Wood window & door group's annual meeting

IItESTERN timberlands

Ul scorched by fires last fall must be logged now because "timber not dead now will be dead by August," urged Mark Kable, general manager of Setzer Forest Products, Sacramento, Ca., during a lumber trends panel discussion at the recent meeting of the National Wood Window & Door Association.

Story at a Glance

Association's annual meeting heard speakers Gerald Ford, economist Arthur Laffer and TV's lrving R. Levine. . lumber panel on "black sale" of charred timberlands... next meeting: Aug. 13-17, 1988, Four Seasons Hotel, Toronto, Canada.

"We could log now - the weather is good. too good," Kable added, referring to the approach of decay and insect attack. Blockades to the sale are: "will the Forest Service put the timber up for sale and will we be able to log it in time?"

Effects of the fires were the main topic of the panel. Al Ryan, plant manager, Louisiana-Pacific, Red Bluff, Ca.; George E. Hatt, president, Special Products of Oregon, Inc., Phoenix, Or.; Don L. Hutchinson, industrial business development manager, Weyerhaeuser Co., Federal Way, Wa., and John Ferguson, Michigan-California Lumber Co., Camino, Ca., were other panelists.

Former U.S. President Gerald R. Ford spoke at a special luncheon gathering, foreseeing a bright economic future, although he feels the American people have saved too little, and borrowed and loaned too much.

Economist Arthur B. Laffer. a member of President Reagan's economic advisory committee, focused on the U.S. trade deficit, which he labeled "not large enough." He sees it as a solution not a problem, explaining, "Would you prefer a trade deficit or an investment deficit?"

Speaker Irvine R. Levine, the NBC-TV correspondent, forecast slow but continuous growth, suggesting "the stock market has accurately predicted eight of the last three recessions."

The National Wood Window & Door Association's 6lst annual meeting attracted 442 people Feb. 20-24,1988, to the Marquis Hotel in Palm Springs, Ca. Also on the agenda were business sessions, workshops, golf and tennis tournaments, treasurer's annual report, election of directors, separate divisional meetings, panel discussions, technical reports, and an array of guest speakers.

Other sessions involved weathersealing technology, window gas-filling technology, door finishes, OSHA labeling requirements, bar coding, personal investing, and home building predictions.

The next National Wood Window & Door Association meeting will be held August 13-17, 1988, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto, Canada.

John P. Mikulak, president of Caradco, was elected NWWDA president at the meeting, succeeding John M. Chupik, pres., Temple Products. New board members are Frank Marvin, Marvin Windowsl John Semling, Semling-Menke Co.; Thomas J. Cobb, Haley Bros., Inc.; Leland McCullough, Caddo Door & Veneer Co., and Dale P. Webb, Webb Manufacturing, Inc.

Distribution Trends: '77 ''86

A study analyzing ten Years of wholesale building material distribution economic activity has been released by the National Building Material Distributors Association.

"Performance Analysis Trends" centers around firm performance between 1977-1986 in six areas: sales, profitability, proht margin, personnel productivity, asset management and financial management.

According to the rePort, the average distributor increased sales by 12.10/o in 1986, a ten-year high, with larger firms growing 1.6% Points faster than smaller comPanies.

The industry's after tax return on net worth climbed 10.570/o in 1986, the best rise since 1979; return on total assets grew 3.760/o in 1986 from 3.33% in 1985; total asset turnover rose to a ten-year high of 3.55 times in 1986, and the average firm's return on assets in 1986 was.96%, or a profit of under a penny per dollar of sales.

The highest profit firms were those found to have the lowest operating expense percentages, while low profit companies had higher expense percentages and lower warehouse gross margins.

Inventory is the largest of most distributors' assets, averaging 430/o of total assets, resulting in high inventory turnover leading to higher profits.

As for accounts receivable management, the 1986 level of 38.5 daYs for collection is the best in several years.

The study is available from the NBMDA for $75 to Performance Analysis Report Club members and participants in the 1988 survey; $250 for other members, and $500 for non-members.