No. Galif. dealers meet

I T rrrust be the l'irst tirrre it's ever I h:rpperred. but thc rain rhat shortened tlre annual golf tournanrent actually got a round of applause at the recent Lurnber Mercltants Association of Nurtlrern Califbrnia's 37th annual convcn tion.

To nrcrnbers frorrr the driest oarts trl thc Goldcn Stale. tltut ruirr lookctl rnighty good. But being enthusiastic. sonre nrauaged to get in play anyway. Beating tlre rairr was Horner Hayward, Hayward Lunrber. wlto sank a hole-inone. He relates, "l thought I was pretty calnr atierward, but I did shoot a seven on the next hole."

Held in Monterey, on the central California coast, tlte 3-day May gathering went ()n to a Western BBQ the evening fbllowing the golfing.

OSHA ofllcial Ron Rinaldi opened the second day activities by reviewing the law behind the Occupational Safety and Health Act, its penalties (up to $20,000 and a year in jail tbr serious violations) and the conclusion that if ''you nrake a reasonable and sirtcere effort to cotnply. you have nothing to fcar frorn us." lle notcd that of the l5 crinrinal conrolaints CAL/OSHA lrls lllcel irr the lasi rhrcc years, uone has been against luurber deale rs or wholesale rs.

A nranufacturers panel rnoderated by Bob Mullen, Arrnstlong World Industlies, then convened to psych out costs/availability ol nraterials in '77.

Leading off was Fred Schweizer, a top v.p. for Arrnstrong, who sees a srtrall upswing lbr lurnber and building ntaterials, better than general retail. He leels that cornpanies will need ll% annual growth to keep pace with the gencral econoltry ifit runs ar a 6% inllation rate.

Larnon Lurnber's Ralph Lanron foresees an adequate supply ofrnoney available, at tavorable rates; strong denrand; production and costs up; log supply crinrped; and no long strikes or' controls likely.

But another Monongahela situation or a drastic reduction in the allowable cut by the Departntent of the Interior

Shafer. (10) Don Koch, could write a new scelrario. Additionally, a severe strike in Canada coupled with very strong dcnrand in this country could also spell trouble. llis conclusion was that lurnber prices will be steady and rising, but subject to sharp drops.

Simpson Building Supply's Le rr Viale said his conrpany would havc good product availability this ycar and noted that as Canadian pinc arrd spruce and Southcrn ycllow pinc trke lurore ol'the E,astern and Middle Western rrrarkets, rnorc lunrber stays in the West, increasing availability. Thcre is rro redwood shortage now. Vialc said. but there will be il' the Redwood National Park is explndcd as tlre prcservationists urge. Plywood production will be up. but supply will still be short. His cor)sensus lbr '77: an adequate supply at higher priccs. Rclating tlre renrarkable irrcrease in housing stalts in Nortlrern Calitbrnia in the first three nrontlrs of'this ycar as opposed to tlte sanre period a year ago (2(r,000 vs. 15,000) Frank Franciscovich, Charnpion Building Products, opined that products will still be available. He urged dealers to investigate new wood-based products conring orr the rnarket, partly as a rcsult ol' srnaller logs, to see if the new products can do a betterjob in nreeting custonrer needs than nlore farniliar itenrs.

Gil

Fiberlas' Fry Rooling Div. advised dealers to nraintain a good rooting inventory because the re-roofing ntarkct will soar when the rains retunt. Renrodeling continues to grow in the re-roofing business, he said. adding tllat consuuters (DlY) want a better class ol- product. heavier, and rnore stylish. Price is not the prinrary decision factor.

Anothel possible lrike in stecl prices in '77 was lilrecast by RichaLd Strorrg of' Pucific Steel and Supply. lrnport and re-bar prices "probably" won't rise. Gypsunr insulation priccs wcre seen increasing about 2Wr.

An extra on the progrartr was a preselllation by Arcata Redwood's Jirn Sharurn who brief'ed ntelnbers on tlte current Rcdwood Natiorral Park situalion. Included was an inforrnation

Story at a Glance

Northern California dealer association 37th annual convention gets the real word on the Redwood National Park . . . supply and availability of materials in'77 . . . Bill Oberholser elected new president.

slidc show on rvlty thc park is ncither environrnentally nor cconorrrically desirable. Ile slrowcd horv indusfry lras already protected the park as rvell as preser.ring Irundreds of squarc acrcs of' standing redwoods.

He urged allto write to tlreir elected repfesentatives to try ilnd stop this latest ltresewationist land grab.

At the lbllowing lunchc.on. Gcorge Russell. president of tlte Natiotral Lunrber and Building Mrtcrial Dealers Association related ef'firrts dt 1hc national level to influence legislation favorablc to the industry and urged rnore involvernent by the dealers to prote ct their irrtercst when potentially detrinrenlal legislation surlaces.

The nreeting also elected a new slate of ot'ficers firr the 1977-78 year. Tlte new president is Bill Obcrholser of Pacitlc llorrrc Inrproventent Center, San Luis Obispo; lst v.p. Herb Eaton, Mintons Lunrbcr' & Supply. Mt. View; 2nd v.p. Clydc Strouss. Flirlax Lunrbcr, Fairfax; treasurer Brucc Pohle, Southern Lunrber Co.. San Jose: and re-elected exec. v.p. was Hrrry Mendenhall.

A clealer to dealcr panel session thc next day was set lbr dealers frour threc Western states. All top notclr people , they covered a nurnber of current artd continuing industry proble'nrs ancl gave exarrrples of' how they had attucked and solved (usually) tlre problenrs that had croppe d up in their rnarketing urea.

NEWLYWE0S of one week (1) Don and Kay McCann, M&S Building Supply, Monterey. Exec. v.p. of LMA (2) Harry Mendenhall, Marge and George Russell, current pres. of the national dealer assn. {3) Jim 0akley, Craig Gaffney. (4) Mary Jane and Charley Culver. (5) Roy Parsons and Dale Winslow. (6) Paul and Sheila Herrfeldt. (7) Marcia and Wayne Stowbridge. {8) Bob Close, Tom McCallum, John Sheltren, Jim Sharum. (9) Ralph Lamon, Fred Schweizer, Bob Mullen, Bill 0berholser at podium. (10) Paul and Anne Ward. (11) Shirlee and Gil McDaniel, Gary Hatfield, Frank Franciscovich. (12) Linda and Jim Price. Earle Johnson. (13) lke and Mary Lu Parker, Jean and Monie Tarte. (14) Dick and Marilvn Cameron, Cathv and Sam Tarantino.

Sluted to appear werc Larly Ilanrrrtarr. I{anrrnan Lunrber. Prescott, Az.: Morric Tarte, Bellingharrt Sash and Door, Be llingharn, Wa.; Bob Slettcdahl. Lurnbernren's of Washington. Shelton. Wa.; Ike Parker. Parker Lurnber. Brenrcrton, Wa.; and Bill Cowling, Dixic-

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