Quolity Weslern Cedqr Products STARTING IANUARY 1

ware; Doug Strubberg, seasonal, and Bill Little, kitchen, bath & plumbing.

Three to five buyers will report to each merchandise manager, with plans to add five to seven assistant buyers.

Robert S. Islinger, his position as senior v.p.-marketing & strategic planning eliminated, is leaving the firm.

The Kansas City, Mo.-based firm operates 159 stores in 19 states, under the names Payless Cashways, Furrow, Lumberjack, Hugh M. Woods, Knox Lumber and Contractor Supply.

Gloseout Unit Reconsidered

Ken Thurman, owner of Thurman's Pay 'n Pak, Wenatchee, Wa., is reconsidering plans to incorporate a Home Center Liquidators outlet into the same building.

Thurman, who also owns Bothell, Wa.-based chain Thurman Industries and Home Center Liquidators stores in Everett and Bellingham, Wa., had planned to open the new store early this year in 10,000 sq. ft. of the blocklong building which housed Pay 'n Pak's hardware department. Hardware was relocated to a more central location as part of a $250,000 remodel that squeezed the 50,000-sq. ft. store into 40,000 sq. ft.

Yet the owner now worries about possible competition between the two stores, and may lease the space to an outside tenant. No matter who moves in, a doorway connecting the two stores is being walled off.

Boise Cascade Restructures

As part of a restructuring anticipated to save the company $70 million next year, Boise Cascade Corp. will sell certain timberlands, close its paper research and development center in Portland, Or., and lay off 400 of its 22,400 employees.

A majority of the jobs eliminated will be in manufacturing and at Boise, Id., headquarters.

Headwaters Deal Stalls

Pacific Lumber Co. abruptly broke off negotiations to sell the Headwaters Forest, claiming that the government's demands could put it out of business.

The proposed $480 million deal for the state and federal governments to acquire approximately 10,000 acres, about half of it old growth redwoods, had been two years in the making.

"It means that negotiations are at a stalemate," said Palco's Mary Bullwinkel. "It doesn't mean that it's all over."

Mixed Dealers Least Profitable

Lumber dealers trying to serve both consumers and contractors were the least profitable of participants in the National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association's 1999 Cost of Doing Business Survey.

At the end of 1997, the typical dealer member reported sales of $8,719,600, produced a pre-tax profit of $174,392, and committed$3,027,639 in assets to the business, resulting in a return on assets of 5.87o.

Contractor-oriented dealers, which were by far the largest component of the survey, had the lowest gross margins of any segment, providing a return on assets of 6.6Vo. Consumer-oriented firms had a return of 7 .3Vo.

All sales and margin figures for mixed dealers were in between the other two groups. However, their operating expenses were relatively high and, as a result, profitability suffered, producing the lowest profit margin and return on assets.

Lattice Creator Making Waves

Bud Griffith, an Aromas, Ca., inventor, got into the lattice business in a unique way by building his own specialty saw. The 16' device sports a bird cage that houses four band saws that cut in different directions to produce wavy patterned slats.

Griffith and his son, Greg, build gazebos, arbors, trellises and room dividers with the lattice slats and market their finished products under their business, Wavy Lattice Co.

When asked about his invention, Griffith replies with a chuckle: "I just dreamed it up. I looked into buying my own machine to cut curves, but the cost was too high. So, I built one of my own instead."

"The inventive part is steering the saw blades," he continues. "We turn the blade instead of turning the wood."

Griffith currently holds two patents, one for the design and look of the lattice, the other for the machine. He hopes to build a second machine sometime in the future that will enable him to sell his products to lumber and hardware stores.

"It took me two years to build this machine," he says. "Until now, curvy boards were unheard of. This machine is the future."

Producers Eye Treaty Loopholes

After successfully defeating pre-drilled studs' exemption, the U.S. Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports is targeting other exceptions to the U.S.-Canada Softwood Lumber agreement, such as notched lumber, rough-faced lumber and alleged misclassification of lumber by province of origin.

On Dec. 16, a judge declared that imports of pre-drilled studs will continue to be included in quotas set under the treaty. The judge also ruled, though, that Customs did not allow 60 days for public comments when on July I it revoked drilled studs' exemption to the treaty. As a result, shipments made before July I and up to 60 days after would not count against mills' quotas.

Canadian officials are considering an appeal, but admitted that time is running out, since the pact expires March 31.2001.

Famed Crab Feed Nears

The Humboldt Hoo-Hoo Club's 27th annual Crab Feed is set for Jan. 2l atthe Eureka Inn, Eureka, Ca.

The event has become so popular over the years its attendance has to be limited to 300 for dinner.

The night before, the Black Bart Hoo-Hoo Club will hold its annual Industry Night at the Broiler Steak House, Redwood Valley, Ca.

Plastic Lumber Plant In West Trex Co., LLCwill build a 150,000-sq. ft. manufacturing plant in Fernley (near Reno), Nv., to provide composite decking to the West.

Set to open in the fall, the plant initially will operate two production lines, increasing the company's production by 25Vo, according to manufacturing manager Dave Jordan, who heads up the site selection team.

The facility should eventually more than double capacity by expanding to 200,000 sq. ft. and from 50 ro approximately 200 employees.

Based in Winchester, Va., Trex has seen its sales increase from $3.5 million in 1993 to $24.1 million in 1997. Its composite lumber is distributed to more than 2,000 lumberyards-up from 500 three years ago-by 55 wholesale distributors.

Growth From New Coatings

U.S. coatings demand is forecast to increase 2.5Vo annually to 1.3 billion gallons worth $17.4 billion in the year 2002, predicts the Freedonia Group.

