Pacific Northwest still number 1 in plywood

Neglectful nranagenrent clf' national forests is the nruin reason fbr problenrs of Pacillc Northwcst plywood nranufacturers- not growth cll'the sor.rthcrn pl1'woocl indr"rstry as U.S. Rep. Jinr Wcaver. (l)-Or.), charged rccently-accorcling to the Antcricirrr Plywootl Associirtiort.

"Mr. Weaver is unfortunutely using r,'ery inaccurate figurcs," said APA executive v.p. Bronson J. Lewis in response to conrntents nraclc by the Oregon (iongressnran.

"llc usecl tolrrll\ inirccurirtc statistics lo support alr errolreous assunrption that growth of'thc southern plywooocl incluslry is hurting pll,woocl nranufacturcrs in the Pacillc Northwcst." Lewis said. Weaver's collnrelrts rcccivecl wicle coverage in the Pacific Northwest news ntcclia.

Ile was quoted as saying, "Tlre capital fcrr plywood plants has bce n nroving sor"rth. and there have becn 6l rrrills constructecl in thc Sor"rth in the last tw0 vears."

"Actually," Lewis said. "eight ncw plywoocl plants have opened in the South during the last two years. Perhaps Mr. Weaver was confused, because in 1978 tlrere was a total of 6l plywood nrills operating in the South. "

Lewis saicl, however. "confusion alone coulcl nol accoLlnt" Iirr another statenrent attributecl to Rep. Weaver: "lt usecl to be that Washirrgton was the leacling producer of' pl1'woocl ancl Oregon was secorrd. Now thc leaclirrg producer is Louisiana."

Accordirrg 1o plywood production clata frorr APA. Oregon is still fur artd away the leadirrg plywoocl producirrg state-a position it's helcl since 1953. Washington has been seconcl in plywood productior.r lor tlrc last 27 ycars. Lor,risiurra is a distant thircl.

"ln fact." Lewis said, "llrore plywood was produced irr Oregon during 1978 (latest figures available ) than was nranufhcturecl in the l2 southerrr plywoocl producing states conrbinecl."

The APA execlltive released the firllowing I 978 pl1'woocl procluctinn statistics as reported to APA by plywood nranufacturers: Oregon, 76 nrills, total production of 8.2 billion sq. ft.l conrbined total for 12 southern states, 6l mills, 7.9 billion feet: and Washington,27 mills, production 2.1 billion feet.

Plywood production in the Pacific Northwest has rentained fairly crlnstant since the nrid-1960 s. Lewis said, while the southern plywood industry has been growing dranratically. Four new southern plywood nrills are scheduled for construction in 1980 and two structural unveneered panel nrills will open this year in the Great Lakes regr on

"Over half the conrnrercial tinrber in Washington and Oregon is in the national forest systenr,"Lewis said. "Because the federal governnrent will not, or cannot, properly manage our national forests, the industry is expanding in regions of the country where tinrber is available. "

Rep Weaver has suggested a setaside plan olfederal tinrber to keep Northwest plywood nrills in busiNCSS.

"A nruch better.solution," Lewis said, "woulcl be'for Congress to authorize the U.S. Forest Service to sell national forest tinrber at least at the level reconrnrended in the national Resource Planning Act."

Th e Congressi onally-appropriated level for national forest tinrber sales in the currcnt fiscal year is 12.2 billion board feet. The RPA goal for fiscal 1980, as established by the f'ederal govenrnrent, is l4 billion board leet.

Plaza Designed For D-l-Yer

The do-it-yourself approach to honre inrprovenrent and nraintenitnce continues to prosper in thc Wcst with retailers vying to serrc their custonrers with demonstrations, seminars. and libraries of helpl'ul inforntation.

An example of an innovative approach is the builder's plaza under construction in Springfield, Or. Being built at a cost olS500,000, the L-shaped two story structure is planned to provide onestop shopping Ibr customers involved in home improvement pro- jects. Space in the plaza will be leased to firms caterinc to the doit-yourself clientele wiih plunrbing. electrical supplies, honre accessories, carpeting and similar nrerchandise.

The 16.000 sq. fi. building is said to bc designed with no intcrior bearing walls in order to provide flexibility in nreeting the space needs of tenents. Sixty parking spaces will serve customers.

Completion is set for March..

USFS Ghief to Speak

The Chief Forester of the Urritcd States, Max R. Peterson, will be the Iunchcon speaker March 20, at the annual s;lring nreeting of the Western Wclocl Products Associatiorr. March l8-21 at the St. Francis Ilotel. San Francisco, Ca.

A Ilow To Export Western Lunrber serrinar will be nart clf the nrecting that is tracl itionally attended by over 1,000 individuals fronr lunrber nrills, wholesalers arrd other related wood products service ittdustries. The senrinar is designed to cover all facets clf the lunrber exporting business.

President of WWPA, Robert Il. O'Neill, president and chairnran of Henrphill-O'Neill Lunrber Co., Chehalis, Wa., will lead indr.rstry representatives in discussing strategies and operating plans for 1 980-81. Individual conrnrittee nreetings are set frlr econonrrc services, quality standards, technical, resources. transp()rlati()n. exl)ort. nrarketing, occupational safety. nrachine stress-rated lunrber and WWPA associate nrenrber wholesalers.

