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Gal Coast Wholesale Lumber

(Sales Agent for Coast Wood Preserving) Ukiah, Ca. ? (707) 468-0141

FAX 707-468-0660 Q Gene Pietila, mgr.

Fontana Wholesale Lumber

(Sales Agent for Fontana Wood Preserving) Fontana,Ca. t (909)350-1214

FAX 909-350-9623 i Craig Larson, mgr. I Rene6 Bates, sales

Union Pacific Does U-Turn

Union Pacific is reversing its move toward centralizing management and consolidating routes, directions that have exacerbated service problems throughout the West for over a year.

The railroad has been reorganized into three regions, each with its own vice president and management team.

During the 1990s, the nation's largest railroad has been relocating operating managers and train dispatchers to its rail headquarters in Omaha, Ne., using technology to link with field operations. But, in light of continuing problems from last year's acquisition of Southern Pacific, "the railroad is too large to operate from one location," admitted a UP spokesperson.

Since the merger, UP also had been selling off track and consolidating track, creating bottlenecks. As a result, the railroad agreed to buy back over 100 miles of track and retain hundreds of miles of track marked for abandonment.

The company also is considering mothballing instead of abandoning the "Modoc Line," which links southern Oregon and western Nevada providing a shortcut for forest products shipped east.

Outdoor Vendor Dogs Depot

When Home Depot relocated. its Huntington Beach, Ca., store to a new, larger location last month, one long-time draw was missingJimmy's Hot Dog Stand.

Sylvester San Miguel had operated the popular food stand outside the store for seven years, but six months ago learned he would not be allowed to move along with the home center.

The school district, which owns the new property, won't allow restaurant-type uses, afraid of loitering by

"I don't know if they're going into meltdown again, like they did last summer, but things are getting worse."

- Edward Emmett, National Indus trial Trans p o rtation League president, on Union Pacific's continuing delays in the West students from an adjacent high school. San Miguel pays $750 a month to keep the stand open l0 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily, and volunteered to keep the stand closed during school hours. Depot officials are trying to find him a new location, but San Miguel wants to stay where the customers know and appreciate him-so much so that over 5,000 of them have signed a petition beseeching Home Depot and the city to keep the stand.

Distributor Buys Neighbor

Lumber Products, Tualatin, Or., has acquired Wood Window Distributors, also of Tualatin.

Wood Window Distributors will operate as a separate division, profit center and location (even though it is located across the street from Lumber Products' corporate campus), with the same management, sales, technical, administrative and support staff.

Lumber Products now operates nine full service distribution centers, including four in Oregon, three in Washington, one in Idaho and one in Utah, plus Components & Millwork Inc., a Tualatin manufacturing/milling operation.

Unloading

Ace Opens West's First Corporate Stores

By the end of this month, Ace Hardware will open its first corporateowned store in the West, a slick, 17,000-sq. ft. unit in Renton, Wa.

By year's end, two more will open in the Seattle area, and eventually up to 12 locally, plugging "holes in the market."

It's no coincidence that the stores are opening in the hometown of Eagle Hardware & Garden; the first cluster of three corporate stores opened recently in Chicago, home territory for Ace and rival TruServ, while the second set of four is near Atlanta, base for Home Depot.

Storage

They're part of Ace's aggressive plan, "The New Age of Ace," aiming to increase the co-op's retail sales from last year's $12 billion to $16 billion by 2000.

The new corporate stores are similar to an independently owned Ace hardware store, ranging in size from 8,000 to 20,000 sq. ft. Yet, each will stock about 35Vo more inventory per foot than the current stores and feature a large customer service booth.

The new stores should help not harm business for independent Ace dealers, stresses Brett Stephenson, regional manager for the corporate stores division's western region, based near Colorado Springs, Co.

He says that the corporate stores are an Ace division, so every Ace owner essentially holds a stake in them. And, all of the corporate stores will eventually be put up for sale, "after they get up and running."

Explains Stephenson: "What we're all trying to do is support our retailers and increase our market share."

Having seen most of the other local independents forced out of business by the big boxes, Don Wolffe, owner of Seattle Ace dealer Crawford-Waage Hardware, agrees with Ace's strategy. "I think they're trying to prove a point," he says. Ace wants to "show it can be done,"

Like Wolffe, the corporate stores will stress convenience-getting shoppers in and out as quickly as possible. An employee will be stationed at the front door to greet customers and lead them to what they need. That, Ace figures, should be easier in their 17,000-sq. ft. stores than in a 100,000-sq. ft. warehouse home center.

