Gal-State Lumberwoman Files For Congress

Mary Alice Acevedo, wife of CalState Lumber Sales president and ceo Benjamin Acevedo, is a candidate for Congress from California's 50th DisEiCL

A 2l-yeat resident of the San Diego, Ca., area, and a small businesswoman for the past 10 years, she helped to develop the family's San Ysidro, Ca., lumber business, now the largest Hispanic-owned company in the state.

Founded nine years ago with a staff of four, Cal-State now has more than 100 employees and annual sales of neady $170 million. The corrpany purchases lumber from mills througbout the Norowest and canada. It sells to companies in Mexico, including Tijuana where products such as door and window jambs, frames, closet poles and architectural mouldings are manufactured. Cal-Stat€ purchases some of these products for resale to home inrprovement c€nters in several countries, including the U.S., Canada Italy and the Bahamas. Cal-State also buys the wood waste produced by the mill and sells it to co-generation plants in Imperial County and Northern Califomia.

Acevedo was involved with both the Bush and Clinton Adminisfations in the Unrguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. She developed a comprehensive industry position on the North American Free Trade Agreement and testified before the U.S. Trade Representatives.

Now serving a second term on the California World Trade Commissiou Acevedo is chairperson of the Border Trade Alliance and the Mayoral

Strat€gic Trade Alliance as well as a past chaifperson of the International Division of the Greater San Diego Chamber of Commerce. She has served on the board of directms of the Greater San Diego Chanber of Commerce, the Western Maquiladora Trade Association and as keynote speaker for the first annual Adelante Mujer Latina Conference.

Alaska No. 2 In Remodeling

Remodeling permit values in Alaska jumped l7.4Vo last year from $17.9 million to $21 million, the second largest increase in the nation, just behind New Hampshire, according to the U.S. Bureau of Census.

Other western states with increased residential remodeling: Arizona (l3.6Vo), Idaho (8.67o), Colorado (8.4Vo), Nevada (7.6Vo), Hawaii (5.4Vo), Utah (5.2Vo). Oregon (4.8Vo) and Wyoming(2.4Vo).

Yet decreases in California (down l2.9%o), Montana (12.67o), Washington (5.7Eo> and New Mexico (3.8Vo) led to an overall 7.87o regional drop from 4,079,650 i\ lgZ ta 3,760,572 in 1993.

A NATIONAL EVALUATION REPORT (NER-452) has been issued by the National Evaluation Service of the Council of American Building officials to confirm that PYRO-GUARD Fire RetardantTreated Lumber and Plywood meets requirements of the BOCA, UBC, and SBCCI model building codes.

PYRO-GUARD is the F/BSI Fire RetardantTreated Wood with: Third Party Kiln Monitoring in addition to U.L. Follow-up service

FRT labor and materials replacement cost warranty Code Compliance Report with evaluation of elevated temperature strength testing for roof applications t High temperature strength fesf resulfs . New York State Smoke Toxicity fesf results o Send a materid safety data sheet (MSDS) to customers with shiPPing papers on the initial order but not subsequent orders unless information changes. This must be documented in the customer's file. o Send a label containing similar inforuration with the shipment. This does not have to be attached to the lumber. o Include on both the MSDS and label the manufacturer's name, product shipped, hazardous chemical (wood dust), effect of exposure to the chemical, preventative steps to mini' mize exposure and health effects.

Over-SO Workers Outdo Kids

Workers over 50 proved theY still have a lot to offer in a snrdy conducted by B&Q PLC, a United Kingdom chain of 280 hardware stores.

Determined to solve the problem of high turnover, B&Q staffed one store entirely with employees 50 and older. Although the experiment might go against U.S. age discrimination rules, the British company found over a two year period that turnover was one-sixth of that at comparable B&Q stores; absenteeism, 39% lower; inventory damage and theft, 597o less, and profit l87o higher.

"Instead of just pointing down an aisle, they'll (older workers) say to a customer, 'Come have a look with me,' and then alk about how theY've used something at home themselves," says Ray Baker, a B&Q training manager.

In the past five years B&Q has increased the percentage of its 15,500 employees 50 or older ftom l7o lo 2Vo to about llVo. Management Plans to increase that percentage to l5Vo in a few years. '"They have all this life experience and can lead younger wukers," notes Baker.

WWPA Wood On TV ln Japan

Stimson Lumber, Portland, Or., the fint western mill authorized to gradestamp lumber under Western Wood Products Association's Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS), was featured on a Japanese television news magazine show in June.

A w crew from NHK, the Japanese Broadcasting Corp., visited Portland to gather information on the JAS grading progfim and potential benefits of using western wood products in Japanese housing.

After a briefing with WWPA president Bob Hunt, the group toured Stimson's sawmill operations with Jim Mathews, WWPA director of Japanese lumber inspection, and Craig Larsen, international marketing director. Stimson representatives showed how JAS lumber is manufactured and reviewed the quality conbol procedures required.

BARR Lumber and lmpedal Stores drain, El Centro, Ca., celebrated their merger with a maior 12 hour sale al all localions Mav 28. Tof photos, left to dght: Barr Lumber en'erior, El Cenlro; Jeff Ban, estimator; Kay Gross, controller; Jim Ban, president, and Rick Barr, purdrasing and expediter. Lower photos: Rid< Ban with cuslomor and decorated store whbh offered orize drawinos and refreshmenls. Managedrent plans to 6uild an lmperial Home Cenler slote adlacenl lo the yJsst side of Bar Lumber which will be renovated with a ddv+ through to calsr to building contraclors, subconlractors and owner-builders as Barr Lumber Division. lmperial locations include five El Centro unils, Blythe, Brawly, Calexico, Hohvillo and Indio, Ca., and two in Yuma, Az.

Woodworking Machinery Fair

International Woodworking Machinery & Furniture Supply FairU.S.A. will offer equipment, supplies and materials from around the world Aug. 25-28 at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga. The American Fumiore Manufacturers Association, Wood Machinery

Manufacturers of America and Woodworking Machinery Importers Association sponsor the show

About 1000 exhibiors are expected to participate. Information is available from IWF visitors service (708) 390-2420 or FAx 708-635157r.

Gypsum Drywall Use Contest

Your customers using gypsum drywall in residential and non-residential construction projects this year are eligible to enter the Gypsum Association's 1994 drywall construction competition.

A cash award of $3,000 and commemorative plaques will be given to the team responsible for each winning project.

Entries will be judged on projectwide use of gypsum boar( especially in the creation of design details and innovative applications.

Drywall suppliers can get entry forms from the Gypsum Association, 810 First St., N.E., Suite 510, Washington, D .C. 2C[fl2, (202) 289 -5444.

Mobib Window Fair

Ganahl Lumber Co., Garden Grove, Ca., didn't wait for the homeowners in Island Village, a neighborhood housing complex slated for remodeling, to come to them. They took their Window Fair to them Saturday, May 21.

With the help of the store's Window Master representative, Ganahl's Tmr Barclay, John Boesen and Howard Cornell fielded questions ftom a mobile display set up for the convenience of the shopping homeowners. Free barbecued hot dogs and soft drinks were served to more than 150 homeowners looking for new ideas.

Mill Sets On-Time Record

Boise Cascade's particleboard mill in La Grande, Or., has set a new record for on-time shipmens.

Employees in sales and production have shipped l00Vo of their orders without any delinquencies for 12 consecutive months, according to Comer Brown, particleboard sales and marketing manager.

Brown believes Boise Cascade's focus on Total Quality Management is responsible for the mill's on-time shipment record. "This success can be credited to the many people throughout the organization committed to customer satisfaction," he said.