D-l-Y reaches new heights

F O-IT-YOURSELF, once conEsidered limited to the blue collar. lor.r'er income homeowner, i: now reaching the more affluent neighborhoods, according to statistics released recently, with the typical d-i-yer a 48 year old man with a white collar position and an income averaging $28,000 per year.

These statistics coupled with the trend of homeou'ners to bu1' high quality merchandise n'ith the backing of a guarantee or warranty are bringing more manufacturers of top quali-

Story at a Glance

Typical d-i-yer is aff luent white collar worker . manufacturers cater to him high quality merchandise detailed step by step instructions.

t1- merchandise into the d-i-y bu si n ess.

Valli & Colombo, a company known for quality and craftsmanship in solid brass harduare, is an example of a manufacturer catering to the do-it-yourself er. The Italian manufacturer which distributes through Valli & Colombo (U.S.A.) makes available to retailers literature which clearly describes available cabinet and furniture hardu,are. passage and privacy locksets. In addition the catalog provides information on installation and standard door handing, something the average do-it-yourselfer knows little about.

The rules for handing, illustrated with sketches, explain that the hand of a door is always determined from the outside which means the outside of an exterior door is always the street or entrance door; the outside of a room door is a hall side; the outside of a single communicating door is the

The Merchant Magazine closed: the outside of a closet door is Ihe room or hall side.

The liter'ature * hich each Dart lllustrated; a lrst ot tools needed; step-b-v-step illustrated instructions for installation: a template; and plainly written limited warranty. In addition, the instruction folder carries an 800 telephone number which the panicky homeowner may call for further information.

To further facilitate the use of their product by the homeowner, the company, according to Dennis Daines, vice president and general manager, has made the passage and privacy sets fit into the standard cross bore and edge bore used in the United States for both new construction and the retrofit or after market. They also have devised use instructions which they term tricks of the trade and provided them to the home center retail outlets. These suggestions can be passed on to the consumer to help him solve door hardware problems and provide opportunities for increased sales for the dealer.

Wickes Co. has been striving /o ossure its creditors/suppliers following its recent filing of Chapter ll bankruptcy; reports indicate Wickes' difficulty in replacing inventory creditors are believed to number in the thousands; in Los Angeles, an early June creditors meeting is set for the huge Convention Center due to the number of persons involved Wickes' Builders Emporium retail subsidiary was included in the bankruptcy

Following a $50 millon fire that left 14 acres in ashes in Anaheim, Ca., the city council banned untreated wood shingle roofs; the blaze has brought widespread calls for changes in roofing codes ..

The International Trade Commission, part of the U.S. Commerce Dept., has concluded an investigation by finding that Canadian lumber is gaining U.S. market share because their timber costs ore lower thon U.S. mills' co,rrs.

Housing starts inched up a notch, the Sth increose in a row, during Mar. (latest figs.) the2.59o hike put the seasonally adjusted annual rate at 947,000 units; starts haven't reached the I million pace since last July . .

Starts on single family units were up 890, multis declined 6.6s/o activity picked up in the West from the previous mo. . . building permits for future construction rose 9.4T0, the fifth consecutive increase; it was still259o behind the year earlier . mortgage rates have fallen below l79o for the lst time this year

Palmer G. Lewis Co., Auburn, Wa., has reported sales up 169o for the fiscal year with 4th quarter results of $19.6 million compared to $22.2 million a year ago . . Boise Cascade, Boise, Id., had a net income of $5.6 million for the lst quarter, down 8590 .InternationalPaper reported a lst quarter decline of 59Vo to $60 million.

Southwest Forest Industries, Phoenix, Az., omitted its quarterly cash dividend with a lst quarter loss of $4.6 million Crown Zellerbach reported lst quarter earnings of $5.6 million ($18.4 million same periodlast year) with U.S. timber and wood products close to break even Weyerhaeuser, Tacoma, Wa., listed its net income as flat at $57 million. .

Put on Standard & Poor's Corp.'s CreditWatch list, Potlatch Corp., San Francisco, Ca., reported net income falling 440/o in 1981 with another hard year in sight PPG Industries, Inc., reported a 5690 drop in first quarter net income . . Kaiser Cement Corp., Oakland, C&., reported first quarter net earnings of $5.8 million, up from $3.4 million last year

Georgia-Pacific Corp., Portland, Or., with an accounting adjustment and the sale of tax benefits was able to report net income up 200V0 to $160 million in lst quarter Evans Products Co., Portland, Or., reported a loss of $8.9 million in the lst quarter with no second quarter dividend Louisiana-Pocific Carp., Portland, Or., reported an operating loss of $l1.8 million in the lst period, but with a change in accounting was able to report a net income of $3.1 million Champio n I n t e rnat io nal reported virtual break-even results with the solid wood business "abomin- able" . Willamette Indusffies reported its first loss in history

Ridgeco Trass is a new co. in Cloverdale, Ca., owned by Joe Bowman, Bowman Lumber Sales, an office wholesaler in Cloverdale, with Dennis Bostwick as gen. mgr. and Lloyd Egan, sales mgr. Bowman also opened a new sales office in Encinitas, Ca., headed by Hank Locy . The treating facilities of Cedarwood Forest Products, Inc., Dillard, Or., have been sold to Hoover Universal, Inc., Ann Arbor, Mi., while the mill at Hoquiam, Wa., has been retained and the trading office at Eugene, Or.,closed...

