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JEBRY DeCOU lll presidenl of the Lumber Merchonls Associotion of Norlhern Colifornio 1O55 Lincoln Ave. San Jose, Ca.95125 (408) 295-4103

I T is difficult to believe that one started a camwer9 two more

! year has passed since I was elected president of LMA. May will end my term and as always, a new president will be elected and the association will continue to rise to new problems and greater services to the dealers.

. The past year has been full of ques- tion marks. We have spent a good part of our time being surprised by idiotic bits of legislation placed before both the federal and state legislators and then drawing battle lines in an attempt to defeat more rules, regulations and reports. It seemed as though we no sooner paign against one bill when suddenlv there to be tackled.

A discouraging factor that I observed during the past year_.was the lack of agressive action by the lumber ind building material dealers to defend their industry. There have been a few who regularly wrote or phoned their representatives when we advised them of a bill that would be injurious to us but I was shocked at the number of dealers who feel it is the other guy's responsibility. I certainly hope this attitude changes because I need the help of all m! contemporaries and competitors to keep me alive. This is -a case where we must establish a solid unified front or we will eventually be holding each others hand at the wake.

. Dealers ,are apparently concerned about their position in the local community and their ability to conduit effective merchandising and marketing at theiocal level.

. The continuing birth of local dealer groups is encourag- ing. Recently dealer groups in Fresno and Visalia weie tormed with the Danville and Santa Rosa to Ukiah groups showing interest. I would estimate that more dealer lrouis throughout the association area will be in existence before the end of the summer.

_, These groups are extremely important at the local level. t\ey do not detract from the LMA activities and they are informal organizations designed to coordinate the common interests of local dealers, There are a great number of local problems that are better resolved when local dealers organ- ize for the good of the industry. We have found that once !ft9 o-rganizations get rolling there is a great rapport establrshed among the local dealers and they find that their com_ petition isn't the Ivan The Terrible they assumed they were.

Distributors Optimistic

The National Building Material Distributors Association's latest survey of its membership, according to NBMDA president, Roger Hancock, Arizona Millwork Co.. phoenix. showed "that almost 70% of the members had sales increases in the last half of 1975 over the last half of 1974. However. only 42% said profits were up.',

"Cornpared to the first half of 1975, members look for a big improvement in the first half of 1976.Over 8O% expect sales to be up, and less than l% foresee a sales decrease,,' Hancock reported. "Equally encouraging is the information that over two-thirds of the members expect Drofits to increase as well."

Coping With OSHA Checks

Was vour OSIIA citation rrrrf'uit'l If Iou tirink so. lnd plan trr lppcul pelt or all ol'tlre citation, requcst a c()nferenc.' titlt rorrr OSHA .rrr.u tlircctor immecliutcll,. IIe Ina)'sr't1lc tltr. lnttter inlornlrllv rr,ithout thc tirnc and expense ol u lonlal hetring b..lorc rn ldrlinistrul ivt .jLrdge. If' lic docsn't bLry' r,or.rl p(,\ril()lr. \ ()u cut still prrr sur. a forrual uppcll. You've got 15 rvolking duvs ul'tcr vou re ceivr' :r notice of' the pr()p()se d penaltl (trot .lusi the

Hcrrqucrrl-lrVolfe Lnmber Co.

The Merchanl Magazlne citation itscll-) in which to rcqLrL'st il cortir-rr'ltec ltltd,r()t file a tornral lppcal.

Neu' OSIIA lulings pe rnrit lre a directot s to crlcrtd abatcnrcrtt-ol-hlzard dcldlirrcs u1 any tinre- i-rrr It'lsrrttlble causc'. ('lrr'ck rritir vour lri-'u dilcctor right urvuf il'a e^otttplianct' olliccr sticks vou r','i1h l schedulc vou kuow can't bc lne t. ,\sk for acidil ionll tirnc later i1' supplicr delays prccltrdc irrstlllation on sclrcdLrlc. Dcln't.jtrst lsk ILrl rL'rsol)rblc tirrre. though; back Lrp \'our reqLrcst *itlr l spccilic conunitnrcnl you can ll)cet.

|l|s ilill0 cal|$ t'lin ll|s Br0 PR0HI$|

Famowood

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