Pressure treated wood sales continue to climb

By Bill Bond Jr. President Western Wood Preservers Institute

ORKING in the pressure treated wood industry has been sort of like flying a small plane on a stormy day-lots of ups and downs. The bright spot has been an increase in pressure treated wood sales.

Several years ago, in the midst of a severe economic decline, when interest rates were high and regular lumber sales were low, the Western Wood Preservers Institute created an ad published in Merchant Magazine. lt carried the headline ',pressure Treated Lumber Sales Are UP." The word UP was set in very tall type to emphasize the fact sales were indeed up.

This was more than five years ago, and pressure treated lumber sales are still going UP! Research from the Mel R. Walsh Consulting group states, "Treated lumber sales are up 400/o over recent years, while total U.S. lumber consumption has declined 30%. Pressure treated lumber has been growing at a rate of 120/o to 140/o per year, and continues to be the fastest growing segment of the lumber business."

We think this record is impressive. lt causes us to reflect on the reasons for the growth. Lumber dealers and home center managers know much better than we do, however, these reasons come to my mind.

In the first place, treated wood has gained strong consumer acceptance. Homeowners have learned that pressure treated wood is a quality pro- duct that performs well. They appreciate its durability and long service life. They are attracted to a product they won't have to replace in a few years. To top it all off, people

Story at a Glance

How the Western Wood preservers Institute helps retailers sell more pressure treated lumber... Promotion, public relations, marketing keep sales up. quality products keep consumers buying.

find treated lumber a good value, affordably priced.

The fact that in today's market remodeling has now surpassed new residential construction in volume also contributes to the growth. People continue to upgrade their current homes rather than move to new ones.

The popularity of outdoor living is another factor. I'm told gas barbeque grills are selling well these days. We all know that a treated wood deck will be needed to park them on.

I was impressed recently when I read Sunset Magazine research that said fully 700/o of the decisions to buy building materials involve women. They also found that 580/o of the women work on the improvement projects. This just goes to show that as suppliers we must make sure we provide products that appeal to both men and women and, of course, children.

I also note new construction of single family homes isn't declining as some pundits said it might. This bodes well for treated lumber sales because new homes built in the west have more and more decks. landscaping and outdoor living areas utilizing treated wood.

Members of the Western Wood Preservers Institute continue to improve their service to the retail market. A wider variety of sizes are being carried in inventory at retail to be available to consumers. LP22, material treated for ground contact, is commonly found in sizes from 2 x4to2 x 12, and in 4 x 4 to 4 x 12. Some treaters also maintain

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