EDITIORilAL

CanFewer Do Morc For The Many?

lf,t E ARE pleased to be reporting in this issue Uf the merger of the Redwood Inspection Service and the California Redwood Association. While a sad event impelled the merger-the unexpected death of longtime RIS manager Peter Johnson-the merger nonetheless has a very positive result as the consolidation means the industry has a strengthened champion for its causes. A story on the merger appears on page 38 of this issue.

The entire wood products business from manufacturer to dealer has always been noted for the large number of companies at all levels. Ours is a highly fragmented segment of the American business scene.

Unfortunately, this also has produced far more organizations than are needed to get the job done. While it may be comforting for every little meaning to have a movement all its own, it has too often caused uncalled for industry bickering, inadequate cooperation and an ineffective response to problems. These issues might have been better fielded by a single organization rather than several that can hardly agree on what time it is.

Observers within and without the industry have long recognized the desirability of fewer, stronger organizations to represent our interests. Yet, too often, the ideal has been blocked by oversized egos, unquestioned industry traditions and plain old backwardness. When it came right down to giving up that fiefdom, those perks, strokes and the comfortable business-as-usual, the contributions to consolidation iust didn't happen.

Sometimes it diint matter. But other times, when political strength was needed at local, state and federal levels to protect the interests ofthis industry, the strength wasn't there. It had been sapped by too many organizations muddling along in their own little worlds.

Marketing and other promotional efforts have too often been less than what was needed. Not because the people involved didn't understand their worth, but because the small single group just didnt have the dollars to do the job.

At some point we'll have fewer, stronger organizations at all levels of this business. We hope it's sooner, not later.