LDTTDRS

We welcome your letters to the editor. Just FAXyour comments about the magazine or particular articles to 714-8520231 or mail to Editor. The Merchant Magazine, 4500 Campus Dr., Ste. 480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660.

Wholesale Iiorrors

I can't help myself. I must send along a comment or two on the April editorial [on wholesaling] ("Doin7 So Muchfor So Liule," p.6).

Do you really think we wholesalers are doing enough? Let's look at a bit of the demands on us:

Start with deliveries-not just the next day-try appointments at 4 a.m. What does your truck do for the next three hours until the other customers open up?

We are expected to carry an unlimited amount of inventory-which always must be fresh-while there is no guarantee of the order.

We are expected to come to the stores every month or two to train their staffwho in 60 days are gone.

We are expected to pick up any items that were overordered due to too manY people buying.

We spend hours coaching people at the store how to quote, only to have special run material retumed to us because that's not what the buyer thought he ordered.

We must pick up even one off grade board and give credit-if that is what the customer wants.

All this, my friend, only to have the customer you have slaved for and the mill you have served get together. Now, they don't need you. The mill ends up raising their grade and lowering their price and now they try to figure out this thing called "service!"

Enough, enough! I must go out and help the crew barcode another load of lx2.

Life is like a box of chocolates!

Been there-done that!

(Name withheld by request)

A Touch Ofhumor

Just a little note to let your staff know they were slipped a laugher ("Personals," April p. 23).

"Melton Snow (melting snow) is winter specialties mgr. (a by-product of winter) at Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv. (get real), according to owners Hugh Mungus (very, very large) and Freddy Fungus (first cousin of Al Coholic)."

I believe nobody has parents that sadistic.

Ken Welch Dyke Industries, Inc.

301 Evans Rd.

New Orleans, La.70123

Actually, Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus have kept Merchant Magazine readers abreast monthly of personnel changes at their company for the last 18 years. Just look for the last item every month in the " Personals" column.

Editor

Structural Plastic Lumber?

The Plastic Lumber Trade Association has launched a three-year, $1.8 million campaign to develop technologies for structural uses of plastic lumber.

The association has formed a research alliance between plastic lumber manufacturers and state and federal government agencies, managed by Battelle Memorial Institute. to create optimized, recycled plastic lumber products to the structural marketplace.

The initial areas of product focus will include residential decking, material handling and marine applications.