Another tade Show?

One of the traditional remarks during trade show season is the frustration-tinged, "We just have too many shows." Exhibitors usually follow this by complaining about declining attendance, inattentive attendees, costs and time involved. Attendees also complain about cost and time factors along with drab shows, inattentive vendors, and the lack of good buys. Is everybody unhappy?

No way. Some gatherings, such as the North American Wholesale Lumber Association's Traders Market is a growing success, with last fall's Dallas show setting attendance records. Some of the buying co-ops regularly stage wellrun confabs that buyers find worthwhile.

The challenge other organizations face is how to revitalize a show that has begun to decline in attendance, enthusiasm and the revenue needed to keep the show on the road. Electronic communication, among other factors, has reduced some of the need for in-person interaction. Yet almost everyone agrees that some face-to-face time is indispensible. There just isn't any substitute for looking someone in the face as you talk.

Resistance to change has hurt some organizations. But not the National Hardware Show and its accompanying National Building Products Expo. To keep their show fresh and vital they've trimmed the time from four days to three and added housekeeping features designed to keep exhibitors happy. Also back by popular demand is ollr Expo Preview, a pre-show color supplement in conjunction with the Expo that you'll receive along with your July issue of The Merchant Magazine.

Before World War II. trade shows used to last a week. Today time and money constraints have made shorter and less costly shows popular. Trade shows will survive and thrive because sellers meeting buyers in person involves human nature. And human nature just doesn't change.

Prence again, consolidation marked the wood treatins and change the Top 25 swapped positions industry, as 22 of in this year's ranking of the nation's largest wood preservers.

While Universal Forest Products remained well ahead of the pack, Georgia-Pacific regained the #2 position from Great Southern Wood not by adding plants, but by cranking up production at existing facilities.

A few long-time regulars on the Top 25 fell off the

2000 1999 tr1 list, including L.L. Brewton, which in 2000 sold one of its two facilities, and last year's #5, Walker Williams Lumber, which sold its five treating plants.

Companies are ranked by production of lumber, timbers and specialty products. Firms exclusively treating poles, pilings, railroad ties, etc., are not included. Abbreviations include FRT (fire retardant treated) and WR (water repellent).

All information was provided by the companies themselves. While every effort was made to ensure full accuracy and completeness, a handful of treaters elected not to participate in this survey'

The Ettitors

Company Annual Production

(including number of treating plants)

Universal Foresl Products

Grand Rapids, Mi.

21 plants: Windsor, Co.;Auburndale, Fl.; Moultrie, Union City, Ga.; Granger, Westville, ln.; Belchertown, Ma.; Hanisonville, Mo.; Elizabeth Cig, Salisbury, N.C.; Blanchester, Hamilton, Lodi, Oh.; Gordon, Stockertown, Pa.; New Waverly, Saginaw, Schertz, Silsbee, Tx.;Janesville, Wi.; Ranson, W.V.

Georgia-Pacific Corp.

Atlanta, Ga.

12 plants: Athens, Nauvoo, Louisville, Al.; Rockledge, Fl.; Sterling, Ga.; Rochelle, ll.; Richmond, In.; Pleasant Hill, Mo.; Middleburg, Roanoke Rapids, N.C.; Rock Hill, S.C.; Mineola, Tx.

Products

Treatments

2000 1999 (including number of treating plants)

8 oranrs: Aooevrrre, Moorre, Muscre Shoals, Al.;Sumter County, Fl,; Conyers, Statesboro, Ga.; Memphis, Tn,; Columbus, Tx.

4 Culpeper Wood Preservers

Culpeper, Va.

3 plants: Culpeper, Fredericksburg, Va.; Shelbyville, In.

6 Quality Wood Treating Co., Inc.

Prairie du Chien, Wi.

6 plants: Prairie du Chien, Janesville, Wi.; Lansing, Mi.; St. Paul, Mn.; Columbus, Oh.; Fombell, Pa.

8 Rocky Top Wood Preservers

Rocky Mount, Va.

3 plants: Rocky Mount; Streator, ll.; Hagerstown, Md.

7 Commonwealth Wood

Hampton, Va.

3 olants: Hampton; Fairless Hill, Pa.;Bethlehem, N.H.

9 Cox lndustries

Orangeburg, S.C.

7 Dlants: Auqusta. Ga.:Oranoeburo

Eutawville, North, Sumter, S.C.; Coleridge, Cove City, N.C.

10 John A. Biewer Lumber Co.

St. Clair, Mi.

5 plants: St. Clair, Lansing, Mi.;Seneca ll.;Washington Court House, 0h.; Prentice, Wi.

11 C.M. Tucker Lumber

Pageland, S.C.

2 plants: Pageland; Henderson, N.C.

12

McFarland Cascade

Tacoma, Wa.

5 plants: Tacoma; Sandpoint, ld.; Eugene, Or.; Broken Bow, 0k.;Electric Mills, Ms.

(including number of treating plants)

Robbins Manufacturing Co.

Tampa, Fl.

3 plants: Tampa, Fort Myers, Orlando, Fl.

Allweather Wood Treaters

Washougal, Wa.

5 plants: Washougal, Ferndale, Wa.; Fort Collins, Loveland, Co.: Medford. Or.

New South Inc. Conway, S.0.

2 plants: Conway, Camden, S.C.

Bestway Enterprises Cortland, N.Y.

5 plants: Lancaster, Ma.; Cortland, Gouverneur, N.Y.; Stoney Point, N.C.: Cresco. Pa.

Curt Bean Lumber Co, Glenwood, Ar.

3 plants: Glenwood, Amity, Ar.; Buckner, Mo.

Coastal Lumber Co. Weldon, N.C.

5 plants: Havana, Fl.;Weldon; Hopwood, Oxford, Pa.; Belington, W.V.

Madison Wood Preservers Inc. Madison, Va.

1 plant Madison

Eastex Forest Products Houston, Tx.

1 olant: Houston

Pacific Wood Preserving Corp. Eloy, Az.

3plants: Eloy; Bakersfield, Ca.; Silver Springs, Nv., lunder conslruction in Corning, Ca.)