NEWS tsR[EFS

Retailer profitability during the Bicentennial Year looks strong, especially in hardware and housewares items (see editorial, p 6). . .the National Housewares Expo had a 12% hike in attendance, nearly 20,000 buyers putting their money where their mouth is. . .GE predicts a 6%7% increase in small appliance sales in'76...

Newly formed companies include: Western Cedar Products, Everett, Wa.;Gilbert Forest Prod' ucts, Lake Oswego, Or.; Santiam' Midwest Lumber Co., Salem, Or.; Village Lumber Co., Cambria, Ca.; Western Empire Forest Products, Eugene, Or. . .Pecos Valley Lumber and A. C. Houston Lumber, Roswell, N.M., will now be known as Pecos ValleyHouston Home Center.

Maywood-Anderson Forest Products, Eugene, Or., has been formed as the buying arm for Maywood, Inc., the big Texas door, shutter and millwork firm.

Mt. Scott Retail Yard. Sutherlin, Or., has been purchased bY Mike Kesner. .Gregory's Home Center, Eugene, Or., has been purchased by Gordon Rosenberg who plans to change the name of the businessto "Nail Keg".

Mentor Corp., Englewood, Co., said its wholly-owned Uni' versity Park Lumber Co. has completed buying United Lum' ber and Merchantile, Glenwood Springs, Co., no price revealed.

Handy Dan Home Centers, City of Commerce, Ca., has agreed to purchase the remaining 50% intercst in its 5 Phoenix, Az., Angels stores for $3.75 million...

Former Pay 'N Pak president John M. Headley has changed the name of two former Pay

'N Pak units transferred to him at the time of his resignation to "Yardbirds".' the units are in Vallejo and Santa Rosa, Ca.

Preston Lumber Co., Preston, Id., has been purchased by mgr. W. Krent Hobbs. .Schellville llood Products is the new name for the old Schellville Mill & Lumber, Sonoma, Ca.; new owners are Bob O'Brien and Emery Hunt. .final price on the acqui- sition of Portland's Consumer Building Marts, Inc. by Erb Lumber, Birmingham, Mi., was $2.8 million.

Dant & Russell's dry stud operation at the S&G plant at Athena, Or., near Pendleton, is projected to produce 25 million ft. of studs in '76. . -Boise Cas' cade says it's talking with Pack River Co., Spokane, Wa., concerning BC purchase of Avery Bros. Lumber's mill at Kettle Falls, Wa. ?ope & Talbot plan a 2nd shift at their expanded Oakridge, Or., mill. .

Copeland Lumber has an OK to rebuild its Forest Grove, Or., store after it was heavily damaged in a $250,000 Dec. fire;plans are to raze the site, build a 4,500 sq. ft. office and a 12,600 sq. ft. warehouse. .Kiper and Kiper Lumber Co., Squaw Valley, Ca., suffered $25,000 mill bldg./ equipment loss in a recent fire. .

U.S. Plywood has gone to a dealer only policy (with rare exceptions) in the 13 Western states, according to Western mgr. "Hank" Richards. .an American Plywood Assn. test program to increase aggressive plywood merchandising is currently on in San Diego, Ca., and Houston, Tx.

Glulam beams, columns and over 100,000 sq. ft. of laminated decking are featured in con-

The illerchant Magazlne struction of a 5-story, heavy timber bldg. at Stanford U., Palo Alto, Ca. .more pvc pipe price jumps are expected in the next 30 days; observers say hikes are due to new federal standards affecting mfgrs., rather than increased demand. .

The common stock of The Pacific Lumber Co. is now trading on the New York Stock Exchange for the first time, ticker symbol: PL. .a touring $oup of Australian lumbermen plan a Mar. l, visit to Southern Lumber Co., San Jose, Ca.

Pby 'N Save Corp., Seattle, plans to open a new home center/drug store/nursery in Anchorage, Ak., this spring; they have another unit in Fairbanks, Ak. . .Goodman Lumber Co., San Francisco, plans to put 25,000 sq. ft. of its outside lumber storage atea under cover this year. . Jackson Lumber, Jackson Hole, Wy., will triple its present store space with its new 5,600 sq. ft. addition, set for a Spring Grand Opening. .

Dec. housing starts (latest available figs.) were a disappointing 3% below Nov., ending the worst consftuction year in 29 years; total housing production, including mobile homes, was 1.38 million, down 17% from '74. . .despite the declines, experts feel conditions in demand, mortgage $$ and consumer confidence are now good enough to hope for 1.7 -1.8 million starts this year.

Manufactured Housing Institute forecasts '76 production of 290,700 units, up from last year's 2l4,OO0 units. . .the 3rd quarter of'75 brought a strong resurgence of profits to bldg. products mfgrs., according to F. W. Dodge, which also notes that construction mtl. and labor costs across the U.S. rose an avg. of 9.3% last year, about the same as the year previous to that.

Truck drivers know all the best spots . . and that's where Kimberly-Clark ranks. Our loading crews are on hand from 7:00 a.m. to midnight five days a week, with a big supply of strapped and wrapped lumber, and a deft way with a lift truck. You pull into KimberlyClark, and in no time you're on your way with a warm heart and a glow of satisfaction.

We're big on mixed loads and overnight service. In fact, if your destination's within a radius of 500 miles and you can get your truck here before 5:00 p.m., we can practically promise you its unloading will be the first order of the day.

Next time you have a yen to get into fast company, remember Kimberly-Clark.

Kimbedq,Clark

(Forest Products Division)

ANDERSON, CALIFORNIA 96007

PHONE: (LUMBER SALES MANAGER) (916) 365-7661

P.O. BOX 697

RHINOHIDE SALES . PHONE: (916) 246-4888

MOULDING & MILLWORK PHONE: (916) 36s-2910

PONDEROSA PINE SUGAR PINE WHITE FIR DOUGLAS

FIR.INCENSE CEDAR. MOULDINGS. JAMBS. DOOR

FRAI"4ES CUT STOCK PROVIDED SOLID AND FINGER

JOINTED, NATUBAL, MILL-PRIMED, VINYL OVERLAY

MARENISCO, MICHIGAN

PHONE: (906) 787-2233

HAFD N4APLE. SOFT MAPLE. BIRCH. SOFT GRAY ELM

BASSWOOD. ASH. BEECH. NORTHERN HEMLOCK

NORTHERN WHITE PINE . DRY KILNS PLANING MILL AND DllvlENSlON CUT STOCK.

GOODWATER, ALABAMA

PHONE: (205) 839.6368

PIED[,4ONT PINE. SOUTHERN YELLOW PINE