Hampton Affiliates' New Hq.

Hampton Affiliates, Portlandbased forest products corporation is now in new headquarters at 9400 S.W. Barnes Road. 400 Sunset Business Park. Affiliates affected by the move are Willamina Lumber Co.. Hampton Lumber Sales Co.: Hampton Tree Farms. Inc. and Hampton Hardwoods, Inc. Offices for Hampton Power Products and Hampton Industrial Forest Products will remain in their Dresent locations.

Hampton Affiliates will continue its expansion with the scheduled early completion of its $10 million veneer mill complex in Willamina, Or. Coming at a time when many companies are curtailing operations rather than expanding them, the new mill, according to John C. Hampton. "represents our continuing commitment to the expansion ol the company within the Willanrina community." The new complex will include a veneeer mill with steam dryers, a twin band smallwood mill and a waste-fired boiler systenr. It will be located iust north of the presenr high iecovery Willamina quad band mill operation and will be equipped with the latest in computerized process control components. The new operation will add 40 people to the Willamina payroll and will allow the company greater flexibility in effectively utilizing the wood supply tributary to Willamina.

New Futures Contract

Government approval to trade a new lumber futures contract has been granted to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

The amended contract will allow delivery of Canadian-produced western spruce-pine-fir and U.S. alpine fir and other woods in addition to the hem-fir two by fours allowed under the existinc, contract.

Other changes incriase the delivery unit to 130,000 BF from 100.000 feet but stipulate deliveries are to be paper-wrapped on flat railcars instead of shipped at sellers option by either boxcar or flatcar. The breakdown of various lensths of lumber in a shipmenr wilf be changed to conform with industry practice.

The proposed terms were submitted to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission last spring after a hot debate between ex- change members and users of Iumber futures.

The CFTC and some market users held that the existing contract could be manipulated because the supply of hem-fir deliverable against it is small and uncertain. Many traders contended that hemfir supplies and rhe existing contract were adequate and that the new contract could actually damage the market because buyers might not know which species of wood they would receive.

They also maintained that the use of Canadian woods increased the possibility of international complications.

Grading School Date Set

The Northwest F{ardwood Association Grading School is scheduled for Feb. 2l-23 in Longview. Wa.

The session. 9-5, Thursday and Friday, 9 to noon on Saturday, will be in the nreeting roonr of the main olfice building at the International Paper Cabinet Div. Because of restricted work space. the nuntber of students will be linrited. A srade rule stick is required.

Ponderosa

Hardware Show Ups Store Traffic

For the seller of hardware looking for a way to attract customers and sell increased amounts of merchandise, the do-it-yourself show can be a solution.

Held on the parking lot, in a tent if the weather is not cooperative, or in the warehouse, such a promotion offers the'opportunity for product demonstrations as well as sales. Manufacturers are usually cooperative in demonstrating their products and providing give-away literature. Cooperative advertising also is a possibility. Radio, tv, newspaper and special circular advertisements all help to draw crowds.

Entertainment for every member of the family, especially the kind that will attract children and amuse them while their parents watch demonstrations or shop, is another attraction. Give-away prices on refreshments such as hot dogs, coke, and popcorn also draw people.

Drastic price cuts are part of the package and make it a sood time to close out damaged, shop worn, and seaso"nal merchandise. Manufaciurer's 6verruns bought especially for the sale also are profitable. Success of the promotion depends on drawing large numbers of people with a small profit margin offset by volume. Some home centers have reported as many as 120,000 people attendine their shows. In addition, increased store traffic and siles usually result.

Customers attracted by special shows often become valued long time supporters of a store.

Link Chairs Conference

The seventh annual Conference with Congress of the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association will be Mar. 19-20 at the Capital Hilton Hotel, Washington, D.C.

Charles E. Link, executive director of the Western Building Material Association, Olympia, Wa., is chairman of ihe meetins. He also is chairman of the NLBMDA Legislative and G-overnment Agency Affairy Committee, as well as providing a monthly column for The Merchant Magazine.

Joseph McCaffrey, Washington political analyst and congreisional reporter, will keynote the conference which offeis retail lumber and building material dealers the opportunity to visit the capital and be briefed on timely legislative issues of special concern to the industry. They also are able to personally confer with their elected officials and government agencies.

Joe Hobson, NLBMDA staff v.p., and Lee S. Briggs' president, anticipate a large deiegation dealing with issues such as transportation deregulation and timber supply.

Home Center Sales Still Climb

A five year uptrend for sales in hardware and home improvement centers continued over the summer months' Sales are expected to account for close to 4OVo of the annual total instead of the 35Vo usually produced in the May to August period.

Customeis made fewer trips to shopping centers because of the gasoline situatibn, but sibnt-considerably more on each trip, the National Retail Hardware Assn. reports.

6', - 76',. eapped for easy to q Bevel iftn.at a