NEWS BMilEFS

As the worst railroad car shortage in the nation's history continues, the Interstate Commerce Commission has fined Conrail $2.3 million and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. $446,000 for failure to comply with its regs designed to ease the shortage .

While the boxcar situation has eased from earlier mos., flatcar supply in the l|est is likely to be tight this summer (see story, p.22) . . lilestern truckers are enjoying excellent business as shippers turn to hyw.transportation to move their forest products . .

The American Plywood Assn. has petitioned the ICC to use part of the new rail freight increase (see below) to buy new boxcars and repair existing ones . this summer's booming demand for grain cars continues to put supply pressures on most types of equipment

The railroads' recent tate increases of 4% nationwide (2% within the Southern territory) will further damage the competitive position of Western lumber, says the Western Wood Products Assn., which feels the hikes will make Western products too costly to compete in most Easternmarkets...

The Louisiana-Pacific offer to buy Fibreboard Corp. had been extended to the close of June, as this issue went to press, to cooperate with the Federal Trade Commission which is checking out the proposed merger . the Port of Long Beach, Ca., plans a 500,000-ton per year cement terminal to help ease the severe Western cement shortage

Housing starts hung in there above the magic 2 million mark in May -2.08* (latest figs.) despite a drop of 4.9% from April; bldg. permits declined 8.8Vo, to a projected annual rate of 1.59. the home builders assn. is now predicting 1.8 million housing starts in'78.

Apt. construction was off sharply, but single family bldg. slipped only a bit, from 1.5 to 1.48 million; the biggest drop was in the Northeast, with only a slight decline in the West. . the banks' prime loan rate is at 8 314%, highest since '75, which promises to further depress housing.

OrePac Building Products, Lake Oswego, Or., has enlarged its warehouse by 25,000 sq. ft . . Superior Building Supply, Soldotna, Ak., has had a Grand Opening for its new store Pacitic Yard Service plans a fall opening for its big Tigard, Or., distribution center . .

Palmer G. Lewis Co. is addins 51,200 sq, ft. to its Auburn, Wa] warehouse. Randall Lumber Co. is building a multi-acre distribution yard in Huntington Beach, Ca. San Lorenzo Lumber Ca., Santa Cruz, Ca., has purchased the local Ace Lumber Co., no price revealed

Portland Builders Supply has leased 4,000 sq. ft in Eugene, Or., to distribute kitchen cabi- nets Central Valtey Builders, Napa, Ca., has gotten a city ok to build a new lumberyard . . Potlatch plans to build a $6O million wood burning boiler at its Lewiston, Id., facility. ..

The Morchant M.gazim

Grading has begun on Par Lumber's new Chino, Ca., distribution yard; Hq. is Orange Ca., .Valley Distributors, Turlock, Ca., and Sonoma Mill & Lumber, Sonoma, Ca., plan additions / modernizations to their stores. Publishers Forest Products plans to double the capacity of its Molalla, Or.n mill.

Columbia Caffornia Lumber Sales, Sacramento, Ca., has opened a branch office in Longview, Wa., manned by Mike Mounsey and Lamar Yeager, specializing in green Doug fir, plywood, hemfir and Western red cedar Golding Lumber ^Sales, Westminster, Ca., celebrates its lst year in business this mo. .

Fall completion is planned for Von Tobel's new $3 million Las Vegas, Nv., store; a 3rd is planned for the Meadows shopping area in '79 and a 4th store in '80 Dallas Bailding Supplies, Dallas, Or., has been purchased by llithers Lumber which has retail stores in Brooks, Mt. Angel and Woodbum. .

Masonite has formed a home improvement div. that plans to buy companies that supply home improvement centers; the company also seeks to expand sales of its products to d-i-yers . W.O.O.D,, Inc. has repeated its successful redwood deck promotion again this year, at a local Denver home improvement show.

A

petition

for involuntary bankruptcy against Western

Lumber & Truss, Henderson, Nv., has been filed in federal court by several firms, claiming to be creditors Japanese log & lumber imports are anticipated to rise this year, as U.S. wood demand is expected to level. ..

Marquart-Wolfe Lumber has begun construction on a 4-acre site in Orange,Ca.,for their new distribution yard; they plan to move in this fall . .

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