in nonresidential construction activity. Gains will be moderate, however, largely due to the material's poor insulating properties, which will benefit vinyl and, to a lesser extent, wood windows and doors.

Tax Reform Can Kill Housing

Although the economy is in relatively good shape with no recession in sight, experts were quick to sound a warning about tax reform's impact on the housing market.

"There would be a lot of pain in getting from here to a flat tax that eliminates the mortgage interest deduction," David Berson, chief economist at Fannie Mae, said at the National Association of Home Builders' recent Construction Forecast Conference.

Even if interest rates fell two per-

RIDCEIINE AAAAIAAIAASYSTEMS

. Estimating & Price

. committed Jobs & Load Building

. Inventory Control & Tracking

o Order Entry & Invoicing

FAX714-283-0429

centage points, home values would dip by an average 15% and home owners would lose $1.7 trillion in equity, according to a DRI/I\4cGrawHill study.

Aside from the dire talk of tax reform, the economists presented a positive picture of the housing market and national economy through 1997.

Japan Views Oregon Quality

Eleven Oregon wood products manufacturers presented their wares to more than 100,000 prospective buyers at the Japan Home Show Nov. 7-10 in Tokyo.

Delegates of the WPCC-organized, "Made in Oregon, USA" trade mission manned a specially designed booth featuring a Ray Atkinson photo of Mt. Hood surrounded by verdant forests. Hoping to draw Japanese buyers with a message of Oregon quality and manufacturing capacity to meet international demand, they handed out the brochure "Your Assurance of Oregon Craftsmanship and Sound Forestry." Plans are being made to attend trade shows in Europe as well as the U.S.

With our rccent release of Ridgeline's Lumber and Buildlng Matertal Distrlbuilon Swtem S.I, our customerc have enioyed Increased productivity in all areas of office automatlon. Why not find out for yourself why wholesalerc and retallerc have relled upon the Rldgellne Lumber System for thelr computer software. Call us todav.

FXNE GRAIN DOUGLAS FNR

Sales - Bob Nodon Rich Stratton

Phone: (541)874-2236

FAX (503) 874-2123

Box 7

Oregon 97469

SPECIFIED: DENSE #I, SELECT

best full service hardware and software computer system for your

Building Permits Slide Nationally

The home building industry suffered a nationwide slowdown during the first three quarters of 1995, with singlefamily building permits declining in24 of the top 25 major markets and 47 of the top 50, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

The lone exception to the top 25 market-by-market decline was Atlanta, Ga., which issued 26,886 permits for single-family structures from January through September, a 5.9Vo increase over 1994. The second-largest housing market in the country, Phoenix/Mesa, Az., experienced a 3.5Vo decline in permits.

Of the top 50, 27 markets experienced permit declines of ljVo or more and five, including Sacramento and Orange County, Ca., experienced declines of 2OVo or more.

THE INDUSTRY'S largest hardware cooperatives, Ace Hardware, Cotter & Co. (True Value), Hardware Wholesalers Inc. and Servistar, signed with Catelisl lo support the hardlines induslry database program. Promoted by the American Hardware Manufacturers Association, participating vendors will be able to use the database to produce their printed and elechonic media oroducts.

NVBW PR@DUGTS a;nd

selected sales aid"s

Stuck In The Gutter

A new gutter and lap seal from Geocel Corp. will adhere to wet and oily surfaces and can be applied in all kinds of weather.

The doors, which can be stained to a mahogany, cherry or walnut finish, come in six-panel, four-panel bifold and French door designs in l3/8"x6'8" and 7'sizes.

Circle No. 502 on p.46

Custom Fit Lift Truck

A lift truck that can be tailored to the truck's operator is now available from Hyster.

The E30-50FR truck has a rear entry-forward or a rear entry-side operator stance, various mast heights

Masterful Door Merchandiser

A door merchandiser has been introduced by CraftMaster Door Designs.

Designed to hold five doors, the display's laminate panels feature high-impact graphics along with an acrylic literature holder situated on each side.

Geocel Pro Flex Gutter and Lap Seal has been formulated to be semiself-leveling, highly resistant to ultraviolet rays and is said to especially adhere to aluminum, galvanized and vinyl-clad gutters, end caps and downspouts.

Designed to be asphalt compatible, it can be painted and is offered in white and aluminum colors in l0-oz. cartridges.

Circle No. 501 on p. 46

Popular Poplar Doors

A new line of poplar doors is new from Bennett Industries.

to suit lifting and lowering height requirements, four overhead guard heights for special drive-in/drivethrough rack applications and a freezer conditioning option for severe applications.

Circle No. 503 on o. 46

Collated Fastener Collection

Two fasteners are new to Hitachi Koki U.S.A. Ltd.'s collated nail and staple line.

A plastic-coated, 1-3l4"x.086" nail for use in Hitachi's NV5OAE pneumatic nailer is hot dip galvanized and comes with 200 nails per coil.

Designed for use in Hitachi's NV5OAG coil nailer, the 1-3l8"x.094" drywall nail has a plastic collation design which prevents flagging, and each coil has 200 nails.

Circle No. 504 on p. 46

A 34"-wide by 48"-deep by 100"high Mobile Unit is freestanding with lock-down casters for moving, while the 34"-wide by 48"-deep by 96"-high Stationary Unit can be used freestanding, on an endcap, or against a wall.

Circle No. 505 on p. 46

Long Distance Foam

Touch 'n Seal Quick Cure High Yield Gun Foam from Convenience Products comes in 24 oz. cans which yield up to 3,500 linear feet of l/4"diameter bead.

The adhesive foam sealant conforms to openings to prevent air infiltration.

