Tips on oompiling your rcdwood inventory

I\O-IT-YOURSELFERS are buy- 9ing redwood. They're catching on to its advantages, especially for outdoor projects. The question is. . what do you stock and how much? The wrong answer could prove costly.

"Basically, we've fallen into selling to d-i-yers, mostly by being located in such a high growth area," says Paul Sandberg, manager ofRedwood Lumber Supply, San Carlos, Ca., a redwood wholesaler with retail business now claiming a 400/o share of his sales. "Up until three years ago, we did no advertising. We just supplied redwood to other local lumberyards.

"They cut their own throats, by never having a large enough inventory. They would never have redwood in stock and would send their customers to us with P.O. numbers. Eventually, it just became easier for them to open up accounts with us. As the area grew, people started coming in off the street, and we earned our reputation by word of mouth."

redwood products is necessary. D-iyers will likely seek the following:

*For decking and patio projects: 2x4, 2x6, 4x4; B-grade KD, construction heart or construction common.

*For trim, cap rail, exposed showpieces, hot tubs and saunas: lx4, 1x6. 2x4,2x6', clear heart and clear aye KD.

*For fencing and garden areas: lx6, 2x4, 2x6, 4x4;' merchantable heart rough, construction common rough or resawn.

Dealers must also select the grade best suited for their area and most closely matching their customers' preferences. Grades of redwood (in descending order) include clear all heart, clear (also called clear A), Bgrade, construction heart, construction common, merchantable heart and some even lower grades.

Helpful Redwood Use Tips

Almost 20 brochures and leaflets, most in handsome colors, are available from the California Redwood Association.

They also have a deck design kit, construction tipsheets, slide show, video and a poster available for dealers and their customers by writing The California Redwood Association, 405 Enfrente Dr., Suite 200, Novato, Ca. 94949 or telephone (G15) 382-0662.

But the drawbacks of having too large an inventory can be equally severe. Steven Thurgood, sales manager of Jones Wholesale Lumber Co., Inc., Lynwood, Ca., suggests "a moderate inventory. It will turn over faster and has a better chance of looking fresher on your customers' shipments." Many companies, including Jones Wholesale, are happy to ship smaller, mixed loads so retailers can have "brighter, cleaner, fresher redwood in stock rather than discolored, dark or overly stained boards," he says.

In most areas of the west, redwood is readily available. There is no need to have all your money growing old in the yard, ifyou have access to swift, reliable suppliers. Many wholesalers boast "let our inventory be your inventory."

Still, a basic on-hand supply of

Stocking a lot of the lowest grades may put you in the market of the warehouse-type home center, but may also lead to a large number of leftovers. "Customers will kick over a stack to get one good board," says Thurgood. "Plus, they don't like looking through 200 boards to get five good ones. It's getting harder all the time, from the wholesaler to the retailer to the consumer, to get the quality that you feel warrants what you spend. But there is no way you're going to get a $1.50 fence board for 890."

Cheaper products will produce fewer satisfying projects and more dissatisfied customers. With super bargain boards, it's let the buyer bewarenot a proud motto for any business.

Story at a Glance

Suggested redwood products andgradestostock . . . drawbacks of large inventories