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Since 1869

HARRY MENDENHALL executive vice oresident Lumber Merchants Association of Northern California

1055 Lincoln Ave. San Jose, Ca.95125 (408) 295.4103 i:l:.:l'*iE:ft:Ililill{:1.,::i,:,! ii.i:$llll:Li:i:.ilil:l!:llliitlli:li:ilitl:::l::iiliil:Ltllliiil::il,; gpg BUSINESS is slow! Expenses tyare high! Belts musr be tighrened and you must work for every sale that is made. It is in times such as these that your trade association plays an important role.

At the present, trade associations are fighting city, county, state and federal law makers in attempts to beat down the continuing uncontrolled government spending. We fight with building officials who have little to approve or inspect so are busy making new codes. We try to get our federal legislators to understand the serious impact recession is having on our industry and encourage them to ease up on regulations and to help in finding ways to finance construction at reasonable interest rates. We do battle with the state over such ridiculous regulations as the Building Energy Performance Standards proposed by the State Energy Commission which will add another $3,000 to the cost of a home.

Your trade association anticipates your needs and attempts to develop programs to meet those needs. In recent months, as an example, employers have dismissed marginal employees. In doing so, employers found that the duties usually done by dismissed employees were not being accomplished since they had not been reassigned. Many dealers have called the association office requesting a job description manual. The association had none but in a matter of a few days a committee was formed to include dealers with operations that cover most industry jobs and a job description manual was produced.

Heavy use is being made of the association correspondence courses. Dealers who want their employees more knowledgeable and productive have enrolled them in these courses. No time away from the store is involved and the association provides a certificate for successful completion.

During times of tight economic controls, the impact of a close knit group in the retail trade can create the impact to stay alive.

Why it is then that as soon as there is a slight downward trend in the economy some dealers immediatelycancel membership in their trade associatiorr? These same dealers are probably the ones that cancel all advertising at a time when effective advertising is most needed. These dealers fail to recognize that association activities usually increase at times such as these and the cost is still there even though associations have also trimmed expenses to the bone. The free riders have the benefit of someone doing the work for them in their industry while they fail to pay rent for the space they occupy in the industry.

There are dealers in serious trouble. All of us can understand their problems and forgive them for dropping membership. These dealers usually have trimmed their own salaries or are living on what little profits they have left. It is the dealers that still have funds to make a couple of trips abroad each year but no funds for association dues that are the serious problem.

We cannot exclude manufacturers and suppliers from our discussion. Several suppliers and manufacturers have dropped membership. Retail dealers are disturbed that when things get a little tough, suppliers jump ship. All levels of the industry must stay together if the industry is to survive.