Circle No. 506 on p. 46

Lend A Steady Hand

A full-finger leather glove from OK-1 Manufacturing protects the hand from vibration and impact.

2-l12 cu. ft. Gilson 250MP has an optimum batch range of 2-3 cu. ft., can be mounted on a truck or trailer, and has an abrasion-resistant drum with rubber or steel blades.

Its iron frame is available in hand tow or stationary styles and an electric or hydraulic motor or gasoline engine are optional.

Circle No. 508 on o. 46

Redwood Garden Arbor

Constructed of California redwood, the Majestic Garden Arbor from L&L Nursery Supply, Inc. is said to be ideal for climbing vines and overall garden enhancement.

Cozy lnsulation

A line of fiberglass building insulation products that are encapsulated with a breathable non-woven fabric is new from CertainTeed Corp.

Available in sizes SM to XXL, the Viscolas' waffle pattern padding covers the glove palm, fingers and thumb. Its four-way stretch nylon back adds flexibility while a soft terry-lined wristband provides extra comfort. A leather tab closure features adjustable hook and loop fasteners.

Circle No. 507 on p. 46

Mixer Upper

An enhanced mortar/plaster paddle mixer is new from CF Gilco.

Designed for patching repairs and jobs in areas with restricted space, the

The arbor has a smooth cut finish, is easy to assemble and is available in either white or natural colors. A bench which attaches to the inside of the arbor is also offered.

Circle No. 509 on p. 46

Protect A Deck

A waterbase decking sealer containing solubilized conditioning oils has been developed by Burke's Protective Coatings. Designed to be applied easily with splashes, spills and mistakes removed immediately, Deck Magic is available in semi-transparent colors, including natural, redwood, cedar and gray.

Circle No. 510 on p. 46

FREE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

on any product in this section is available by circling the corresponding Reader Service number on the form on page 46 and sending the form to The Merchant Magazine, either by FAX 714-852-0231, by mail to 45OO Campus Dr., Ste. 48O, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660, orjust call(7I4) 852-1990.

Designed to reduce dust and discomfort while working with and handling insulation, EasyHandler is covered on three sides with the nonwoven fabric and the fourth with extensible kraft facing.

R-30, R-19 and R-13 kraft-faced batts are designed for ceiling, wall, floor and crawlspace applications.

A R-25 unfaced roll, which is covered in the nonwoven fabric. comes in 15" and 23" widths for attics.

Circle No. 511 on p. 46

Level Siding Underlayment

A high density siding underlayment from Shelter Enterprises Inc. cuts air infiltration to reduce energy loss.

Applied before new siding is installed, Shelterwrap HD is made of high density expanded polystyrene and provides a level surface because of its hinged fold. It is made with heavy polycoated paper and rigid polystyrene core which adds R-Value to the exterior wall.

It is available in one continuous 4'high by 24'-long by l/4"-thick sheet that is fan folded every two feet.

Circle No. 512 on p.46

UWP'#ffi""-:

Formidable Fiberglass Doors

A fiberglass entry door from Ceco Entry Systems is reportedly tougher than steel, lasts longer than wood'and replicates the cathedral grain structure of expensive oak doors.

LUMtsER DOORS

Constructed of fiberglass-reinforced engineered composite materials. Oakcraft doors are said to have a 25Vo deeper grain pattern than similar doors. The pattern runs vertically on the stiles and horizontallv on the rails.

The core is insulated with polyurethane rigid foam and the wood stiles provide a l-3/4" thermal barrier between the exterior and interior face sheets.

Circle No. 513 on o. 46

Headless Craftsman

The 6" SHPl0 Headless Pinner from Senco Fastening Systems drives 112", 518" and 3/4" pins without marring work surfaces.

Featuring a 200-pin capacity, the tool fastens moulding, trim and window beading, weighs 2.4 lbs. and is easily reloaded at the bottom with a magazine release.

Circle No. 514 on o. 46

lf you enjoy tolking lumber with people who

know how il's produced, where il's produced, ond who produces it, coll us. We hove over l5O yeors'experience ot your disposol.

(239 S. 1Ah), Phoenix, AZ

Look Ma, No Vent!

A nearly invisible roof vent is new from Dairyman's Supply Co.

Designed to conform to all shingles and adjust to various roof pitches, the polypropylene

Ever-Flo Vent weighs less than 3.25 lbs. and is 5' long.

Circle No, 515

Restored Ceiling Grids

A magnetic vinyl stripping from Celotex Corp. covers soiled, damaged and discolored ceiling grids.

Designed to fit standard main runners, cross-tees and wall angles, Retrogrid can be used with steelfaced grid and installed whenceiling tiles are in place.

Available in 60' rolls and 12' rolls, it comes in 15116- and7l8"wide strips.

Circle No. 516

Tight Turning Turret Truck

A turret truck from Hyster Co. stores and retrieves up to 3,000 lbs. on both sides of a 64" aisle without having to exit or re-enter the aisle.

Designed with a hydraulic rotary actuator to turn the forks a full 180'. the N30)CVIH turret truck can be configured to service shelf heights over 24', has five-position tilt steering, four-way adjustable seating, a 16 service-code memory and is equipped with remote diagnostic and adj ustment capabilities.

Circle No. 517

Handy Hinge Butt Marker

The Hinge Butt Marker from Swanson Tool Co., Inc. produces an accurate mortise in doors and jambs.

Featuring a chisel guide for depth and size, a butt gauge for proper hinge width and length, and a l"-wide lip to control depth and keep the chisel level, the marker is available in either a 3-l/2" size for inside or a 4" size for outside hinges.

RBDWOOD

John Wilton

Ray Ryan

Sheila Goodrich

"Vhere

wishing everyone all the very best for i 996

PRODUCT 5ALE5 CO.

