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FOMMUNICATION and educaVtion are necessary ingredients in the making of any company, no matter how small or large. Its sales people must be familiar with what it can and can not do, and what its products can and can not do.

Even a worldwide, $2.5 billion-ayear company must tackle the problem. MacMillan Bloedel, Vancouver, B.C., did it through their wholesale lumber subsidiary's "Cedar Leader Expert Course," organized by cedar marketing manager Bob Thompson.

"We have 150 sales people in the United States and an equal number in Canada," Thompson says. "A seminar for all of them would have been unwieldy, not to mention costly and pretty unproductive." So, Thompson handpicked l2 representatives from the company's main sales areas. These twelve will continue the course by training others within their regions and assisting retailers, contractors, and other custo-

Story at a Glance

Why one major cedar producer educates a cadre of 12 to teach others in its organization as wellas passing on the information to its customers.

mers. The result will be an ongoing program.

The topic was a natural choice. MacMillan Bloedel is the world's largest western red cedar distributor, producing 150/o of the world's cedar. Also, Thompson says, "Cedar is less a commodity and more of a specialty item. It doesn't get lumped together as 2x4s for framing like other softwoods. It contains natural oils, whereas other woods need preservatives. And it offers longevity. This is wood that was used by the Indians 400 years ago for totem poles that are still around. Cedar lends itself to special attention."

Additionally, most employees had never seen a growing cedar tree. "Cedar grows up here in British Columbia and the Northwest, so some poor guy selling in the Southeast naturally wouldn't have experience in it," Thompson says.

From the start, Thompson wanted to establish goals forthe in-depth, one-week course and set goals for the company. Why was the training in cedar and not spruce? What is the company hierarchy? What are the roots of the company? Why are we forming a team? "As soon as everyone learned if we were a running or a passing team, they could learn the plays and the patterns," he says.

The class then learned the proPerties of cedar. Where it grows, how it grows, the difference between com- mon and clear, commodity and specialty, how its properties rank against those ofother species, R-factors, flame spreading - everything was covered.

Next, a series of guest speakers explained the various manufacturing processes, beginning with how the trees are harvested. Specialists from the logging, production, milling and kiln drying departments shared their knowledge with the class.

A course on lumber grading followed. "These dumb technical symbols are used by all sales guys, but many don't understand them. And if they don't understand them, how can they expect the customer to?" wonders Thompson.

Finally, the class studied cedar applications, concentrating on how to build a house and potential problems that could arise. If something went wrong, how much responsibility should the company assume? Did the sales person misrepresent the product? Was there a manufacturing defect? Should the company replace the house, the siding? What standard should be set for the company?

Each graduate went home with his own five-inch thick manual, complete with color photographs and technical data. Ifarchitects or anyone else had specific technical questions, the MB rep could turn to the manual for the exact answer.

"The course seemed to be a hell of a success," smiles Thompson, "at least based on the telephone follow up. People keep calling back for additional information to answer other questions that keep arising."

The course answered a lot of questions for Doris Kuhn, MB rep in Pascagoula, Ms. "Now when the mill tells me they can't make a certain bevel for me, I understand why," she says. "lf they say they can't make me a utility grade item, I don't get upset any more, because now I know how the mill runs."

The customers also get some answers. Jean Nadeau, another sales rep, explains: "l'm definitely able to give them more than just a price now. I can tell them why they should use a particular grade of wood."

The ultimate success of the cedar expert course is in the hands ofthese twelve teachers. Says Thompson, "We must keep interest up for the key people. But given the course's success, we might have another two or three vears down the road."