Utah Wholesaler is a Strong Redwood Merchandiser

E OR lmperialWholesale Supply, r Salt Lake Citv. Ut.. it takes more than just quoting prices to be the largest redwood wholesaler in Utah. Sales training, product education, merchandising a large inventory and most importantly, a personal relationship with the customer add up to make Imperial one of the West's leading redwood merchandisers.

According to Ben Turner, owner and president of Imperial, it is the people who make the redwood business enjoyable. Turner started selling redwood with his father in 1937. Now, Imperial's three warehouses sit on eight acres of yard, housing some of the area's largest, most accessible inventory, including a complete supply of redwood garden grades and more than 700,000 board feet ofredwood clear grades.

Imperial now supplies about 170 retailers throughout Utah, Idaho, western and southern Wyoming and northern Nevada, handling about 4.5 million board feet of redwood annually.

It took years of promotion and training to develop a solid reputation with customers, according to Scott Steele, salesman. One year they even hosted dinners for their customers (one in Provo. one in Salt Lake City), so that Imperial could educate retailers about redwood's properties and uses, show them the product lines, and of course, develop that personal contact with dealers that has become Imperial's hallmark.

lmperial's efforts, along with Simpson Timber Company's co-op advertising program, has resulted in experienced, well-informed lumber dealers-an essential factor for successful redwood sales. Imperial continues to sponsor dealer education seminars on a regular basis with one planned for next year.

An example of lmperial's per- sonal commitment to merchandising redwood is the success of the redwood deck and fence promotion conducted by Kellogg Lumber, a retail dealer and customer of Imperial.

Story at a Glance

Salt Lake wholesaler has long history of redwood promotion... recent effort with Wyoming retailer resufted ln 25olo increase in redwood sales... sale will be repeated again this year.

Last year, a well-advertised truckload sale at Kellogg Lumber, Rock Springs, Wy., resulted in more than 50.000 board feet of redwood sold in one day on a cash-andcarry basis.

Pat Kellogg, store manager, credits the promotion's success to more than good pricing. It was the combined teamwork of Wayne See, Imperial salesman, and Kellogg Lumber in sales training, extensive advertising and end-use promotion that made the sale successful, according to Kellogg.

"We couldn't have run the promotion with as successful results without Imperial's involvement," Kellogg said. "They gave us a good price we could pass on to the customer and they also helped train our personnel in the grades and uses of redwood so we could show the customer how to use the redwood once he sot it home."

According to See, training Kellogg's personnel required about four hours and included going over the California Redwood Association's Grades and Uses booklet and demonstrating the CRA's Redwood Design-a-Deck Plans Kits.

"After telling them about redwood and decks, we just worked it out from there on what Imperial might do to help Kellogg's promotion be a success," See said.

The promotion attracted homeowners and do-it-yourselfers from as far as 100 miles away, and resulted in increased redwood sales by about 25oh for Kellogg. In fact, it generated so much interest that Kellogg reported receiving orders in September for their next sale in June.

Glen Dellinger, Imperial salesnran, said as a result of the success of Kellogg's promotion, other retailers are ordering for their own spring and summer truckload sales and deck promotions.

If the demand for redwood garden grades is an indication, Imperial can look forward to a booming year as Al Mollerup, lmperial's leading salesman, reported selling more than 250,000 board feet of redwood garden grades during Utah's typically "slow" winter season

S110W CAPPEll mountains provide a picturesque backdrop for the lmperial Wholesale facility in Salt Lake, Ut. lll Central yard and rail spur, (21 office, main shipping and receiving warehouse, l3l and l4l yard areas show that the,snow is not confined to high spots. l5l Main warehouse and 16l warehouse for linished lumber are part of the complex.