SALES CO.

Patrick Lumber Pleads Guilty

Patrick Lumber Co., Portland, Or., has pleaded guilty in federal district court to two felony criminal charges of violating the Libyan embargo in exporting two loads of lumber worth more than $800,000 in 1993, according to the Daily Journal of Commerce.

The U.S. government charged the company with violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Export Administration Act when it shipped the lumber to Italy knowing that it would then be transshipped to Libya. An officer of the company told the court that employees knew that two separate loads of lumber shipped on behalf of Austrian firm Engel Timber were to be delivered to customers in Libya.

Patrick Lumber accepted a $225,000 fine for these criminal violations and will pay an additional $20,000 each to the Commerce and Treasury departments to satisfy civil penalties for violations of the Libyan embargo, according to the report.

The company is also facing an $11.3 million lawsuit by a former employee who said he was fired after notifying the federal government of the shipments. The company maintains that Robert Lynde was terminated for alienating co-workers and inability to do his job, and that an Oregon Department of Employment investigation revealed he was fired for performance reasons,

Mr. Average Remodeler

The average remodeling professional is a 45-year-old, well-educated male, according to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.

Fifty percent of remodelers had a college degree, an additional 257o had attended college, and l4%o had completed some graduate work.

The average remodeling firm completes 88 projects per year, with an average residential job costing $66,918. An overwhelming 847o said that the demand for quality workmanship is the number one factor affecting their business.

Shortline Railroad Spin Off

Oregon's newest shortline, Portland & Western Railroad, Inc., is the latest railroad to service shippers on hundreds of low-density branches formerly operated by Southern Pacific.

PNWR's lease of 53 miles of SP track, linking Portland with Newberg, Tigard, Beaverton, Hillsboro and Seghers, completes SP's program of spinning off all of its Oregon branches, begun in December 1991, to smaller, locally-managed railroads.

PNWR has contracted with Willamette & Pacific Railroad, Inc. for its locomotives, maintenance of physical plant, train dispatching and customer service support.

There has been a nationwide resurgence of shortlines as the Class I carriers have encouraged smaller railroads to take over the branch lines.

Redwood Firm Wins Sign

Claudia Cowan. owner of Horizon Forest Products, Richmond, Ca., won a 35"-wide by 19"-tall point-of-purchase neon sign worth $375 promoting redwood decks and fences.

The drawing was sponsored by the California Redwood Association.

"All I had to do was order some of their beautiful ads and informative literature." Cowan said.

SALUTED: Dennis Curran (center), son of Dwiqht Curran (left), DMK-Pacilic, Fremonl, Ca.,-receives hid prbmotion to U.S. Air Force captain from Col. Jones.

Portland wholesalers' annual party

TIMBER SIZER

PRE-EABRICATION

TIMBERS

From cutting a wedge to pre-fab'd crane pads or mine shafts. Angle cut, cross cut, drilling, dapping-We'll do them all to customer specification.

Drawer 4779, Lrcata, Ca. 95518-4779

707-826-9850

LUMBERMAN of the Year (1) Gordon King is honored at the Portland Wholesale Lum-ber Association's annual Christmas party. (2) Sherrel Andrews, Thom Wright, Kim Wright. (3) John Eshleman, Charley Willet, Harlan Friesen, Jon Friesen. (4) Gene Walters, Terry Hagen. (5) Greg Lebeck,'Dave Miller. (6) John Grove, Phil Lemon, Steve Getsiv. (7) Don Dye, Chuck Danskey, Denny O'Sullivan. (8) Ddve Meadowcrofl, J.R. Reynolds, Dan Powell, Larry Ostrom. (9) Brian Vhnce, Dick Vance. (tO) Harold Bell, Clark Tavlor. Terrv Kuehl. {11) Bill Kriener, J.V. Torgersbn. (tz[ Oirt< Stelie,'Bob Auld. (13) Steve Cole, Mike Hillier. (14) Lee Champion, Dr. Sam Sherrill. (15) Matt Fendall, Kurt Vollstedt. (16) Joe Nealon, Glenn Lowe. (17) Gary Connolly, Pete Reyneke, Brian ionbs. Over 300 att'ended the D'ec. 8 event at the Red Lion Hotel, Jantzen Beach, Or.

PORTLAND Wholesale Lumber Association incominq sec./treas. (1) Bill Friedlander, with incomin! pres. Edy MiOartney at the Dec. 8 Christmas party. (2) Margie Miller, PWLA exec. sec. Sandy Maxwell, Red Hart. (3) Steve Schmitt, Dave Cunningham, Jay Gregg. (4) Ben Buschbacher, Louie Buschbacher. (5)

Scolt Murken, John Maxwell, Greg Jones. (6) Dave Blasen, Phil Taylor. (7) John Kelly, Ernie Fullmer. (8) Chet Cowan, Dan Casebier. (9) Charlie Brown, Mike Running, Troy Good. (10) Harvey Scott, Dennis Richardson, Tom Embree. (11) Doug Bussey, Mark Dodd. (12) Kristy Feakin, Scott Daley. (13) Larry Hayes,

Dan & Anne Von Allmen, Bill Parks. (14) Tammy Crossland, Bill Bourgaize. (15) Mike Brallier, Bob Zelinka. (16) Wayne Giesy, Mike Blasen. (17) Tracy McGinn. (18) Larry Smilh. (19) Sandy Alldredge. (20) Samantha Slocum, Janet Rustad. (21) Ted Fullmer, John Spaulding, Randy Gregory. (22) Mike Mounsey.