Traditional low solids, solventbased coatings will continue to be replaced by low- or non-solvent coatings. Reformulation efforts center on reducing VOC emissions and pigments' lead and heavy metal content.

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John Judy, pres., American Intemational Forest Products, has been named president and ceo of Forest City Trading Group, Portland, Or. Craig Johnston has been promoted to succeed him. Milan Stoyanov is now chairman of the board of Forcst City.

Harold Leppo, retail consultant, is new to the board of Home Base, Irvine, Ca.

Jack Taylor has been appointed v.p.western timberlands operations for Weyerhaeuser Co., Federal Way, Wa. Richard J. Taggart is v.p. and treasurer, succeeding David R. Edwards, who is retiring after 30 years.

Ross Cooley is the new marketing department mgr. for Cooley Forest Products, Phoenix, Az. In additipn to new product development, he will also promote TimberTech wood composite decking and their Cactus Pine line of pine pattem stock.

Dan Mclntire is new to industrial and specialty products sales at SierraPacific Industries, Anderson, Ca.

Daniel lligman, co-founder, co-owner, & chief financial officer, Reliable Wholesale Lumber, Inc., Huntington Beach, Ca., has retired after 28 years. Son David Higman will assume his father' s responsibilities.

Francesca Luzuriaga and Rakesh Gangwal have been elected to the board of directors for Boise Cascade Corp., Boise, Id.

Pete Reyneke has been named sales mgr. for Pacific Crest Lumber Co., Winlock, Wa.

David Miller is now Orange County, Ca., rep for Michael Weinig, Inc.

Dave Lindanger is new to agricultural products sales at Eugene Forest Products, Eugene, Or.

Andy Bliss is new to Isoboard Enterprises Inc.'s Portland, Or., global sales and marketing office.

Derek Sampson has transfered to Furman Lumber Co.'s Lake Oswego, Or., office, where he is buying dimension lumber.

John Bottini is the new sales mgr. at Union Planing Mill, Stockton, Ca. George Little is now operations mgr. at their wholesale yard.

Mike Young, previously with Burrill Studs, is the new sales mgr. at Mayr Brothers, Hoquiam, Wa.

Don Smith, general sales mgr., Sun Studs, Inc., Roseburg, Or., has left the firm.

Sharon Mason has joined the sales team at Hanel Lumber Co.. Hood River. Or.

Tim Tucker has been named store mgr. at Home Depot, Lancaster, Ca. Tony Klein is mgr. of the new ldaho Falls, Id.. location.

Lance Kummer is new to Premier Wood Floors, handling distribution support for all locations of Virginia Hardwood in Califomia, Nevada and Arizona.

Dr. Dennis Dykstra, director, Center for International Forestry Research, has been named chairman of the Tropical Forest Foundation, succeeding Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, founding chairman, who has retired after eight years.

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Kevin Farnsworth is the new store mgr. of Lumberjack Building Materials, Phoenix. Az.

Dan Rue, Mid-Pacific Trading Co., Inc., Rancho Cordova, Ca., is back from a Caribbean vacation in St. Thomas. Margaret Fenner is expecting her third child in June.

Robert Tippett is now mgr. of software development for Distribution Management Systems Inc. Kevin Ilughes is a new industry marketing specialist.

Paul Sliter, Sliters Ace Hardware, Somers, Mt., was re-elected to a third term in the State kgislature.

Scott Douglas taught a Michael Weinig, Inc.-sponsored fall moulder/grinder class completed by Abel Corral, David Montgomery, Erick Heredia, Frank Popping, Kevin Padilla, Jorge Mendoza, Shawn Crossan, Ricardo Paque, Adalberto Barajas, Daryl Durham, Bill Ray, Samuel Monzon and Scott Ortiz.

Don Abel Jr., Don Abel Building Supply, Juneau, Ak., was narrowly defeated in his run for the State Senate, despite winning 10 of 19 precincts.

Chuck Buell, Huttig Building Materials, Auburn, Wa., was named PACCAR Leasing Co.'s Driver of the Year for 1998, after driving 1.6 million miles in 28 years without an accident or a ticket.

Miss N. Dowd is in charge of silicone sales at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., report owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy tr'ungus.

News Briefs

(Continuedfrom p. 18)

Lafarge Corp. acquired a Seattle, Wa., cement plant from Holnam ... Search North America, Portland, Or., has relocated to Sunriver, Or. ...

Tivoli Industries, Santa Ana, Ca., and is joint venture company Targetti USA, LLC appointed a9 its distributor for Nv. Integrated Luminary Alliance, headed by Stephen He'rman

European softtvood lumber imports are expected to slip l.3%o this year, according to participants in the European Softwood Conference

Scons Co. plans to close most of its U.S. composting operations, divest its AgrEvo pesticides division and cut its workforce in Britain by 2OVo

Americans are forecast to purchase a record 5.6 million existing and new single family homes in 1998 c.e.o. confidence dropped to its lowest level in seven years, according to a Conference Board poll of over 150 executives outdoor power equipment sales rose SVo last vear to 7.7 million units

Stone Container Corp. major shareholders are seeking to block the company's planned merger with Jefferson Smurfit Corp. ... International Solid Surface Fabricators Association has released the industry's first performance standard for solid surface ...

Anniversaries: Columbia Lighting, Spokane, Wa., l00th Morgan Creek Forest Products, Windsor, Ca., 7th New Web sites: Groff Lumber Ca., Bernalillo, N.M., www.grofflumber. com ... Cooley Forest Products, Phoenix, Az., www. cooleyfolpro.com.

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