Set Your Sights on UALTTY

Lumber Association of Southern CaliforniaFeb. l4-16. board of directors and general membership meeting, Ojai Valley Inn and Country ClUb, Ojai. Ca.

Dubs Ltd.Ieb. 15. lunrbermen's golf rournantent no. 366. Pitchy Selects. Peacock Gap, San Rafael, Ca.

Los Angeles Hoo-Hoo Club - Feb. 15, Valentine's Day dinner dance, Luminarias Restaurant, Montery Park, Ca.

Oakland-East Bay Hoo-Hoo Club - Feb. 19, nreeting. Francesco's Restaurant, Oakland, Ca.

Wood Moulding & Millwork ProducersFeb. 20-23, annual meeting, Pointe West, Phoenix, Az.

National Building Material Distributors AssociationFeb. 20-24, business perpetuation and estate planning workshops. McCormick Inn. Scottsdale. Az.

Montana Building Material Dealers' AssociationFeb. 2l-23, annual convention, Colonial Motor Inn. Helena.

Northwest Hardwood AssociationFebruar-v 2l-23, gracling school, nreeting roonr, International Paper Cabinet Division. Longview. Wa.

Black Bart Hoo-Hoo ClubFeb. 22. industry night, tour (begins at I p.m.) of new Georgia-Pacific milll dinner 6:59 p.m.. Ft. Bragg, Ca.

San Joaquin Valley' Hoo-Hoo Club No. 3lFeb. 22. ladies night. Roger Rocka's Good Conrpany Music Hall. 1226 N. Wishon Ave.. Fresno. Ca.. "Fiddler orr the Roof'."

Western States Hardware ShowFeb. 24-26. Brooks Flall. Civic Center. San Francisco. Ca.

California Retail Hardware AssociationFeb. 24-26. convention and show. Brooks Ilall, Civic Center. and Golden Gateway Floliday Inn, San Francisco. Ca.

Intermountain AssociationFeb. 24-26. convention. Covey's Little Anrerica, Salt Lake City. Ut.

Humboldt Hoo-Hoo Club No. 63Feb. 28. crab feed. Eureka Inn. Eureka. Ca.

March

American Wholesale Hardware Co.March 2. sales galaxy, Exhibition Flall, Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach. Ca.

National Home Center/Home lmprovement Congress & ExpoMar. 2-5, 5th annual nreeting, Dallas Convention Center. Dallas. Tx.

Lumber Association of Southern CaliforniaMar. 5. Second Growth dinner, llyatt House Hotel, City of Commerce. Ca.

Dubs Ltd.Mar. 14, lunrbermen's golf tournamenl no. 367, Claremont Country Club. Call Knute Weidman @15) 342-4178 for directions.

Oakland-East Bay Hoo-Hoo ClubMar. 18, redwood night, place to be announced.

Western Wood Products Assn.Mar. t8-21. annual spring meeting, St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco, Ca.

April

Los Angeles and Orange County Hoo-Hoo Clubs - April, date to be announced. conrbined nreeting.

Humboldt Hoo-Hoo Club No. 63 - April ll. ladies night. nlace to be announced.

Oakland-East Bay Hoo-Hoo Club - April 15. to be announced.

Hardwood Plywood Manufacturers Association - April l6-18. spring convention, Mills I Iouse. Charleston. S.C.

Dubs Ltd. - Apr. 18, lumbermen's golf tournament No. 369, Contra Costa Country Club. Pleasant Hill, Ca.

FRANK DAVIS executive vice president

El ERHAPS the nrost frustrating

F lspect ofdirecting an association is one that concerns nonnrenrbers of our individual federated association.

I have no conrplaint. as far as ALBSA is concerned, regarding the excellent support we have fronr 90'1, of all the firnrs eligible as nrenrbers.

My big beef is the l0()l, who are not supporting ALBSA in Arizona.

In 1979, ALBSA spent $35,000 in getting the Mechanics and Material- nren's Lien Law passed. This, prorated, amounts to $160 lor every nrenrber and nonnrenrber of ALBSA.

Average dues are $400 per year, so every nonnrenrber received $160 ol free association benefi ts. Aclding dozens of other benefits, the figure would be nrany tinles the $160.

Nclnnrenrbers are excluding thenrselves fronr 0ne of the greatest benefits. the benefit of being "part of an industry."

I sonretinres wonder how those nonnrenrber individuals think. Flow do we keep the flow of lunrber to the ntarketplace? Flow do we prevent nlore regulation ol the free enterprise systenr? How do we keep a good intage of our industry? llow do we educate our enrployees to do a better job for their enrployer? These things do not just happen, they are done by association nlenrbers. Without thenr, we would have a sad industry.

I have no oalience with those who clo not support ALBSA. For every reason they nray give nre for not being a nrenrber, I can give thenr a dozen why they should.

Bcing an association exccutive, perhaps, nrakes nre a biased indiviclual in nry thirrking orr associltion nrenrbership.In sunrnrary, nrenrbership pays. You who do not su1'rport ALBSA. think about it. You nray receive a cliviclend of satisfirclion by being part of il great teanl.

Thirrk about it.

30-year olds. the prinre honre buying age. will increase fronr 32 to 42 million in the next ten years.

CHUCK LINK executive director

ll OST OF the reports we are lUl receiving indicate that the Northwest's leading mortgage people have stopped making commitments for residential construction unless the builder has a commitment for a take-out loan to finance the house buyer.