Sacramento wholesalers' holiday lunch

CHRISTMAS CHEER abounded at the Sacramento Area Wholesalers'annual holidav luncheon, which drew 220: (1) Jim Hayes, Dan Kepon and Stu Heath, evenl organizer. (2) John Snead, Ralph Heath. (3) Ben Cassinerio, Earl Bleile. (4) Karen Walters. (5)Jim Costello, Bob Prouty. (6) Rod Gasser, Les Doddington,

Joe Lausmann. (7) Terry Sperling, John Sharp, Bruce Gravier. '1b1 Stirvti Lauimann, Teriy Kuehl, Bill Elmore. (9) Dan Zellick, John Picot. (10) Randy Collins, Kim Sauls, Judy Ramsey, Gordon Roby. (11) John Diederich, Jim Munay. (12) Jack Dolan, Phyllis Hautala, Beth Gearing, Fred Holmes. (13) Curt Wood, Max

Corning, Mike Bivins. (1a) Jim Sloan, Perry Nydigger. (15) Mitch Stevens, Ed Gale, (16) Dave Wilcox, Kalhy DeVos, Damon Munsee. (17) Bob Weiqlein. (18) Greo Hudson. Jerrv En5worth, iini Haas. (i9) D;. Sam Sherriti, Dick Mills. (20) Darci Bolander, Steve Jenkins. Meeting was held Dec. 1 at the Red Lion Hotel.

MORE CHEER at lhe Sacramento wholesalers' holiday luncheon: (1) Earl Moore, Sid Johnson. (2) Spencer Williams, El Louise Waldron. (3) K.C. Frisk, Tom Atkins. (4) Frank Solinsky, Patrick Custer. (5) Don Kathlean, Bob Allison, David West. (6) Jim Murk, Lori Souza, Lew MacDonald. (7) John Monison, Rick Kavooras. (8) Dave Hildbrand, Bob Maurer. (9) Pat Damon,

Ann White. (10) Paula McCauley, Dixie Tibbets, Larry Mead. (11) Bill Gaittens, Duane Duff. (12) Bob Long, Mike Massa. (13) Dave Westlake, Steve Prado. (14) Doug Hanson, Tom Williams. (15)Jim Waterman, Tom Callow, Dick Smallridge. (16) Greg Passmore, Rick Richter, Charlie Brittain. (17) Kevin Dolan, Len Adamo, Gary Palmer. (18) Hank Muller,

Mike Benton. (19) Scott Daley. (20) Dennis Duchi, Robert West, Wayne Murphy. (21) Tom Von Moos, Kathi Neel, John Casey. (22) John Souza, Karl Drexel, Tom Knippen. (23) Russ Slurdyvin. (24) Rick Chackel, Jim McVey. (25) Patrick Hunter, Carolyn Michaeledes, George Hammann. (26)Jerry Ensworth. (27) Rick Wilson, Debbie Donnell, Pat Zan. Jnruunny

We welcome your letters tu the editor. Just FAX your comments about the magazine or particular orticles to 714-852-0231 or mail to Editor, The Merchant Magazine, 4500 Campus Dr., Ste.480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660.

TIIE BURNING ISSUE

As a reader of The Merchant Magazine, I would like to take this opportunity to address the article ("Fireproof Wood: What a Concept," Nov. p. 12). First and foremost, I would like to point out that there is no such thing as "fireproofl' wood; might I suggest that the term "flame resistant" wood would have been a more accurate description of the FRTW available on the market today.

As a consultant to a manufacturer of a three-in-one product (i.e., wood preserver, insect repellent and flame retardant), I am baffled by the continued industry-wide support of "pressure treated" wood. Enclosed please find two reports by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service describing in detail the problems associated with this process (i.e., "thermally degraded plywood roof sheathing"). These government studies negate even the most modest claims of Dressure

Discount Building Materials

Quality B-Grade Truckload Pricing

H.C. Flush Doors------------$5.00

H.C. Moulded Doors -------$6.00

S.C. Flush Doors ----------$10.00

H.C. Bifold Blanks ----------$1 .00

Edoe-Glued Pine Panels

5/8"x1 8"x36" to 48"-------$550/M

5/ 8" x24" x36" to 48------- "$550/M

3/4"x36"x48tr ---------------$600/M

3| 4" x48" x7 2il ---------------$600/M

Alder Edge-Glued Plank to 39" Length ------------$7OO|M

Over 40" Length ---------$900/M

#1 Cedar Lattice

3/8"x1'x6' ------------------------ .45

5/8"x1'x6' ------------------------ .50

314"x1'x6' ------------------------ .90

Also Available: Mouldings, Columns, Bases & Caps, Porch Posts, Newel Posts, Spindles.

Tnrple R WnouesALE

White City, OR 97503

(541) 826-1711

treated wood enthusiasts.

As you may or may not be aware, the major corporations involved in the "wood treatment" industry have successfully held a monopoly over the market since its inception and are now faced with the long-term consequences of their products' inherent degradation of wood over time. By setting the standards/requirements enforced by ASTM, these entities have virtually eliminated any opportunity for new technology to penetrate the industry. Rather than addressing the proven defects of the existing treatment methods of working to find a solution in order to remedy the situation, they seem to continue to uphold the self-defeating "our way or the highway" attitude.

There are alternatives. For example, has anyone considered the possibility of a spray-on application which will not degrade the wood? Of course not. Due to the present code structure, there is no spray-on test method currently in place to validate this as an "accepted and approved" application. Members of the fire retardant community must, therefore, go to great lengths (and expense) to now develop new standards in order to have a product recognized as an effective "sprayon" or alternate fire retardant/wood preserver.

