A new generation at the helm

EOR the first time in its history. r the Lumher Jlerchants Assn. of Northern California has elected the son of a former president as president. Gordon Knott, the new president for I973-74 is thc son of Hamilton Knott, a past president; their firm is Yosemite Lumber Co. of Fresuo. Jim Webber, Hubbard & Johnson, is the immediate past president. Ham Knott, incidentally. received special recogni- tion during the LMA's 33rd annual convention {or his 25 years of service to both the industry and the association.

Other new officers elected were Joe Mayfield, Mendo Mill & Lumber, Ukiah, as lst vp.; Jerry DeCou. Hagle De Cou Lumber, Atascadero, 2nd. vp. and Bruce Pohle, secretary for 1973.

An outstanding panel discussion on hiring and retaining good employees

()tD & l{EW, immediate past prez. (l) Jim Webber passes gavel to new LMA chief Gordon Knott. 0) Francis Christiansen, LMA exec. veep Harry Mendenhall, (3) Elsie and Clair Hicks. (4) Jim Froggatt presenting Jim Webber with Alaskan redwood burl. (5) El Haunschild. Steve and Buck Yaeger. (6) Phil Edmunds, new [.MA staffer. (7) Eugene Hannum, Joe Mayfield. (8) Don Jans, David Hicks. (9) Harry Mendenhall, Phil kicked off the business sessions at convention I{Q, the Sahara Tahoe Hotel at Lake Tahoe, Nev.

Panelists were Elmer Rau, Madera Lumber; Ross Ingraham, Vestern Pine Supply Co.; Howard Graulich, Hayward Lumber, Salinas; Bill Grieve, Building Materials Distributors, and Herb Eaton. Minton's Lumber, who began the discussion by noting that they attract help through

Mork of the Wisc. assn. (10) Win Logan, Bud Robey, Fred Tremblay. (11) Len Viale. (12) Bob Butcher, Bob Kimble, Hudson Lee. (13) Bud Spencer. (14) Jim and Bish Froggatt. (15) Nancy Hayward, Bob, Betty Kimble. (16) Homer Hayward, Polly Mullen, Barbara Hicks. (17) Hamilton and Lenore Knott, N$,*, classified ads, using a box number and requesting a resume. High school and college students are also used and they ask reps to advise them of anyone looking for employment.

At the time of interviewing they request a drivers license, tell prospects about company benefits (a sizeable bonus to established employees that runs as high as gl50 per month) and a profit sharing plan for those in their employ for more than 5 years. Other inducements are health and life insurance, buying at discount and medical and dental programs.

Bill Grieve sees serious trouble for those who don't innovate in recruit- ing and keeping people. Additional methods of finding new people are informing your own employees, in. terviewing personnel dept. rejects from other firms, employment agencies (be careful, they're only in it for the commission), service clubs, ministers and your own general contacts.

Communicate with your employees, Griwe advised. If you must hire yogr son, make him work so that he earns respect, not commands it. Don't have favorites, have integrity with em. ployees so that they can believe you, avoid politics and gossiping" and, he added, hear only about dishonesty and turn a deaf ear to other human failings unless they hurt the firm.

Formal training schools received poor marks from Grieve, who feels (Continued, next page)

Story sI q Glqnce

Big otfendonce for LMA, onnuol thot feotured presentotions on employees, OSHA, monufocturers ond deolers, monufocturer ond supplier disploys ond economic trends next yeor's meeting will be ol Silverodo, Moy 5-7.

(Continued lrom Page 7 ) rctention is too poor to warrant the linrc and e\pense. I sc association and suliplier tlaining programs, as rvcll as on-the-job training. he urged.

Howard Graulich told thc well attended mceting that tht'v put thcir company name in the classificd ads thcy nrn. then use a very comPrehensivc form to rveed out who they rvant. Intervieu's and an in-depth physical exam complete the process.

Trainees begin at $3 per hour, are on a 3 month's trial and only later becomc eligible {or a monthly salary and company benefits. Department heads carn $700-$800 per month plus a bonus equal to a month's salary. Inct'ntives include parties, barbeques and a borvling team.

Wcstern Pine Supply's Ross Ingraham obser-ved that each company has different problems and guestioncd wl'rat it costs to har,c a poor cmployee. In set:king college mcn. they put a man on campus and later administcr a written test, "though we're not sure we're all that hot {or testing," Ingraham observed.

A il-6 months trial period begins rvith new men stationed at their Woodland distribution yard. Trainees are not trcated as special in any way and are made to feel they must earn a place on the team. "We expose them to all phases of the business," he said.

Compensation Plan

The firm's compensation plan has received a lot of thought, Ingraham noted: sales are alwal's on an incrntive basis, the-v don't overload their men rvith reports to fill out or oversupervise them. Therc is no profit sharing or retirement. "We must provide him the opportunity," he stressrd.

Elmer Rau noted that employees seek job security. They hire from the high schools, often preferring a hard rvorking "C" student to one who gets "A"s but didn't have to work for tht:m. Service club referrals have rvorked rvell for them.

Their graduated profit sharing be- comes fully vested after l0 years' While they pay {or l0 days per year for sickness, they also have a $200 bonus {or anyone without a day lost to illness, $180 bonus for those who have one day out sick, etc. It is reportedly a most effective device. He acknowledges that their long-tenure people arc expensive, but feels that their contacts and expertise justi{y the expense.

Rather than firing employees, he has in thc past given them time to seek "a job lvhere they can improve and better themselves." This extended in one case to actually subsidizing the man in his new job for a year at $100 per month.

In the question and answer period. Bill Grieve observed that "unions are the mother of discontent." and that they don't have incentive or profit sharing with their union people. Whcn employees are tempted to leave, he counseled telling them of the benefits they now enjoy as contrasted with

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