ARIZONA CONVENTION

(Continued from page 38) construction in the Arizona market were outlined by afternoon speaker Frank Stewart of the Western Wood Products Association. He illustrated wood's on-the-job performance superiority to masonry, saying the "bottom line is that wood is cheaper, more versatile and is a better insulator than masonrv."

Story at a Glance

John Wyss elected new pres. ident. next year's convention will be in Tucson...variety of business topics covered by speakers on management, economics, legislation and productivity.

Convention activities that night were dominated by the Wholesalers Extravaganza, a new wrinkle in ALBSA convention programs.

Rather than various hospitality suites scattered throughout the hotel, this year the wholesalers banded together to sponsor a single party in the convention ballroom. A new concept introduced by this year's convention chairman, Michael O'Malley, it was well received and is expected to be continued at next year's convention in Tucson.

Next day, Missouri retailer William Morrow, current president of the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association. with which the

Arizona group is federated, reviewed current progra.ms in progress at "National." Morrow said that the Mortgage Retirement Act was still under review by the federal government and urged dealers to continue to work for its passage.

Association workers compensation programs and how they save members money were outlined by ALBSA managing officer E.J. Johnson. Mrs. Pauline Sloan of the State Compensation Fund noted both management and employee resistance to loss control despite safety's proven role in lowering various operating costs.

Pat Nichols, another panelist, reviewed a seven step safety program of organization, inspections, reviews, recording, medical systems and responsibility acceptance involved in turning workers compensation activities into a "profit center."

Jeff Johnson of the Lumbermen's Underwriting Alliance told of the many variations possible in workers compensation and explained how safety can lower a dealer's costs and improve productivity.

The second day keynote address was given by Dr. Gary Driggs, president of Western Savings of Phoenix. He forecast a basic downward trend in interest rates "as inflation is not coming back." Driggs sees more growth in suburban Phoenix than the metro area and Tucson continuing as a strong market. He stressed that businessmen will have to be far more efficient than previously as "you don't have inflation to bail you out " he said.

Golf, tennis, sunning and the annual banquet rounded out yet another excellent convention by the Arizona Lumber and Builders Supply Association.

CO-STAB of the Pete Prlain show next season will be his daughter, Mari, who learned d-i-y skills in the family lumber yard while growing u0.

D-l-Y Series Changes Format

"How To With Peie," the nationally syndicated d-i-y television series, starring Pete Prlain, will continue with the same title in the 1984-85 season, although Pete will be joined by co-star, Mari Prlain, his daughter.

"Our new series combines several ideas," says Pete. "We took ideas for in-house training programs developed with Teri Sloss, media director for Payless Cashways, and Hines Lumber advertising manager, Dan Nicolich, and our own concept for a television series based on remodeling and adding to a typical tract house, and, by combining them, achieved both ends."

The resulting series of half-hour television programs for release in September, 1984, shorn step-by-step, the remodeling process as well as new construction from excavation to finish. Sponsored nationally by Louisiana-Pacific and regionally by local dealers the series is made available to home centers for use as in-house training pieces.