Considering the fact that the cost of this "problem" is estimated to exceed $2 billion, I feel that the "Big Boys" should neither ignore nor neglect their responsibility in remedying the situation. In the meantime. the focus should be on those who are devoting their efforts to offering new and innovative technology to the industry in order to reverse the negative, downward spiral associated with "pressure treated" wood.

Christina Cuddy

1977 Coldwater Canyon Dr. Beverly Hills, Ca. 90210

Editor: Concerning the article's title, "Fireproof Wood," we attempted to simplify the author's headline which was "Wood That Won't Burn." As for Ms. Cuddy's other comments, the author replies:

Ms. Cuddy chastises the industry for ignoring thermal degradation. While this was a huge problem for the industry, it involved basically one application (roofs) and only certain brands.

However, the industry did respond. Those products that failed were either pulled from the market and replaced by new formulations, or the companies simply got out of the business. One brand introduced in 1981 continues to be sold and has continued to perform today without problem and without reformulation. When product failures first surfaced in 1989, the industry immediately began developing new standards, resulting in the publishing of a rare ASTM emergency standard which has become the basis for today's model code evaluation reports.

Even with the problems noted by Ms. Cuddy, the model codes still do not favor coatings in these applications because coatings are field-applied and cannot be inspected. Coatings gain their listing by much less stringent criteria than those for FRTW. Coatings have other problems, such as wear, maintenance, coverage, and shelf life, which are outside the building officials overview.

Quite simply, FRTW is presently the most dependable and economical altemative for a flame retardant buildine material.

Scott Hoffman Manager-Dricon Fire Retardant Hickson Corp.

1955 Lake Park Dr., Suite 250 Smyma, Ga. 30080

OtsITUARIDS

Jim DiStefano, 51, former field marketing specialist for Simpson Timber Co., Shelton, Wa., died of cancer Dec. 12, 1995, in Tacoma, Wa.

Following a lengthy career as marketing manager with Champion International, he joined Simpson in April, 1995.

Robert A. "Tony" Gallagher, 50, former sales mgr. for Warm Springs Forest Products, Warm Springs, Or., died of lung cancer Dec. 11 in Redmond, Or.

Born in The Dalles, Or., he served in Army military intelligence before working for Fibreboard, Truckee, Ca., and Louisiana-Pacific, Inyokern, Ca. He joined Georgia-Pacific, Cottonwood, Ca., as purchasing manager for its moulding plants and in 1987 went to work for Warm Springs.

Charles Francis Craig, 7'1 , retired executive vice president of J.H. Baxter & Co., San Mateo, Ca., died of Super Numeral Palsy Nov. l5 in Portland, Or.

Born in Bremerton, Wa., he was a

decorated Army colonel during World War II. After working for Pope & Talbot, Portland, he joined J.H. Baxter, Portland, in 1952. In 1965, he was promoted to Baxter's head office in San Francisco, Ca., retiring in 1980.

He served as president of the Western Wood Preservers Institute in 1959 and 1973.

Nicholas V. Poletika, 77, retired president and chief executive officer of J.H. Baxter & Co., San Mateo, Ca., died Nov. 2l in Palo Alto, Ca.

Born in Mariupol, Russia, he worked for Union Lumber Co., Fort Bragg, Ca., and Potlatch Corp., Lewiston, Id., before joining J.H. Baxter in the early 1980s as vice president-licensing. In 1992, he was promoted to president/ceo, retiring in 1993.

Davis Martin, 79, former coowner of A.D. Martin Lumber Co., Riverton, Wy., died Nov. l9 in Riverton.

Born in Pranell, Mo., he worked for Lumber Dealers Inc., Denver, Co., from l94l-1947. In 1948, he joined his father at A.D. Martin Lumber as co-owner, retiring in 1985.

He was president of the Mountain States Lumber & Buildins Material

Dealers Association in 1973 and served on the board of directors from t97t-73.

Holmes Christie Pooser, 75, former owner of Pooser Lumber Co., Sacramento, Ca., died Nov. 23 in Sacramento.

Born in Savannah, Ga., he worked for Murphy Lumber, Eugene, Or.; Tamarack Lumber, Eugene, and B&M Lumber, Sacramento, before c o-founding Dier- Pooser Co., Sacramento, in 1961. In 1963, he founded Pooser Lumber, retiring in 1989.

His widow, Isabelle, died five days later on Nov. 28 at age 78.

Frank Curran Jr., 83, former president of Frank Curran Lumber Co., Santa Ana, Ca., died of a heart attack Christmas Day in Orange, Ca.

Born in Los Angeles, Ca., he worked for E.K. Wood Lumber Co. and Homer Burnaby Lumber Co., Los Angeles, before joining his father at Frank Curran Lumber. He became yard superintendent in 1943 and president in 1956, retiring in 1968.

Formerly E.K. Wood Lumber Co. facilities, the company had yards in Orange, Huntington Beach and Capistrano Beach (now owned by Ganahl Lumber), Ca., by 1950.

CELEBRATING its 25th anniversary, the Los Anoeles Hardwood Lumberman's Club drew 80io its annual Christmas partv Dec. 9 at the Balboa Bay Club, Newpori Bdach, Ca.: (1) Mari[n & Jim Harff. (2)Jim & Shirley Cadwell, Doroihv & Don Reel.'(3)Janet & Riik O'Shea, Deniss& Alan Bohnholf. (4) Paul & Candace

Pendergast, Butch & Mari[n Pope. (5) Fred & June Jones, Dan & Jean Jones. (6) Ray & Lori Gomez. (7) Judy & Gale Daugherty, Gerry & Jack Millikan. (8) Cathy & Mike Rhoades. (9) Rose & Phil Darden, Jane & Wally Atkinson.

