Arizona's 55th

NERGY, its conservation, and wood's role in the entire energY wef ion nicture dominated the conservation picture dominated t recent annual convention of the Arizona Lumber & Builders SuPPIY Association.

Carrying on a theme that has been in the forefront of many association programs this year (see The Merchant, May, p. 8-9) the 55th annual was headlined: "Wood: EnergY's Best Friend."

Anchoring the three-daY Tucson gathering was a lengthy afternoon panel discussion that explored in depth the possibilities of more profitable wood merchandising by selling its energy efficient qualities. Moderated by Ray Harrell, v.p., National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Assn., it featured a professor, a representative from the local gas company, an insulation marketing man, a builder and an expert in industry association work.

Walter Stroud of Owens Corning enthusiastically described the new

"Arkansas Plan" and others like it conserve energy and dramatically cut utility bills as

"biggest advance in building since indoor plumbing." He noted that it was an opportunity for builders to sell a lower homeowner operating cost, observing that no new materials were needed nor major code change problems to be overcome.

Jon Guenther, Tucson Gas &

Story at a Glance

Arizona association's 5sth annual discusses the energy saver home and how wood merchandising can tie in with it; the Monogahela crisis; and government's effect on business and what it costs.

Electric, described their serious efforts to conserve electric and gas supplies, noting that there may have to be future residential curtailments of sas due to declining supply. Gas shortales may also result in less new home construction, a situation similar to the recent moratorium that was declared when they were unable to provide gas hookups.

Lee Michels, Arizona State Univer- sity, forecast that the All-Weather Wood Foundation (AWWF) would replace concrete foundations in the Southwest. Advantages beside cost savings noted were their weather tight quality and their ability to be installed in virtually any weather.

Builder Peter Herder stressed that the market determines, finally, what a builder will build. The public is now beginning to ask for the electric energy conserving home and is interested (before buying) as to consump- tion rates of water and other utilifv bill costs.

He said the public is beginning to seek information on energy saving and can be educated further about the importance of energy efficient homes.

Ross Kincaid, director of the Western Building Material Association,s Learning Resource Center, told dealers they were especially well positioned in the marketplace to sell wood's value and its energy attributes. Set a goal to (1) sell more wood, more pro- fitably; (2) plan, budget and get sales tacts tiom readily avai,lable association literature, he urged.

"Help your people to sell with confidence," Kincaid said, "advertise and promote, distribute technical materials to staff and public and have idea centers."

The keynote address of the conven- tion was delivered by Bob Stermitz, v.p., Southwest Forest Industries. Phoenix, who updated the ongoing "Monongahela Crisis" and noted that its solution must lie with Congress. Describing the difficulties of achieving legislation that makes sense in an (PLease turn to page +a) flWhen the world's economy was at its bleakest and you couldn't find anyone who would say a good word for the future?

P00tslDE PARTY found (1) Marv Setzer, George Bothfuss, immediate past president, Louise (Mrs. Dale) Grabe. (2) New pres. Charles Ray and Frank Davis, exec. v.p. of the asociation. (3) Mike Medigovich, Bernice and Ray Lopp. (4) Carl Bastian, Rod Morrison, Wayne Cundiff. (5) George Rothfuss, Hon. John Conlan, U.S. Representative from Arizona. {6) Baseball's "Jocko', Conlon, father of convention speaker Bep. John Conlon and Jim Barlow. (7) John King, Jay 0'Malley, Ralph Rundle. (8) At Schechter, Ace Mason. (9) Maye Davis, Dean Drake. (10) Peter Adams, Tom Bogers, Al Cron. (ll) Earl and Betry Jean phillips, Ross Kincaid, Aram Mardian. (12) Buck Logan, Leo Meyer. (13) John Newcomb, Jim Sullivan, Ron Walker. (14) Larry Hamman, Virg Hunt. (15) Dave Mason, 0on Lue. (16) Duncan Hossack, Carroll 0uncan, Gene York. (17) Frank See, Jim Cox, Jim Young, John King, Don Fink, Bob Mosby. (18) Sam Birdsong, Mike 0'Malley, Greg Butler. (19) Jerry Chalupnik, Dale Grabe.

ITEMEMBER just a year ago?

Things are looking better now, but at Louisiana-Pacific Corp. they just may have captured a bit of oldfashioned American spirit that should help in good times and bad.

It's the Yes l4)e Can! approach to getting a job done: set the goal, make the plan, believe you can achieve it... and then go at it.

The company is quick to point out that this positive philosophy has always been basic to its principles. But it took tough times to put it into words and good people to prove the taneible drive that created the nation and pioneered its frontiers still thrives.

That's what happened last Year when L-P management took a hard look at what domestic and world economies were doing to the company. They saw facilities running at little more than half capacity. Some employees were on short shift, some laid off. Tough management actions resulted in dividends to investors, but there was concern for the future.

L-P's top management realized one way to approach the future was with a challenge to employees that was formalized into a complete campaign. And "Yes We Can!" was born.

The challenge was for individuals to "make a difference" at every level of life, including family, job, the community and government. It began internally. L-P's chairman, Harry Merlo, announced the program with a letter to employees asking for a personal commitment to the "Yes l'le Can!" spirit.

Plant meetings were held and brochures distributed to reinforce and expand the concept. "Yes lle Can! T-shirts, lapel buttons and bumper stickers began appearing around L-P plants and ads were run in plant community newspapers and on selected local radio stations.

L "Yes lle Can!" song was written and recorded and copies made available.* A slide show was produced showing the impact of this positive spirit on individuals and the company. The campaign was underwaY.

Even the most enthusiastic advocates of the program were amazed at the response. Letters Poured in from every division I employees were concerned and eager to make their job and their plant more productive.

While much of the Program's spirit cannot be measured, some interesting "let's see just how much we can achieve" things began to happen.

Most employees understand that in times of cost squeeze and comPetition, productivity is vital to any business future. With that in mind, people operating L-P's sawmill at Greenville, Ca., gave an all'out effort to see what they could do. Result: a one-time production record onethird higher than the daily average. A more important result: the dailY production avercge at Greenville increased bv a full lO%.

But there is more to the "Yes We Can!" spirit than Production records. Letters and comments from employees indicated it is having a real impact on their way of thinking.

One California millworker said, "If everybody can get to be a Positive thinking type person, maYbe we can get this economy turned around."

Along with this change of attitude, plant managers are reporting significant improvements in product quality. That is a key element in productivity and vital to a companY's abilitY to compete for markets both at home and abroad.

Story at a Glance

Louisiana-Pacific's "Yes We Can! positive philosophy program yields amazing support, enthusiasm production increases result, productivity climbs . . . and there's even a Yes We Can! T-shirt.

Meanwhile, corporate headquarters in Portland, Or., is filling requests for Yes I{e Can! materials-posters, Tshirts, buttons, bumper stickers, sheet music and brochures. Many requests come from people outside the company and stockholders who have written expressing approval of the program because, as one letter said, ",..it's most refreshing to see a business leader saying what our politicians should be saying."

L-P executives are convinced theY are on the right track. They believe this program can give strength to the national purpose in the future.

Representatives of more than thirty companies have written asking for more information with an eye toward developing a similar program in their own organizations.

As a result, L-P produced aYes lile Can! kit which contains the plan, samples and a schedule for imPlementing the program. The kit is available for $35.

*There is no truth to the rumor that it is called the "Yes lle Can-Can"-ed.

For further information contact: Jerry Griffin, director of corporate communications, Louisiana-Pacific Corp., 1300 S.W. Fifth Ave., Portland, Or. 97 2Ol,(503) 22 I -0800.