The deolet's Sttpplierrr neaet his cottlpetito'r.

by BOB McBRIEN executive vice president of the Lumber Merchqnls Associotion of

THE OLD ADAGE "Youth wilt be serued,,, has never been more r true. But in the immediate future it will be of increasing importance and those who may disbelieve can expect to sufier foi their ignorance.

We hear a lot about what can be expected in the construction industry in the early years of the 2000's when we must build homes equal in number to all those in existence today, but how often do we realize that we'll be building and selling these homes to the younger generation persons under 25 years of age?

MERGHAT|TS must chance

Statistics "ul o" o*,"* but keep in lfutT'.",lrTdnt'fili mind that by 1975 some 48 million Ameri- McBrien warns. cans will be in the 18-34 age bracket and over half of the pro- jected 206 million population will be 25 or under. And this has real meaning to the retail lumber dealer as well as all other modern-day merchants, * :y * what all this means i, ,i., *J n"u i"rr", giu" a lot of thought about how to reach this market bv 1970. These future customers will expect and demand credit, they will shop only in well illuminated and stocked stores, they will seek maintenance-free materials and they will buy items which provide immediate service and luxurY' * *. *

MEET DON CAMERON. Don's a veteran of nearly 16 years at the building materials order desk with Inland. He's in touch daily with dealers offering the best in building materials supplied by Inland. Don's sawy can help you put your finger on what you're looking for. He's your buddy, give him a call. He's the dealer's supplier, never his competitor.

There isn't a doubt that the younger generation is a ,,difierent breed of cat." They show it daily by theii actions-some of which, unfortunately, produce newspaper headlines. Their values are frequently different from ours and they show few if any inhibitions when it comes to buying something new in clothing, music, etc.

The younger generation's approach to day-to-day living can and probably will be as different from ours as the difference which exists today in comparison with the 1890,s. New products, methods and materials have produced this difference jusi as these same items will produce even greater change in the coming year. And, I might add, that the ideas will be more quickly and i""aity accepted than new ideas in lh. py. *

Perhaps the biggest factor we should consider in lookine at the youtl market is their lack of 'ohistorical attachment.,, toduy's youth market doesn't do things or buy things because thlir parents did. And they haven't built up a loyalty to a given firm because their parents dealt with the firm for years.

The modern merchant must aim at this youth market. He must go out after it. He must serve it with new emphasis. And most of all, he must understand it and be willing to change his business to accommodate it. r * *

The business will be there and the successful merchants will have a swinging time!

By FRANK DAVIS SecretaryManager

rnHE AS5()(:IATIO\ is plurrnirrg arr {p_l_ pleciali,rn Ltttrchr',rtt [,'r s,,me ll assor:iate mtmbt'rs irt I't'brttarr'. 'l-ht' luncheon has a two-fold I)ul'pose.

First. tht' Alizorra associatiotr's appreciation of tlrt' mallv wholt'salt'rs antl mattufallrtt,'t's. trlt,, :rll)lx,r'l ()ttt' it:s.( iiltion.

Secondlr'. the plogram will bc rlt'veloped around an op('n fttt'um tlist'rtssitttt. based ott the buildirrg material irt<lrtstrl-'s ploblcms: and how tht' relailels arrd ultrrlt'salers r:an wurk mort' t:losell logt'tht'r in soh'inlr thcm. 'Ilrt' information gatltelt'tl in tlre meeting will be passt'cl ott lo orrl mtrrkt'tirrg- t'ommittee [or thcm to clis<'rrss untl folmulate plan-s to put tltt'm iuto at'lion.

'fhc malketing committec. crhailmanecl br'.\r't'\lason" plan their met'tine for' t'arl1- this motrtlt itr Tucson. Since the association's marketing t'ommiltee has onllbeen in operation for sir months. yortrs Inrly has becn studying marketing committees of otlrt'r' associations" in order- to establish guidelines for our committee. The main obiectivt: t'stablislrt'd at this point is to promote a tol) man[g-em('l)t conference. probably in latt' fall. \['t are presently discussing this proglam with a national manufar:turer. wlto is intcrt'stt'd in promoting a seminar {or ortt' mt'mbt'rs.

New Members

'l'wo nerv associate members weI'e addctl to our membership list in January. Tht'y alt' Consolidated Roo{ing antl Supplr- Co. and lllue Diamond-Flintkote Co." both lravt' oflices in Phoenix.

I)r't'sidt'nt Rob Hor-r attended a Tucsort area <lealt'rs mt'eting on January 23. where industrl' a<'tivitics lvert' discussed. Along u ith tht' 'l'ucson visit" he and yours truly visited ollrtr m('mb('r yards in the southt'rn antl ('rst('rtl rt;tt'l of t.lrt' State.

Retoilers in Awords Roce

Four western lumber dealers are finalists in the Rrand Names Forrndation Retail' er-of-the-Yt'ar Awarcls competition. Winners will l',' rnnount'ed this spring.

lncludcd are Bestway Building Center, Yakima. Wash.; Bonanza Home Center, Campbcll" Calif.; Nlinton's I-umber & Sup' ply, Nlountain Vieu'. Calif.; and the Westside Lumher Co.. Colorado Springs, Colo' rado.