(10) Richard & Sheree Phillips, Lynette & Pat Walsh. (11) Mike & Linda Mackin. (12) Dick &

Pat Lambert. (13) Lisa Rains, Gilbert & Ana Tapia. (14) Lynne & Nathan Osborne, Elyse & Phillip Sarris. (15) Joyce & Walter Ralston.

(16) Katia Santiago, Ken Tinckler, Cilene & Howard Scott. (17) Randy & Marty Porter.

(18) Mark Michie, Cheryl Snyder, John Buchanan.

PressurG-treated wood

Itts right for our environment and right for all seasons.

Pressure,treated wood is a renewable and reusable construction resource. ltts safe, strong, durable, and economical. Itts the natural choice in all seasons. Itts right for our environment.

To order the brochure "Answers to Often-asked Questions about TreatedWood," caII (800) 356-AWPI American Wood Preservers Institute

OUTSIDE SALESPERSON(S) Wanted: Landmark Forest Products is looking for experienced outside salesperson(s) in the Los AngeleVSan Fernando Valley, Ca., areas. Be a part of our growing company. Excellent compensation & benefits plan. Six warehouse locations - All rail lines, many product lines. Lance Duke, (909) 888-6747; FAX 909-8855778.

LUMBER BROKER: Allen Forest Products Company, an established wholesale lumber company in the Portland, Or., metro area, is seeking one or more experienced commission traders with a broad customer base in western softwood products. All inquiries will remain confidential. Please respond to: Allen Forest Producs Company, J.V. Torgerson, Sales Manager, P.O. Box 130, Norrh Plains, Or.97133; FAX 503-647-5031.

Twenty-five (25) words for $23. Each additional word7og. phone number counts as one word. Address counts as six words. Headlines and centered copy ea. line, $6. Box numbers and special borders, $6 ea. Col. inch rate: $45 camera-rcady, $55 ifwe set the type. Names of advertisers using a box number cannot be released. Address replies to box number shown in ad in care of The Merchant Magazine, 45fi) Campus Dr., Suite 4E0, Newport Beach, Ca.92660. Make checks payable to The Merchant Magazine. Mail copy to above address, FAX to 714-852-O231 or call (714) 852-1990. Deadline for copy is the 20th ofthe month. PAYMENT MUST ACCOMPANY COPY unless you have established credit with us.

INDUSTRIAL.SPECIALTY BOARD and Lumber Salesperson(s) Wanted: Landmark Forest Products is looking for experienced industrial board and lumber salesperson(s). Be a part of our growing company. Excellent compensation & benefits plan. Six warehouse locationsAll rail lines, many product lines. Lance Duke, (909) 888-6747; FAX 909-885-5778.

g11:[591]i[,9,tg

PAN PACIFIC is seeking experienced wholesalers for our Bend and Eugene, Or., locations. We arc looking at panel specialsts, GDF Califomia specialists & Midwest SPF specialists, to name a few. Please contact John Eshleman at (503) 684-8375 to find out how ysg can be compensated at a higher rate than what you are now receiving. Have fun & make more money!

SALES/SERVICE Coordinator Wanted: Landmark Forest Products is looking for a person to backup, and to coordinate sales/service with our sales team. Be a part of our growing company. Excellent compensation & benehts plan. Six warehouse locations - All rail lines, many product lines. Lance Duke, (909) 88867 47 ; F AX 909-885-5778.

WEATHERED, TWISTED OR USED LUMBER. Plywood blows, used or trims. Carl Hanson, (619) 661-2510, FAX 619-6615547, San Diego, Ca.

WE WANT YOUR ORPHANS!

We will work on your adoptions of closeouts, misruns, overruns, discounted stock, weathered, down fall, used or forgotten in any species of panel or lumber product. Please Fax us all the details at 503-682-l4ll, Attention Ted or Steve. Will return to all by phone.

FOR SALE: Pressure Treating Plant. Two 6'x90'cylinders with quick opening doors. (209) 896-5005.

VINTAGE DOUGLAS FIR DECKING. 3"x4" 3'to 20'T&G DFfloor deck. Grade is equivalent to D Clear. Stock is over 100 years old and is in excellent condition. Manufactured to lay up as 4" thick floor. Price is $375/m F.O.B. Bend, Or. Deschutes Pine Sales, Inc., (8oo) 547-5660.

60'x100'xl0'

$ 13,981

Order Blank

CHARGES: $21.00 (25 word minimum) ........$23.00 .70 each additional word........... 6.00 per line for headline or centered copy ..._ 6.00 for special border........

6.00 for private box.............

TOTAL

(Column inch rate: $45 for camera ready copy; $55 if we set type) TO RUN: _ TIMES _ TILL FORBIDDEN

TRAVEL. You need a vacation! Princess Cruises to Alaska, Europe, Caribbean. Special rates for Merchant readers. Book by Feb. 14 and save. Rl Gavofto, IVA, l-(800) 919-9967.

LOCAL LUMBER hauling Southem California roller bed truck and trailers and bobtails radio dispatched. Rail car unloading at our spur in Long Beach, Ca. 3-C Trucking, (310) 4220426.

RrltU000 il$Pr8il||il $tnutcr

A Division of California Redwood Association

LumDsr cradrng h- I / Eureka lnsDecrion I l, lt f, l7o7lt44-toz4

-SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

LOS ANGELES AREA

GREATER SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

Colurbia Forest Products..............................

F|emont Foresl Prodrcb..............

Gemini Foresl Produc1s................................

Georgia-Pacific C,orp. (lndustry)..................

Geo4ia-Pacific Corp. (San Femando)........ Golden State Hardwmds..................,.........

Heppn6r Hadroods Inc..........-----,

Huft'Lihber co...:......-.....t4m1 3aiiiif

lnland Timber Co....

