Name Change For Hickson

Arch Chemicals plans to rename its newly acquired pressure treated wood preservative manufacturer Hickson International, Atlanta, Ga., to Arch Wood Protection, Inc.

The Norwalk, Ct.-based coatings and chemicals firm purchased the company in August.

Arch Wood Protection plants in Georgia, Washington and Indiana supply chemicals for Wolmanized pressure treated wood, Wolmanized Extra water repellent lumber, Wolmanized Natural Select wood, Dricon fire retardant treated wood and Outdoor wood.

Embezzlement lm pai rs Zi ggy's

A former controller of Ziggy's, Spokane, Wa., has begun serving a 33-month federal prison sentence for embezzling $1.2 million from the six-unit chain.

Despite the jail time, however, the deceit wrought by Guy C.J. Marshall, 45, will continue to haunt Ziegler Lumber for some time. According to court-filed papers, the l2-year employee began bilking his employer in 1994.

Never in his "most extreme imagination" could Vern Ziegler envision such a crime being perpetrated against the business he founded 35 years ago. Investigators said Marshall wrote himself checks on the Ziegler account, using the money to pay his bills, fund a $70,000 wedding reception and buy over $l 10,000 in home electronics.

Though the company bank account was reviewed monthly by the owners, Marshall was careful not to include the embezzled checks in each statement. "He fooled everyone," said Neil Ziegler, v.p. and chief financial officer.

Marshall continued to siphon funds until shortly before his resignation Jan. 11, 1999, say court papers. Family members believe Marshall resigned because a newly installed computerized bookkeeping program would have exposed his crimes. He subsequently confessed to his attorney, who reported the matter to the U.S. Attorney's office.

Vern Ziegler said the actual cost of the embezzlement is roughly $2 million, and has resulted in layoffs and reduced profirsharing bonuses, the latter a 35-year-old tradition in which 20Vo of the firm's annual profits are shared with employees. "The loss of operating funds has obviously put Ziegler Lumber in a more tenuous financial position," he said. "We have been cutting labor expenses for the past two years due to an erosion of our sales volumes."

Upon completing his sentence, Marshall will face a fiveyear probation and restitution of $1,1 19,059.

Big Box Hard Hat Bill Proposed

Legislation has been proposed by two Massachusetts representatives that would require customers and employees to wear hard hats while inside warehouse retailers such as Home Depot, Lowe's and Wal-Mart.

"Sprawlbuster" Al Norman helped craft the bill, which pertains to stores that stock merchandise more than l0 ft. above the ground and operate heavy equipment. "It's all part of telling the story about what these big box retailers are doing," he said. "One of the many ways Wal-Mart holds down prices is to have less need for warehouses because they've chosen to put the warehouse over the head of you, at your risk."

Some store merchandise only can be reached by forklift, which reportedly has led to numerous injuries and deaths nationwide. A Denver lawyer who specializes in cases involving falling merchandise said Depot gets 185 claims a week. The firm said most claims are not injury related.