It would be inviting big trouble for a lender to encourage a builder to go ahead without this. Would it be any less prudent for a building material dealer to do so? Many builders are looking to their suppliers and sub-contractors to fill the financial gap voluntarily or involuntarily through extended terms. It's a crilical time for dealers to enforce their credit lerms and definitely know where and for how much the take-out loan is committed before supplying the material. llhe doesn't. he nray lose the builder's business or even his own through insolvency.

Hopelully, it will be only a little while until mortgage money again is available and interest rates relurn to normalcy.

"Despite current high interest rates and housing prices. America stands on the threshold of her greatest housing boom in the 1980s." This was the prediction of David O. Maxwell, chairmarr and chief executive officer of Ticor Mortgage Insurance Co. and fornrer general counsel of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Maxwell said that population trends, economic conditions. new sources of mortgage finance, and the sheer ingenuity and drive of Anrerica's builders are the important factors leading to that prediction. The nunrber of

The economic elenlents such as rising family incomes, tax incentives for home ownership, and the Anrerican people's faith in home ownership as a hedge against inflation will increase demand. The developnrent of new mortgage instrunrents and new sources of nrortgage finance will help nleet the demand for mortgage financing requirenrents.

Maxwell predicted that fewer singlefanrily honres will be built and they will be smaller. We will see nrore clustered housing, condontiniunrs. ntodular conslructlon.

Social Security Tax changes becanre effective Jan. 1.. 1980, with the rate unchanged at 6.l3rX, for 1980. The amount of wages subject to the 6.l3r)l, rate increased fronr $22.900 to $25.900.

Federal Mininrunr Wage has increased from $2.90 to $3.10 an hour.

The new FTC Rule on Labeling and Advertisins. of Flonre Insulation becomes effecltive Mar. l6 1980. not Nov. 30. 1979 as originally announced.

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Satellite Hardware Stores

Satellite stores in outlying areas offer a way of expansion for a well-established hardware business.

In contrast to the main store with broad lines and full stocks of hardware, housewares, gifts, gardening, and sporting goods, the second store can have a merchandise mix in less depth. Selection can be tailored to the growing family wiih a new home. With the main stor! for backup, the smaller store can concentrate on an inventory of baslc most needed merchandise. If an item not stockeb is needed, .it usually can be brought from the main store rn a few mlnutes.

Location of a second store is all important. An area with a growing population and promise of continued growth over a period of years is essential. Situating the store in a shopping mall or center where customers come for other needs also is advisable. New industry located nearby will help to insure population growth.

Catering to the homeowner and do-it-your-selfer, a satellite store, because it is small, must have a well organized floor plan. Self-service requires neat, well orlanized. fully stocked gondolas and wall dispiays. Efficient use of space for display becomes very important. The young, often first home owner, customer likes to try the merchandise. He also appreciates demonstrations, helpful counseling from sales people, and informative displays including educational literature.

The well established hardware store thinkine of expanding would do well to consider opening a sa-tellite 'operation.

E ARLIER THIS year. I mentioned E in this column that I was looking forward to working with our LMA nrembers in a nunrber of areas. One very important area is getting more of our members involved in local. state and national legislative matters and politics. A very effective way to be influential in national legislative issues is visiting with your congressnlan, your senators and others in their Washington. D.C. offices.

Plans are now being formulated for our 7th annual trek to Washington, D.C., known as our "Conlerence With Congress." Our National Lumber and Building Material Dealer's Association has put together an excellent two day program. This year's conference will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, March l9 and 20. On Wednesday morning, Milt Stewart of The Small Business Administration will brief us. In the afternoon we will have briefings by other key persons regarding those issues that we will discuss with our legislators.

On Thursday, everyone goes up "on the hill" to the offices ol our senators and representatives. Everyone, including wives and children, has the opportunity to discuss with their legislator, the legislation, programs and problems most inrportant to them.

I assure you, it is a tremendously effective way to influence your congressman or senator. They realize that you have taken your time and money to come to Washington, D.C., and they pay attention to what you tell them.

A good illustration ol this was our meeting with Senator Cranston last year. Our meeting, the second with him in as many years, was at 6 p.m. His office is in the Capitol Building. There were 25 of our LMA people, 22 men and women and three young adults. With the senator were three key staff nrembers. We discussed inflation: the economic outlook; the federal budget; government wastel wage and price guidelines; Rare Il; and other important issues

Believe me. the senator and his staff listened, The year before they spoke and we listened. but last year, because of Prop l3 and more and more pressures from us, we spoke and they listened. Our wives and our three young adults were particularly effeclive. The senator is a very powerful politician so when you can be effective with him it is well worth the effort. All felt they had a positive effect with the legislators that they visited.

We start several weeks in advance of our visit writing for appointments. Several visit each legislator together. We are well briefed. We put over our points well. We counter well. The legislators are impressed and they remember us.

This is government at the grass roots level. There is no way to be more effective. After you rrreet with these legislators "on the hill" in their offices, your following Ietters and phone calls are effective!

Visiting Washington. D.C., is another bonus. It is a most interesting city with hundreds of exciting things to do and to see. This iear our LMA group is leaving six days before the conference. We will visit Armstrong Cork at Lancaster, Pa., and take a bus tour through the Pennsylvania Amish country, visiting Valley Forge and Philadelphia. Then on to Washington, D.C. with stops at historic places enroute.