in one of t m arkets

Mullin, who attended Stanford University, majored in mnomicso with a rninor in military science and tactics; he was on an NCAA championship tennis team and is now I me,rnb€r of the Southern California Tennis Assn.

"Originally I didn't lcnow what I wanted to do, but I thought I didnot want to be in the lumber business," he remarks about his attitude when beginning his career. He was then working for Pan American Airlines. But later, when he got involved with the operation of the Tarzana Lumber Co., the lumber busines€ captured his interest, He's been hooked ever since.

nityp it is not likely that they will change it soon, if at all.

Mullin thinks the key to the sucoesa of his business is ttpeople . we have great people working in our organization, and they pull together in a team efrort," He feelg location, syrtems and merchandi,ging are important, but says nothing takes the place of good, oonscientious employees.

For several years, Terry Mullin has been active in the National Lumber and Building Material Dealer's Assn. He is first-vice-president of NLBMDA and a direct dealer member of its Industry Development Div.

REll0DEtlllG features a Cotor Center-everp thing you always wanted to firmrr dout paint- iry (toplef0. Kitchen ad bath remoieling

"You have to like the lumber business to succeed in southern California,o' he claimg o'There's heavy competition."

His firm has definite expansion plans for the next several years. They are presently in negotiation to pur. chase one lumber yard, and they are looking for other locations.

The yards stock more or less the same items, priced alike and pur. chased centrally. Accounting is broken down into two mbin parte-lumber and merchandise. Lumber saleg are subdivided into plywood, dimension lumber and finishd lumber. The merchandise categodes are toola, paints and sundries, kitchen and bath,

(totrriglt0 has entire bathroom units. A variety of doors (lower.lef0 arc ottered shopgers. Itrullids friedly animal trademarl graels doit plumbing and electricel, windowe and doors. floors and ccilings, yard ner. chandiseo and store hard*ere.

The firm sells rernodding paekage+ but no applianees or installation, Kit' chen units sell well, Mullin obcerv€& Two items that haven't mld well are garden supplies and picture framing materials. Some sales are eeaeonal, such as paint sales in the Spring; but the changes are offsetting and not a factor.

All three yards are located on rail. road spurs, Size of the yards varies, with Burbank the largest, Northridge and Tarzana" medium sized. Burbank and Tarzana locations are open six days a week, Northridgen sweir.

Although the yards are located in the San Fernando Valley, they deliver outside of it, All deliverie bear a de. livery charge. Credit eard pwcha*s gre accepted and the 6rm has its own charge plan, but not on a revolving basis.

Mullin credits much of his company's improvement and changing direction directly to his involvenrent in the NLBMDA. He would like eom* day to build a lumberyard "Iro'm scratch" using sorne oI the ideas and new concepts he has learned from hig involvement with tbe NLBMDA In. dustry Development Div.