&nes Wholesale Lumber Co.

Lane Stanton Vance MacBoah Hafd$,ood

iviaimG; ft:..-: :.. -.:-. -.-...j(8m)'ilitd:6,i65

OrePac Millwod( Prcducts............................

Penbedry Lumber C,o..........(800) 229-2580

Precision Mill & Lumber Co. (21 31 849-3229

Profuct Sales Co.

San Antonio Rigid-Pole Construclion Co. .....

Southwest Pwood/l-umb€r(213) 63&9891

Toal Lumber C0......

Weyerhaeuser (Long Beach) ........................

Weyerhaeussr (Santa Clarita).......................

Bear Forest Producls

Georgia-Pacific (Riverside) ............................(909) 684-5353

Goldino Sullivan Lumber Sa|es......................(714) 557-5551

Hampt6n Lumber Sa|es..................................(71 41 752-5910

Hardie Building Products, James...................(800) 942-7343

Harduoo& Unlimited .....................................(909) 272-1000

Flfti:fif**Y:i:::::r:::(80q

11111i: tffi| $9f333

Prodtct Sales Co.................(800) 66&8680 (71 4) 998-8680

Profile Planino Mill.. .......(714) 546-9661

Reel Lumber Servics (OC) ..(s00) 675-7335 (71 41 632- 1 988 ..(800) 4)

Reel Lumbsr Service (Riverside) ...................(909) 781-0564

Rsgal Custom Millwork........(714) 76-1673 (71 41 ffi2-24f,8

Resinancorp......... .......(800) 258-8820

R.E. Truddng.......................18cfl. 22.-87 82 (909) 92&5871

San Antonio Rigki-Pole Construclion Co. ......(714) 5297790

South Bay Forett Produc{s co.......................(714) 637-5350

Tavlor Lurnber Servic€s .................................(909) 78$2094

Tn;ated Fo.est Prodrcts.................................(71 4i 5495840

Weber Plylvood & Lumber...(800) 4ip-7300 (71 4) 2591 1 00

Weinig, Miciael...... .......(909) 46S1385

Weyeihaeuser (Anaheim) ..............................(71 4l n2-580

Weysfiaeuser (Fontana).....(8m) 647-762 (909) 87-6100

Dixieline Lumber Co

Lano Stanton Vance

Manin grohers Wholesde Lumbsr Co.

O1€Pac Millwod( PFducb............................. Woyoftaeuser Co.

& Co.. J.H.....

Lumber Co. Chemonite Cnuncil.

DMK Pacific Coe. (Fremml)........................

Georgia-Pacilic CoD. (Oaldand)

Georgia-Pacific Cop. (San Jose).................. Greens Products. Co....................

Ho.izon Forest Producls........--.-.....-..-.-... ARCATA / EUREKA / FORTUIIA

Redwood Co

lntematimal.

Lumber Co.

River Sawtrills...

Kelleher CorD. Kelleher Corp.

Lane Stantm MacBea$ Hard$ood (8ed<eley)

MacBeah Hardwood (San Francisco) (No. Ca.) Pacific Forost Produch Primesourco Inc. Bedwood Empire Redwood Inspeclion SeMce......................... Weyariaeuser C0................(800) 672-2130 White Brothers........

NORTHERN & CENTRAL CALIFORNIA-

Calilomia Builders Supdy Capitol P|yvJood...............

Maneu. Sacramento)

Corp

Redwood Co..

Hard!,voods.......

Lumber Co. (Scolia)........................... Redwood Forest Produc|s............................

Redwood Inspeciion Servic€............... rieu a Wtghilni.

Simpson Timber C,o.

Lausmann Lumber & Moulding Co.....

Louisiana-Pacifi c...................:...........:::::::::.:, M&M Builders SuDoly

MiGPacific Tradiriri fu

Mokelumne River Forest Products

MDF

Suoerior Wood

Ca.) (8m) 841-8978

Union Ranino I union Planino Mill... ffi t ld;d;i FrcdilG: ---.lsml Z4d"iiilii

Universal Forest Products...(800) 488{826

Waldron Forest Products.....................

Weyerhaeuser Co................(800)

River Lumber C0. ................................(916) 6235561

TumdcLumberco.. .......(916) 221{491

SACFAMEilTO / STOCKTON AFEA

Berdex Intemational.............(800) 627-5319 (916) 921-9866

Builders Pre-Stain, Inc....................................(800) 26&81 30

BMD ....................... ......(209) 74s-3001

Bowman Lumber Sales.............-.....-..-........(916) 873-6243

C.J. Wholesale Redlvood Lunber Co.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST

BINNDRS'GUNDB

OREGON

Mesa Forssl Products ....................................(541 ) 385-041 5

Pan Pacific Forest Products...........................(800) z/&8131

Reid & Wight, Inc. .. .......(800) 388-2608

EUGENE / SPRINGFIELD

Baxter & Co.. J.H.....

Eagle Veneer, Inc....

Gemini Forest Products..............................,

Georoia-Pacilic Coo

Lumbbr Products.....

Maks Wood Products Co.......................

McFarland Cascade Seneca Sawmill Co...,.

