65th annual expo a big success for the WBMA

THERE AREN'T many dealer associar tions around that can continually say they topped last year's gathering. But then again, there aren't many like the Western Building Material Association.

This year WBMA drew a total attendance of 260{l., a comfortable 40O above last year. Pre-registration was an impressive 2200. As always, member enthusiasm ran high.

Elected president at the 65th annual go was Homer W. Greer of Home Lumber Co. in Sunnyside, Wash. First vp. honors went to Wayne Mattson, Logan Lumber Co., Seattle, Wash.; Cameron A. Kyle getting the nod for 2d. .r.p. Kyle is with Portland Road Lumber Co., Salem, Oregon.

A major attraction at this year's showo as at all the WBMA conventions was the nearly 200 exhibits at the exposition, situated this year in Portland's impressive Memorial Coliseum.

Theme for this leap vear was Hawaii and sure enough, out of ihe mists of Portland materalized Hawaiian shirts. leis. a

Huge Pacific Northwest dealer convention and exhibition again draws thousands to their annual get-together. Dealers figure '68 will be better than '67.

show with hula dancers, Polynesian music and orchids. James C. Hayes, outgoing WBMA president and Idan Iverson, the exposition chairman and Mrs. Iverson who chairmanned the women's activities all did ventioneers shuttled back to the Coliseum the next morning for a look at the future, courtesy of a panel of experts, rounded up by the association.

Leading off the discussion was Georgia. Pacific vp. Harold Sand who observed that dealers must know which type of customer they serve. The big builder or the do-it-yourself plus small builder market. Relating that G-P was small-dealer oriented, he put the lie to rumors that the small dealer is going the way of the mom and pop grocery. He stressed, however, that dealers must adapt to survive.

Richard P. Neils, general sales mgr. of St. Regis Paper Co. affirmed that customers will pay for good products and that a most able job of putting together a manufacturers must improve their selling smooth-running show together with the efficiency while developing new products. association staff.

Weyerhaeuser's Paul Kuy said that

Following the big opening night cere. dealers were the backbone of his firm's monies on the first of Februarv. the con- (Continueil on Page l0)

C0NVENTl0ll G0ERS (1) Rosamond 0rr; Mrs. Florine Bettis (background. (2) Mr. and Mrs. Nels Langsather, (risht) Freeway Lbr. Co., Salem, 0re. (3) Bob Phillips; Ridhard Neils. Speed Cut's (4) Wayne Roberts; Mr. and Mrs. Dick Morse, Canby Builders Supply. Speaker John Wolfe (5) and Jim Hayes, WBMA outgoing Pres. (0 Panelists Art Masters; Richard Neils; Paul Kay. Speaker Wm. R. Smolkin,0) E. W. "Ed" Turn_er, Canyon Center, Kent, Wash. (8) Erik Eriksson, Edmonds Lbr. Co.. Edmonds, Wash.; Lenn Width, River' side Lbr. Co., Bothell, Wash. (9) Cameron Kyle, 1968 2nd vp., WBMA. (10) Bob Lightfield, Troy Lbr. Co., Lewiston, ldaho; E. P. "Woody" Railey, Scharpf's Twin Oaks Builders Supply, Albany,0re.; Fay Johnstone,

FPlywood Distributors, Spokane, Wash. (11) Maynard Haufman, P. G. Lewis Co., Bremerton, Wash. (12) Harvey Hoff; Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Bettis, lrrigators Lbr. Co., Caldwell, ldaho (past WBMA pres.) (13) Waldo Stransky, Stransky Lbr. & Hardware, Portland, 0re. (14) Mrs. Mary Turner; E. W. "Ed" Turner; Marion Nussbaumer, Fairbanks Lbr. Supply, Fairbanks, Alaska. (15) Mrs. J. G. "Perk" Hayes; Mrs. Joan Kendall. (15) Don 0leson, Poulsbo Lbr. Co., Poulsbo, Wash. (17) Hawaiian honeys handing out flowers. (18) Frank Jimerfield, E. D. Kingsley Lbr. (19) Mr. and Mrs. Bill Plett, International Bldg. Supplies, Anchorage, Alaska. (20) Rosamond 0rr, Grants Pass, 0re., aiO WAMA's Arny Kirkebo. (21) Ken Logan, Seattle

Lbr. Co., Renton, Wash.; Robert Dragoo, Merrill Lbr. Co., Merrill, 0re.; Mrs. Dragoo; E. W. "Ed" Turner and Mrs. Turner. 02) W. F. "Bill" Scharpf, Scharpf's Twin 0aks, Albany, Ore., past WBMA pres. (23) Pretty girl in Boysen Paint's booth. (24) Windsor Lloyd, Lloyd Lbr. Co., Nampa, ldaho, and Art Masters. €5) Elmer Banta, Banta Building Supply, Ninilchick, Alaska; E. W. "Ed" Turner; Mrs. Mary Turner; ldan lverson, Kingsley Lbr., Portland, exposition chairman. (26) Mrs. Hauf; Erv Hauf, Peshastin Forest Products, Peshastin, Wash., and Claude Behme. Dealers and their wives by the the hundreds heard speeches, and jammed show booths.

WBTAA ANNUAT

(Continued, lrom Page 8) business. Both manufacturer and dealer must profit from marketing an item, or it's no good for either in the long run, he added. Research and development means, eventually, the selling of building systems, not just selling a few sticks at a time.

Robert O. Phillips, Simpson Building Supply in Seattle, pointed out that the dealer is still the best outlet for the manu. facturero who must have a broad dealer base. The ones that try to sell only the big, dominant dealers run a huge risk. Phillips said the only way to put the dealer out of business, was for the dealer to do it to himself.

Retailer Art Masters, head of the King Lumber Co. yards in California said that everyone must be customer-oriented. Dealers must overcome resistance to that kind of thinking within their own organization. Dealers must adapt, change, be flexible. That sometimes a Wickes-type organization coming into a normal dealer's area proves a blessing in disguise as it becomes the needed spur to change.

Jerry Jeremiassen, head of the huge chain of United Building Centers in the middle west, said that people still buy from people, no matter how big the store. People will only buy-where they feel welcome, and that's a big part of the dealer's job.

At the all-industry lunch, Harry Lorayne lived up to his billing and put on a really amazing show doing feats of rnemory. The showgoers crammed into the exhibits for the rest of the afternoon. That night the Western Roundup Mixer also lived up to its billing.

Saturday's business sessions heard election results, a talk on Celotex's Profitron system of dealer help and a sales training talk by selling specialist John H. Wolfe. That afternoon the gals played hookey from the exhibits and toured Portland's historic Pittock Mansion.

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