Yard notrnber four fo, expand,ing reta,il firm is

a,notber one big

hardware. The entire showroorn area presents a feeling of comfortableness, with the clean, wellJighted, attractively painted and signed areas inviting the customer to take his time, look around and find those items needed.

Customers are asked to take a number when entering the store and they are then served in the proper sequence by one of the six or eight countermen waiting on the trade.

Slory sI d Glclnce

Firm's fourth location is said to be largest covered yard in the U.S. plans call for $3-$4 million annual gross . . 60% contractor and 40o/o consumer . showroom is 8,000 sq. ft.

These countermen are all welltrained, and knowledgeable. Each one serves an apprenticeship period in the yard to farniliarize him with the operation before being allowed to handle customers. At the present time, 32 employees of Dixieline are enrolled in the education course sponsored by the Lumher Association of So. Calif.

The normal hours of operations for all stores are 7:30-5 p.m., six days per week. They are not open on Sunday. So that no trucks are blocking drivewavs or other equipment un- necessarily tied up during the daY, all lumber and plywood deliveries are made at night to the vards from the concentration yard in National City. The annual volume at El Cajon will run to three or four million dollars, with 60ok coming from contractors and AIc/o coming from consumer busiNCSS.

Customers come from al0 mile radius. Advertising in the local papers and the Yellow Pages of the telephone directory tells of the sales and specialties of Dixieline. Less than l/o of gross is spent on advertising. Transactions are for cash, Master Charge, Bankamericard, or Dixieline revolving credit. All sales are net.

They do not do any remodeling, however, they handle a complete line of building materials to accommodate the do-it-yourselfer, or remodeling contractors and general @ntractors. One service they have available, as do many operations in San Diego, is Fund Control.

About one million dollars annually of sales for the overall corporation can be attributed to trusses. There is a charge for milling as well as a charge for delivery. They do not handle anything that could be considered seasonal in nature. Everything is available {or year around use.

One item which is no longer handled is kitchen carpeting. It was sorne. thing that took too much space, with little or no return on the investment. they felt. tor of the Lumber Association of Southern California, is past president of the San Diego Countv Epilepsy Society, past president of the Downtown 20-30 club, San Diego; president of the Propeller Club of the U.S., Port of San Diego; and president of Port Improvement Associates, a large group of land users in the Port of San Diego. This group watches and monitors port activities. He is also a member of the International Afiairs Board, City of San Diego and a member of the Young President's Organization, So. Calif. Chapter.

Bill Cowling, Jr., president and general manager of Dixieline, has been with the organization full time since 1954. In 1957 he became general manager. In addition to expanding the operation he has found time to be very active in civic and industry affairs.

Bill is past president of the San Diego Lumber and $/ood Products Association and has served on the board of directors for 12 years. He also represents San Diego as a direc.

Dixieline Lumber Co. has gone from one location in National City to four locations. In November.1967. the first of the new stores was opened on Sports Arena Blvd., San Diego. The second in November of 1969 in neighboring Escondido and the third on March 27, in El Cajon.

In the course of an interview with Bill Cowling, Jr., he indicated plans to merge with a larger firm, which will assist in any plans that Dixieline may have for future expansion. And if past action is indicative of the future, expand they will.