McMlt{NVILLE / SALEM

D Stake Mill Inc. ............(800)

Univelsal Forest Producls (Woodbum)..........(503)

Wllamette lndustries (Albany)........................(503)

IIEDFORD / GRANTS PASS

Allw€ather Wood Treaters..............................(800)

FourPlv. Inc.................... ...... ........................(800)

Lunb€i Products............................................(5031

Triple R Wholesale ($hile Cty).....................(5,41)

Wagn€r Electronics..............(800) 944-7078 (503)

GREATER PORTTAND AREA

874-2241

Herbed Lumber Co. (Riddle)..........................(5411 87 +2236

Kellerlumberoo. .........(503) 672-6528

WASHINGTON

SEATTLE /TACOTIA AREA

Weyerhaeuser (Seaile)......(800) 562-0908 (206) 854-3550

Weterhaeuser (Tamma)....(8m) 562-3960 (206) 924-2345

SPOKANE Colville hdian Precision Pine Co (Ornk)......(509) 82e5927

Georgia-Pacific Corp ......(509) 535'2947

VANCOUVER AREA

Allweather Wood Treaters (Washougal) ........(800) 777'8134

Gram Lumber/ Beaver Lumber (Kalama)......(360) 67$5231

RSG Forest Products (Kalarna)......................(360) 673-5551

ANCHORAGE

ALASKA

PGL Building Products...................................(907) 562'21 31

HOI{OLULU / MAUI

HAWAII

Hawaii Wood Preserving Co. .........................(808)

EAX to 714-852-0231

or call (714) 852-1990 or mail to 4500 Campus Dr., Suite 480, Newport Beach, Ca.92660.

The Merchant Magazine - January 1996

For more information on products or companies (see list at right), circle the appropriate Reader Service FAX Response number(s):

For more information from advertisers, use FAX Response nwnbers in brackets.

American Wood Preservers Institute [l3 8] 4f

Anfinson Lumber Sales [11f ]......................,17

Advantage Business Computer Systems t1121 ...........................................19

Baxter, J.If. t1451 ................,..,,.........Cover IV

Bean Lumber Co., Curt [110]....,...................E

Berkot Manufacturing Co. t1391 .................42

Bracut International [133] ...,......,................34

Britt Lumber tf091.....

Business Card Ads .....,,......,........................,.32

California Forest Products, Inc. U311.,,..,...31

Calfall Bros. Forest Products t1M].,.............3

Capital Lumber Co. [01] ...............,.,.Cover I

3-C Trucking t1421........................................46

Coastal Lumber Co. [2E].,...................,.,.,..42

Colville Indian Precision Pine Co. tf 181.....24

Fontana Wholesale Lumber, Inc. [120'1.,,.,..25

Gemini Forest Products tl291......................30

Georgia-Pacilic I1061 .........................,............5

Haase Industries (Magnetic Push Broom) t1321..................-.-.-....-.-.......J

Hampton Lumber Sales.................,...,........,,21

Herbert Lumber Co. [23].........,.,...............26

Honolulu Wood Treating U371....................39

Hoover Treated Wood Products [102] Cov. II

Huff Lumber Co. [141].................................45

Keller Lumber Co. [135] ..............................38

Landmark Forest Products [108] ...........,..,...7

MacBeath Hardwood Co. [103].........Cover II

Mallco Lumber & Bldg. Materials [127]....30

Martin Forest Products [143] ..........Cover III

Parr Lumber Co. If 19]...................,.............25

Product Sales Co. If 05]...................................4

QB Corp. U171..............................................A

Redwood Coast Lumber Co. [124].........,....n

Comments? We welcome your ideas about particular articles, the magazine, or news of your company (promotions, new hires, expansions, acquisitions, etc.):

R. E. Trucking tl151 .....................................22

Ridgeline Systems [122]........................,.....,,26

SCR, Inc. t10T ................................................6

Siskiyou Forest Products U40l ....................43

Swan Secure I1251..................,,..............,...,..27

Taylor Lumber Services Ill3l ............,..,.....20

Thunderbolt Wood Treating [144]..Cover III

Triple R Wholesate [34]..............................38

Utah Wood Preserving [126]........................30

Waldron Forest Products I1361 ............,.,....39

Western Wood Preserving Co. U161.......,...23

lVood Fiber Products tl141..........................22

Thenextl00years

hen ownership of J.H. Baxter passed into the hands of the Baxter family's fourth generation, we adopted a new philosophy based on a simple question:

Wat are our customers'needs?

It's true that we have a rich tradition of customer servlce il1 our 100-year history but we're not the same company we were a century ago. In fact, we're not the same company we were yesterday. At J.H. Baxter, that's how success is measuredby meeting your needs better than the day before.

Sure, it's fun to look back. The U.S. forest products industry had barely been born 100 years ago when Baxter lumber schooners began sailing up and doum the West Coast. That's when the Baxter family business originally became an industry leader. After generations of prudent investment in nature's most renewable resource, our ongoing dedication and effective management of company timberlands continue to provide financial strengh and stability for generations to come.

But J.H. Baxter refuses to rest on its laurels. We believe that our continued success depends on giving you technically advanced treating options. service, reliability, and quality products. We also offer value-added services tailored to your needs.

Timber Management, Wood Treatment, and Chemical Licensing.

Our long-term success in these areas is the direct result of insisting that all business relationships be based on integrity, qualiry customer service, and value. That's the only way we do business.

The natural beautu of

we're proud of the long-term relationships and durability nids in we've developed with our customers. And we're the lohn Balshore

proud of the diverse interests our customers rep-

resent from designers to end users. But we're most proud of the fact that you trust us to help you meet your unique wood-preserving needs.

You are the people we keep in focus. To whom we dedicatethe next 100 years.

Petaluma, CA.

California's unique Shoreline Amphitheater utilizes n uariety of l.H.Baxter treated wood.

Today, J.H. Baxter's industry leadership spans three primary businesses-

TimberlVood' Iight standards beautifu the Olympic Training Centr near San Diego.

The Elitch Gardens Twister Il roller coaster in Denaer uas built with select structural Douglas Fir treated by J.H. Baxter.