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of staff engineers and building code experts !o evaluate the performance of wood buildings.

Working with seismic experts, they found no appiuent structural damage to local wood-frame single-family dwellings, but significant structural damage to multi-family buildings using shrcco as their primary bracing material and to buildings supported by cripple wall assemblies.

They observed significant non-structural damage in construction using stucco as an exterior finish and aUrib uted numerous roof collapses to failed connection details between wood panelized roof systems and tilt-up walls.

Hem-Fir

Hemlock

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lf for some reason ZzzzFlex ever cracks or breaks. Flex Trim lndustries will repla@, instatt, and paint or stain the material at their expense.

TODAY, more than ever, moulcling is the crowning touch to personalize any home. Movement towarcl upgradecl millworl< pacl<ages with more ornate casings, cornices, chair rails and curvecl trim mal(es White River a great opportunity to increase your moulcling profits. White Rivers' unique program has been clesigned for manufacturing in lengths suitable for applications and is long length orientecl. White River offers a complete line of Hardwood Moulclings that can be used alone or combined together into larger Architectural Elements.

Distributors Lack Optimism

After experiencing declining gross margins &ning most of 1993, wholesalerdisributors have lirle onftdence in fourth qutrter business cmditions.

Fourth qurter estimates, combined with actual third quarter company data, showed a confidence index decrease from 103.0 to99.4, based on 100 recmded in fourth quarter 1989, Arthur Anderson aooormtants report

Survey respondents were asked to supply 1993 third quart€r acnnl data and fourth quarter estimates for net sales, gross margin percent, net income, inventory, employm.ent, capital spending, incoming orders and days sales outstanding. Respondents werc asked to comparc the acnrd or estimatod data 30 the comparable quarter last yer.

Applicants Get A Math Test

Althargb math is essential in many building products sales, few retailers or wholesalers test a p'rospective employee's ability to add' subtftrt, multiply or divide, much less do fractions.

Job candidates at Hme ry must take a sixth grade math test based on the basics plus word problems on q/pical home improvement sales. For exmple, aproblem gives the dimensions of a room and the size of a floor tile, then asks what the square footage is and how many tiles are needed o tile tbe floa.

"It's simple math and the word problems repres€nt tasks employees would have to frce day in and day out" expliains Don Singletary, dir€ctor of human rcstrtrrc€s.

Why Shoppers Don't BUY

Because they could not fmd a clerlq 62% of shoppers left a stse without buying anything, according to a six month survey conducted for the National Retail Federation and MasterCad Internatioal.

Builders Seek Enviro Reform

Homebuilders are joining lumber p'rroducen in seeking reform of current environmental laws and regulations that do not consider factors such as jobs, the oq)n(nny mdprivateprcPefiY rights.

Over 30,000 letters were sent to President Clinon and other officials voicing conoern about timber availability as a result of the Lumber Crisis Commmd Center at the National Association of Homebuilders convention in r as Vegas, Nv.

A show survey fowd 93Vo of builders poned had enormtered higher lunber prices in the last thee months. Blarning the Clinton Administration's Fsest Plan and environmpntal gfoups for both shortages and high prices, the Ian. 2l-25 meeting resolved to encourage President Clinton to overtaul the plan, ask Congress to facilitate artminisuative decisionS, md seek reform of environmental laws md regulations.