Mike Roach, Jim Elder and Dick Gaiennie have formed a new corp., Gaiennie West, Inc., in Arcata, Ca. Morgan Sash & Door Co., Denver, Co., has a new name, Rocky Mountain Millwork Corp. . . . Virginia Hardwood Co. is now representing John Boos & Co., Effingham, Il., for laminated hardrock maple kitchen counter tops in So. Ca., So. Nv., Az. and Hi. .TheA.L. Hoover Co. office, and the WendlingNathan So. Ca. office. have moved from San Marino, Ca.,to new offices in El Toro. Ca.

Fremont Forest Products, Whittier, Ca., has opened a new sales office in San Diego, Ca., managed by Carl Poynor South Bay Forest Products, Orange, Ca., has sold its Healdsburg, Ca., facility to a newly formed co,, Nu-Forest Products, which will operate under that name, no price revealed in the transaction . .

Roger Stainbrook has formed 4/S Lumber Co., in Yucaipa, Ca. . Cascude Empire Corp., a Portland, Or., based subsidiarY of AIFP Trading Group, has opened a Newport Beaeh, Ca., office with Frank Wright, mgr., Wayne Earley and Tenas Dejong

. . Palmer G. Lewis Co.'s Ponderoso Dlv. in Ca. and Nv. is lncense

The Merchant Magazine congratulatesthe successful launch of Building Products Digest, its sister publication.

The response to the initial issues proves the need and the value in having a regional magazine to serve the retail/wholesale/distribution levels of the l3 Southern states. Building Products Digest utilizes The Merchant Magazine time-proven format, developed over 60 years, to effectively serve its Southern audience. Reaction has been uniformly excellent.

Building Products Digest covers Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee.

If your interests include these l3 Southern states. for advertising (or to subscribe) please call or write Building Products Digest, 4500 Campus Drive, suite 480, Newport Beach, Ca.92660. (Zl4) 549-8393. A one year subscription is S2O; $36 for two vears. Advertising rates upon request.

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May

Manufacturerc Agents National Association - May 13, regional seminar, Marriott Hotel, Portland, Or.

Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman's Club - May 13, dinner and election of officers, Velvet Turtle, 530 E. 33rd St., Long Beach, Ca.

Olympic Logging Conference-May 13-14, annual meeting, Empress Hotel, Victoria, British Columbia.

Lumber Merchants Association of Northern California-May 13-15, annual meeting, Hyatt Regency, Maui, Hawaii.

San Joaquin Valley Hoo-Hoo ClubMay 14, annual sports day. Madera Golf & Country Club,Madera,Ca.

Rogue Valley Hoo Hoo-May 14, Grants Pass Open, Grants Pass Country Club, Grants Pass, Or.

National Forest Products Association-May 16-19, spring meeting, L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, Washington, D.C.

Arizona Lumber and Builders Supply Association .I0{aly 20-22 6l st annual convention, Little America Hotel, Flagstaff' Az.

Hoo Hoo-Ettes-May 20-T2, national convention, Red Lion Inn, Sacramento, Ca.

Humboldt Hoo-Hoo Club-May 22, picnic, Prairie Creek State Park, between Orick and Klamath, Ca. on Hwy. l0l.

Western Building Material Association-May 23-25, l8th annual all industry management conference, Red Lion Motor Inn-Riverside, Boise, Id.

North American Wholesale Lumber Association-May 23-26, 90th annual meeting, The Homestead, Hot Springs, Va.

JUNE

Northwest Hardwood AssociationJune 2-4, spring meeting, The Thunderbird, Kelso, Wa.

Northern California Section, Forest Products Research Society -June 3-4, spring meeting, Villa Hotel, San Mateo, Ca.

Willamette Valley Hoo Hoo-June 11' 4lst annual golf tournament, Eugene Country Club, Eugene, Or.

2nd Growth, Lumber Association of Southern CaliforniaJune 11-13, annual seminar, Rancho Bernardo, San Diego, Ca.

American Plywood Association-June 14-15' annual meeting, Thunderbird-Jantzen Beach Hotel, Portland, Or.

Los Angeles and Orange County Hoo-Hoo ClubsJune 17' grading seminar and mill tour, South Bay Forest Products, Orange, Ca.

Humboldt Hoo-Hoo ClubJune 24, Bay Blast aboard the "Madaket," Eureka, Ca.

JULY

National Housewares Manufacturen AssociationJuly 12-15, 77th semi-annual national housewares exposition, McCormick Place/McCormick Place West, Chicago, Il.

Western Red Cedar Lumber Association-Jdy 22-23, annual meeting, Bowman's Resort, Weeme, Or.

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