ENCOBE

When the late William Main founded Big Valley Lumber Co. in Bieber, Ca., more than 20 years ago, he started a dynamic' highlY regarded company that now is operated by his sons Bruce, Jon and AndyMain.

Their high standards, respect for quality and years of hard work have made their firm an outstanding member of the lumber community.

It is precisely because of these qualities that San

Antonio Pole Construction Company is so proud to be a part of their fine record of accomplishments.

Over the years San Antonio has erected nearly 20 buildings at the huge complex, structures of all kinds: lumber storage' green chain cover, dry kiln cooling sheds, maintenance shop and garage.

Recently we added a 106'x 2OO'x 17' lumber storage building, a cooling shed 34'x 80' and a 35'x 80' shop building.

We salute Big Valley's success and thank them for letting us be part of it.

Mike Esposito, mgP.

1280 Unit F-1

West Larnbert Rd.

Blea, Ctt. 92627

(27s) 694-8s61

(7r4) 529-7790

P.O. Box 1il6

Glimes' Ca. 95950

(916) 437-230,3

April

Lumber Association of Southern California - April 11, area meeting, P&J Restaurant, Rosemead; April 13, Stoneridge Country Club, Poway, Ca.

San Joaquin Valley Hoo-Hoo Club - April 14, Casino Night, Kingsburg Gun Club, Kingsburg, Ca.

West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau - April 14, annual meeting, Red Lion Lloyd Center, Portland, Or.

North American Wholesale Lumber Association - April l619, annual meeting, Sheraton El Conquistador Resort, Tucson, Az.

Phoenix Hoo-Hoo Club - April 18, meeting, Foothills Golf Course. Phoenix. Az.

Western Building Material Association - April 18, district meeting, Seattle, Wa.; April 19, Bellingham, Wa.

Lumber Association of Southern California - April 18, area meeting, Anaheim Plaza Resort, Anaheim; April 20, Holiday Inn, Ventura, Ca.

International Hardwood Products Association - Aprit l923, annual convention & exposition, San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina, San Diego. Ca.

Spokane Hoo-Hoo Club - April 20, meeting, Spokane, Wa.

Woodwork Institute of California - April 20-22, annual convention, Capitol Plaza I{oliday Inn, Sacramento, Ca.

Associated Building Materials - April 20-23, annual meeting, San Francisco, Ca.

American Wood Preservers Association - April 23-26, meeting, St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco, Ca.

Lumber Association of Southern California - April 25, area meeting, Inland Empire Hilton, San Bernardino; April 27, board meeting, Big Canyon Country Club, Newport Beach, Ca.

Los Angeles Hoo-Hoo Club - April 26, Angel baseball night, Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, Ca.

National Wood Flooring Association - April 26-29, convention, Fairmont Hotel, Dallas, Tx.

May

National Roofing Month - May l-31, sponsored by the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association.

San Diego Hoo-Hoo Club - May 3, Padre baseball night, Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego, Ca.

Western Dry Kiln Association - May 3-5, annual meeting, Coeur d'Alene, Id.

Oakland Hoo-Hoo Club - May 5, meeting, Boundry Oaks Country Club, Walnut Creek, Ca.

Shasta Cascade Hoo-Hoo Club - May 5, golf tournament, Wilcox Oaks, Red Bluff, Ca.

Coast Counties Hoo-Hoo Club - May 6, initiation meeting, Monterey Beach Hotel, Monterey, Ca.

Western Pallet Association - May 7-9, spring meeting, Hyatt Lake Tahoe, Incline Village, Nv.

Hardwood Plywood Manufacturers Association - May 1013, annual spring convention, Westin La Paloma, Tucson. Az.

Forest Products Research Society - May l5-17, wood products clinic, Sheraton Hotel, Spokane, Wa.

Southern California Construction Expo - May l6-18, Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, Ca.

Wolman Acquisition Completed

Acquisition of the Koppers Wolman Division from Beazer plc for a purchase price in excess of $67 million by the Timber Protection Division of Hickson International plc has been completed.

Hickson International, a $600 million British public company, employing some 4,000 people worldwide, formed a new United States subsidiary, Hickson Corp., to make the acquisition. Hickson Corp. will control all of the group's timber protection activities in North America.

