NHIC-NRA FAMOWOOD Merger Suspended

The National Home Improvement Council and the National Remodelers' Association have discontinued merger discussions and NHIC has announced plans for its own convention ea rly in 1979 , dates and location to be announced shortly.

Merger into a new organization, to be called the National Home Improvement Association, had been in discussion for two years. The merger was to have been effective May I' 1978, contingent on a satisfactory conclusion to certain contractual and financial matters.

The merger plan also called for an exchange of financial records. NHIC did submit its financial records to NRA for inspection. NHIC has not yet received NRA's figures'

Big Arizona Convention

(Continued fron page Is ) tailer's attitude that ran off the customer.

Kulynych described the company's long time policy of sharing profits through various methods with its employees as a way of involving them and helping build the business to its present size. An ESOP was begun in January ofthis year.

Following Kulynych on the fastpaced program was William Hagenstein, exec. v.p., Industrial Forestry Association, Portland, Or., who reviewed the damage to lumber and other wood products supply caused by the federal government's RARE II, the Roadless Area Review and Evaluation.

Describing RARE II's potential to permanently tie up millions of otherwise productive timberlands for wilderness-only use, Hagenstein said .,We are surely heading down the road for an artificial timber shortage not only in our time, but for the next two or three generations, if we don't quit fooling around with things like RARE II.

"Somewhere, somehow, someone must have enough guts to stand up and say, 'we need to use most of the land in our National Forest for the growing of timber, grazing of domestic animals and wildlife and making them available with roads for all the recreation they can provide,' " he said.

"For ten years," he said, I have been telling Congress that it is perpetuating a national disgrace by not demanding the Forest Service to get off its tail and salvage as much as possible of the six billion board feet of timber which is lost each year on Western National Forests (exclusive of Alaska) to old age, disease, wind and fire. Today the Forest Service is salvaging less than ten percent of this huge loss which is more than half the total timber it sells each vear."

"We never need to be a net importer of timber into the United States, he added, but noted that despite President Carter's apparent agreement with timber industry aims, administration advisors are working to block increased harvesting in the National Forest and were seekine additional wilderness designations.

FIRST FAMILIES: (l-r) Maye and Frank Davis, exec. v.p. of the Arizona Lumber & Builders Supply Assn.; Peggy and Jim Barlow, outgoing president of AL&BSA.

Bussey, a Renton, Wa., sales counselor, who spoke on the importance of confidence and building self-esteem to help toward better and more effective selling.

Bussey brought home the point that to be a successful salesperson, it was vital to persevere in the face of life's difficulties. A proper, positive attitude was a habit he urged them to adopt, noting its important role in decision making.

Reinforcing the idea that "people (Please tum to page 26 ) I

IFYOU'RE IJOOIffiG FORA DOUBLE ENDTRIITT sAW.. look first to the leader. NORFIELD Manufactures a complete line of precision pre-hung door making machinery. Our engineering expertise is reflected in every unit we manufacture. Our Model 1020 double end trim saw is the safest - most versatile casing and brick mould cutter available. lt's hopper-fed and fully automatic ... engineered for high performance and minimum maintenance. Optional features like kerfing and jamb dadoing capabilities make it the most flexible double end trim saw made.

Following a break for lunch, members heard a sales seminar by Troy

KENT MOXEY executive secretary

TUe Retail Lumber Dealers FounI dation has just issued a new directory of lumber dealer oriented audio-visual merchandising and employee training programs available for those using the LaBelle system.

There is more lumber dealer oriented material available for the LaBelle machine than any other audio-visual equipment. This 46 page directory can help you get maximum benefit from your LaBelle unit for the en- lightenment of your customers, education of your employees and improvement of your business.

Copies of the directory can be obtained at no charge from our association office. If you would like to purchase a LaBelle, they are available through the association office at a substantial discount.

We have received a summary of the new Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and how it might apply to retailers from the national lumber dealers association. Any member wishing a copy, just let us know; phone number of this office is at top of this column.

High lumber prices because of ever increasing restrictions on harvesting timber on the national forests was the main topic of concern at the lumber dealers conference with Congress held recently. level. Efforts will be made to develop a compromise model law to counter the one approved by the American Bar Association.

Since then, thanks to a Gerogia lumber dealer who has direct contact with the President and other people in the White House, five of the top wheels of the national lumber dealers association had two conferences with members of the White House staff and key people of the Office of Management and Budget. Topic was timber supply.

The conference on Mar. 31. was presentation of a detailed brief encouraging increase of allowable cut, cutting salvage timber, better forest management, completion of RARE II on time, lowering logging road costs, etc.

