A complete product line from one of the South's most modern mills

IVe pr:oduce over 110 million board feet of pressrrre treated products annually, plus an additional 170 million board feet of untreated.

In all, hundreds of wood products...

INCLUDING:

Radius edge decking, treated plywood, dog eared fencing, lattice, mail box kits, deco-posts and hand rail, balusters, picnic tables, Gothic top fence posh, stair stringers, patio squares, bench supports for decks, French Gothic and Gothic 1x4 fencing in 4' and 6', landscape timbers.

PLUS: a complete line of Southern Pine dimension Iumber in all three grades.

PLUS: enthusiastic service to back up our extensive line of quality products.

PLUS: a company fleet of 165 trucks for quick deliveries coastto-coast.

DAYID CUTLER editor-publisher

You Gan hang together or hang separately

As we move into the last half decade of this millenium, it's heartening to see the increasing cooperation and communication between various segments of this business.

In the bad old days, it was the retailer trying to best the wholesaler who was trying to stick it to the mill or manufacturer and vice versa. While there's still plenty of that going on, enlightened companies have increasingly come to realize that cooperation is best for all in the long run.

The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association and its federated state organizations frequently seek the counsel and participation of wholesale suppliers. Likewise, the North American Wholesale Lumber Association has sought greater retailer input, realizing that what's good for its retail customers is good for its wholesale members.

But this cooperation between various factions also has to exist internally within a company. For example, in the auto industry, design, manufacturing and sales used to exist as separate worlds. Design would throw the plans over the wall to see if manufacturing could make the new model. Then sales would try to peddle whatever came out the door. Hardly an ideal situation. Today, all involved work together from the git-go, saving time, money and, hopefully, producing a product that the customer actually wants to buy.

Within our industry this kind of in-company concept of shared goals can be equally effective. At the retail level, for example, dialogue between people on the sales floor and those who do the buying can minimize the dogs and cats that sneak into inventory. Talking with the yard crew before making layout changes can help streamline the flow of materials. The same is true when buyers coordinate incoming shipments with yard personnel. Management needs to walk around and talk to eyeryone to avoid ivory tower delusions that just don't translate into real life.

Every employee needs to look beyond his or her narrow interest and consider what's best for the customer; because when a firm helps its customer it helps itself.

In the building moteriols industry, it's your business to know lumber ond hordwore, But, whct obout softwore?

The Gemini Softwore Solution developed exclusively for the building moteriols morketploce is everything you need to keep poce n c ropidly chonging environment. Our LHSysiem will leod you from point of sole to your profit ond ioss stotement, And, Gemini hos buili c relotionship with Digitol Equipment Corporotion to provide you with o cost-effeciive fomily of high performonce producis thot con help you monoge your business And build it, os well,

Don't you think it's time you picked up your most importcnt toolr Ccll us todoy to see how we con moke your business more profitoble When it comes to cutomotion, Think Gemini... Soflwore for your Hordwore.