Hickson's commitment to timber protection is extensive. Its Timber Protection Division, a world leader in timber treatment technology and manufacture, sells timber preservatives and treated timber products. It operates in l9 countries, and sells in more than 70. Dr. James Christie is chief executive.

Joe Kusar, former general manager of the Wolman Division, has been appointed executive vice president of Hickson Corporation. William J. Baldwin, Kenneth E. Cogan and Frank M. Klasnick have been named vice presidents, Keith Knowling, president of Hickson Building Products Ltd., Canada.

Howard Elkins, president and CEO of Hickson Corp., initiated a new directive that by year end will bring together research, product development, engineering and technical services at a new facility located near the existing Conley, Ga., manufacturing site. Elkins commented that "this facility will work to insure that Hickson's chemistry and engineering technology remains at the leading edge of this industry."

Focused activities at this new center in metro Atlanta will include CCA improvements; fire retardant evaluation and development; fully computerized pilot plant process testing; accelerated exposure testing; evaluation of new preservative systems; and improved methods of fixation and metal recovery. "Due to these combined efforts," Elkins stated, "no other wood treating chemical manufacturer in the world will have the depth of experience and technical resources to offer its customers."

The management team behind the Wolman program will remain basically the same. Over 20 key employees will relocate to Atlanta within six months.

r Wolmanized Lumber o Dricon Fire-Retardant

. Creosote

PRODUCTS AVAILABLE r Landscape Timbers r Railroad Ties o Poles r Posts r Dricon Fire Retardant

Treated Wood o All Weather Wood Foundations- o AWPB-FDN Stamped

Far intarmation on quicl( sgryico call the troatlng ox,pirtsl

BILL FISHMAN

Bill Fishman & Atfiliates

11650 lberia Place

San Diego, Ca.92128 article have been stagnant in recent yearsr or, in the case of two or three, actually in decline.

QOUE in our industry took the op- tVportunity to respond to my February letter to Tom Peters describing the home center industry. Mike McClelland, Hardware Wholesalers, Inc., was one who wrote. With his permission, here is what he said:

Dear Mr. Peters:

Aflter reading the materials Bill Fishman sent you, we became concerned that more information is needed to provide you with a full understanding of what is happening in our hardware and home center industry. While it is true the larger "national chain" retailers grew dramatically in the early 1980s, in recent years the independent retailers have grown as a whole at a more rapid pace than many, if not most, chain operations. Several "major chains," such as Mr. How, Homecrafters, Bowater and others, are no longer with us, and even some on the "ten largest retailers" Iist in Bill's

At the same time, member-owned distributors and many independent distributors have grown significantly, simply because of the growth of "independent" retailers. Our company's growth for the year ending June 30, 1988. was l3%. an increase of $l I I million. If we stay on course this year, we will end June 30, 1989, with a 140/0 increase, or an additional $lll million in member wholesale purchases. Please keep in mind these are "wholesale" dollars, not at retail. Other distributors who service independent retailers are also expanding nicely.

I am not sharing this information with you to tout the success of our company but to emphasize that independent retailers throughout the country are doing quite well and growing in market share and profitability. Unless you know this, you may send the wrong message to the attendees of your keynote presentation, many of whom are manufacturers and suppliers to dis- tributors and independent retailers. To say to these experts in the industry that a lew large chains are growing rapidly and independents are not would reduce your credibility in the eyes of those who truly know what is happening. At the same time, it could cause many manufacturers to develop programs that would result in them losing the most dynamic part ol their customer base.

Independent retailers today are not your traditional "mom and pop" operations of the past but instead are the sons and daughters of mom and pop, college educated individuals using sophisticated computerized inventory control systems and carrying out well planned marketing programs. These forward thinking entrepreneurs concentrate their purchasing through one source, thus reducing their purchasing staff overhead costs to a small percentage of the national competitors' costs while at the same time focusing their time on selling, merchandising, promoting, training and customer service.

Bill's article also says, "Retailers have taken over the distribution functions, buying direct." While true five or six years ago, this trend has actually been reversed, both by national chains and independent retailers. Even several large chains, like Payless Cashways, look to independent distributors to supply more of their inventory needs.

(Please turn to pase 31)