President Carter, in a speech on anti-inflation measures. has since recommended expansion of the timber harvest, while meeting multiple use objectives, to provide lumber at lower prices.

CHUCK LINK executive director

I ason LAW Reform legislation,

L S. 246'1 , is under floor consideration in the U. S. Senate.

A recent economic analysis of this legislation has been released by Pierre Rinfret, an international economist. The study warned of dire inflationary consequences resulting from increased unionization.

It was found that each 10% increase in unionization would result in an additional 3% increase in the inflation rate. It was also shown that as a result of passage of the bill there would be an estimated lO% increase in manufacturing wage costs.

Finally it pointed out the severe economic consequences that small business would face particularly in the "make whole" provisions of the bill where extremely expensive settlements could be placed on smaller business.

Now is the time to call, wire and write your Senators expressing opposition to the bill and support for the anticipat e d S e nate fili bus te r.

President Gordon Gerretsen, national director Ray Blackstock and executive director Chuck Link attended the NLBMDA Board of Directors meeting and Conference with Congress March 14-16 in Washington, D.C.

The NLBMDA Board reconfirmed action to defeat or amend the Uniform Simplifications of Land Transfers Act, which includes a proposed Model Lien Law, before it is introduced at State douglas fir, hem-fir, ponderosa pine sugar pine, western red cedar and incense cedar plus a wide range of industrial items in those species. cedar, hem-fir and douglas fir studs in all grades, 6' to 8'. truck and trailer & carloads

The board also approved a resolution to urge the International Conference of Building Officials to reject a proposal to require all fabricators of specified types of trusses to come under control of their prefabricated components program.

The issues discussed with Congres- sional representatives from Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Idaho were: Lumber shortages and rising pricesasked Congress to act quickly and decisively to increase the supply of timber from Federal forests.

Labor Law "Reform" - S. 2467, - urged Senators to vote against this highly proJabor bill.

Taxation - discussed the need for sound tax provisions in support of tax reductions and items to encourage job-creating capital formation as opposed to "Tax Reform" items that only bog down the needed tax reductions for business as well as individuals.

Big Arizona Convention

(Continued from page 23) buy from people," Bussey left the retailers with the concept that much sales effort boils down to either what benefit will the buyer get or what loss will he avoid if the sale is concluded.

A panel discussion on the three Ms - money, marketing and management - moderated by David Cutler, editor publisher of The Merchant Magazine followed. Tieing in with the convention theme of coping with change, Cutler noted the development of the home computer and the possibility of buyers using closed circuit tv from their homes as two future developments to watch and offered some possible effects their usage might present.

Panelist William Adams, gen. sales mgr. of Armstrong Cork's ceiling div., suggested that retailers select a certain part of their market area and specialize in it. He noted that it was generally impossible for the independent dealer to compete across the board with a mass merchandiser. He saw the single's great strength as professional service and urged its use as a way to compete successfully.

The president of the National Association of Home Builders. Emest

Becker, forecast 1978 as the eighth best year for housing in U.S. history, despite a l0% drop in housing starts; a continuing materials shortage this year, fewer single family starts and a short and shallow dip in the building cycle next year.

He urged that all associations involved in the housing industry work together to get politically involved and to cooperate to further private enterprise.

Financial expert Paul Eskew, v.p. of First Federal Savings and Loan, Tucson, described the current housing finance problem in Arizona as a two-fold situation: (l) not enough money in the state to meet demand and (2) government competition in the money markets with the lending institutions for the available capital.

Higher interest rates were "inevitable" this year, Eskew said, adding that he expects the federal govemment to offer zubsidized interest rates to builders. This was done several yean ago during the "credit crunch" of the early 1970s.

He said that he expects the Arizona legislature to pass and Gov. Babbitt to sign a bill raising the present Arizona usury rate of lVo to l2Vo. The local (Please turn to page30 )

Arizona

Housing Upturn Seen in'79

A "significant" recovery in U.S. housing construction should start in mid-1979 after a relatively shallow dip in the last half of this year and ltrst half of 1979, top executives of Georgia-Pacific Corp. have forecast.

April was the biggest building material sales month in G-P history, they noted, and the company expects to sell more lumber this year than it did during the 1977 housing boom.

Remodeling will approach $40 billion this year in the U.S., continuing to move toward equality with new residential construction while commercial and industrial construction will also help offset the anticipated moderate downturn in conventional housing.

Three new G-P plywood plants plus a major expansion will add nearly half a billion sq. ft. to company capacity this year and next. G-P will have to continue substantial outside purchases of plywood to keep pace with customer demand, however.

U.S. Needs New Housing

Between 22 and 30 million new homes and apartment units will have to be built or rehabilitated during the next 10 years to meet the nation's basic housing needs, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

The projection takes into account such factors as the anticipated rate of new household formations, annual loss of units from the housing inventory, and estimated number of Americans now living in substandard housing.

NAHB identifies inflation, housing's typical boom and bust cycles, strong opposition to residential growth in many local areas; periodi- shortages of mortgage money and declining supplies of developable land, lumber and other natural resources as serious problems that could throttle housing production in the future.

REDWO0D Design-a-Deck sections fitted around landscaping and yard contours creates rugged outdoor playroom that keeps kids up off the ground and close to home. according to California Redwood Association newspaper publicity this spring and summer. Retailers are urged to stock plans kits with construction heart, construction common and merchantable redwood grades to meet this year's strong redwood deck demand. Sample 0esign-a'0eck Plans Kit and retail promotion aids are available for $2.50 from the CRA, Dept. DDK-8, 1 Lombard St., San Francisco, Ca.94111'

New D& R Dry Kilns

Dant & Russell. Inc. has cornpleted new dry kilns and a stcarr gencrating plant at its Warrenton sawntill cclrnplex near Astoria, Or.

Thc new kilns and stearl plant reDresent an invesltilcnt of Sl.5 nrillion according to Seth J. iotteL. Drnt & Russell prcsident. The annual capacity of the nerv kilns is -50 rrrillion board feet.

With the new ki1ns, Dant & Russell is cxpanding its nrarket area for ki.ln dried Westcrn hertrlock to a l0 state area in the Midwest and Soutltwcst. TIte hcnrlock dintcnsion lumber is plastic-paper wrappcd witli strong Dant & Russell brand identification and shippcd by truck and rail flat cars.

The constant rrsing tentper.aturc drying proccss is entployed in the nerv kihis rvhiclt tvcrc built and installed by Irvington-lv{oore. PoLtlln d.

The steanr gencrating plant ernploys the rnost rnodern, efficient boilcr availablc and provcn. cfficient systems to prevent pollution. It burns green or dry hog fue1.

Because our business is expanding, The Merchant Magazine has moved to larger quarters. adjacent to the offices we've occupied in recent years. The only change in our address is from suite 476 to suite 480. Our correct new address is The Merchant Magazittc, 4500 Campus Drive, suite 480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660.

To our readers and advertisers, thanks for making this growth in the magazine possible.

NAW's New Logotype

The National Association of Wltolesale r-Distributors (NAW) has modernizcd its logotype. tlic visual syntbol of the Washington.f).C.bascd national trade organization.

Thc new logo will be of'value to NAW in representing ltself before government, industry and consumers as "the N ational Voice of Wholesale Distribution." The new mark, was selected for its "modernity and readability. "

Mtional Association of WholesalerDistributors

The national voice of wholesale distribution

Transition to the new logo will be accornplislied gradually, officials said. All nerv ntaterials gcnerated by the association will also bear the new syntbol.

The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors is a federation of 109 national cornrrrodity line associations representing nearly 40.000 firnrs in the wholesale distribution industrv.

(Continued from page 26 )

Tucson housing market should be better in '79 than '78, but still below last year, Eskew forecast.

Wrap-up panelist Tom Wood, president of Wood Bros. Lumber Co., Tucson, urged the independent dealer to change, citing the fact that it was essential as the independent is the backbone of free enterprise.

Wood said the local dealer must (l) keep his perspective, he can compete with larger companies successfully; (2) look ahead, plan for big and little events and act accordingly;(3) analyze your business, then develop the systems required to effect needed changes.

Next moming, May 20, a wellattended session heard Arizona Congressman Eldon Rudd describe the National Wilderness Act of 1974 u a ''national disaster," calling it "stupid and selfish," a vast wildembss for backpackers only.

The freedom of America." He added that "wage and price controls are the effect and not the cause of inflation; government is."

Congressman Rudd noted that the Department of Housing and Urban Development admitted it had paid out $7 billion in fraudulent claims last year, which is more than the total of all the taxes paid in Arizona by both corporations and individuals in 1977.

AMERICAN HARDWOOD

COM PANY, I N C' rsince 1e141 Complete mitl facilities Wholesale and lndustrial 121317494235 MAf LING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 2224 Los Angeles, Ca 90051' YARD & OFFICE: 1900 E. 15th St., Los Angeles90021