New Name For Panel Group

Aiming for a clearer, more accurate image, the PB-MDF Institute has a new name-the Composite Wood Council.

The lO-year-old group will continue to focus on particleboard and medium density fiberboard products, but wanted to get closer to the audiences for the council's communciations programs and better reflect the current and prospective membership, including the merged Composite Panel Association.

The group is based in Gaithersburg, Md.

Six

Arnie Nebelsick, Midwest area mgr., Western Red Cedar Lumber Association, has been named acting executive director, replacing Ken McClelland, who has resigned after six years. Tom Read, Northwest Forest Products, Tacoma, Wa., was elected chairman, succeeding Carlos Furtodo, Sawame Lumber Co., Richmond, B.C. Doug Clitheroe, Interfor, Maple Ridge, 8.C., is lst vice chairman, and Lance Blanco, MacMillan Bloedel Ltd., Vancouver, B.C., 2nd vice chairman.

Steve Black is new to sales at SCR, Inc., Tigard, Or.

Steve Ostrin was named industrial sales mgr. for McKenzie Forest Products, Springfield, Or. Al Wirth is new to sales.

Bill Buchner is the new plant mgr. at Anfinson Lumber Sales, Fontana, Ca.

John Spaulding, ex-Hanel Lumber, is the new lumber sales mgr. for Quality Veneer and Lumber Co., Seattle, Wa. He will be working out of Hood River, Or.

Dick Barnes, ex-Omak Wood Products, is the new sales & marketing mgr. for D.R. Johnson Lumber Co., Riddle, Or.

Larry Baugh has been appointed executive v.p. of Associated Building Material Distributors of America, Scottsdale, Az., succeeding Jack Mackin, who is retiring.

Larry Lewis, ex-Weyerhaeuser, Sandra Long and John Kawell are new to sales at Landmark Building Products, San Bernardino, Ca.

Bruce Daucsavage has been elected president of Ochoco Lumber Co., Prineville, Or., succeeding Stuart J. Shelk, Jr., who is now the managing director of the partnership.

Shawn Roehr has been promoted to mgr. of Arrow Lumber and True Value Hardware, Eatonville, Wa. He will manage the Graham, Wa., facility upon completion of its construction at year's end.

Michel Morrison is new to sales at Sunset Moulding Co., Live Oak, Ca. Jackie Widman is now with western plywood sales at Willamette Industries, Inc., Albany, Or.

Patricia Bowlin, office services mgr., APA-The Engineered Wood Association, Tacoma, Wa., has retired after nearly 36 years.

Janet Corbett, ex-Omak Wood Products and Crow's, is new to sales at Great Westem Lumber Co., John Day, Or.

Guy G. Ilurlbutt is the new v.p.-public policy and environment for Boise Cascade, Boise, Id.

Jeff Sheirbon is the new mgr. of Trimco Millwork, Aurora, Co.

Dennece McKelvy was promoted to plant mgr. of Clopay Building Products' Tempe, Az., facility. She is overseeing the mergers of the Chandler, Az., and Cerritos, Ca., operations into the Tempe facility.

Murrell McRae has been promoted to corporate systems analyst at Reeb Millwork, Kent, Wa.

James S. Balloun, ex-National Service Industries Inc., has been elected a director of Georgia Pacific Corp., Atlanta, Ga.

Mark P. Angelini has been named president and c.e.o. of the Structural Board Association, succeeding John D. Lowood, who has retired after l0 years.

Rich Geary, Western Wood Products Association, Portland, Or., is recovering from eye surgery.

BiIl Huser, HomeBase, Irvine, Ca., has been promoted to regional v.p. of operations-region 3 (covering Co., Id., Nv., N.M., Or., Ut. and Wa.), replacing Rick Campagna, now regional v.p. of operations-region I (Southern Califomia). Other promotions: John Poli, building material buyer; Jane Gibson, mgr. of purchasing & maintenance, and Joseph De Leon, area human resources mgr.-region 3.

Robert Islinger has been named senior v.p.-strategic planning & mktg. for Payless Cashways. Shawn Ilepinstall is now v.p.-purchasing & assortment, and David Krumbholz, v.p. of professsional builders.

Mike Tracy is now senior v.p. and gen. mgr. of proprietary brands for Home Depot, Atlanta, Ga.

Jack Revelle is new to sales at Swan Secure Products, Inc.

Cecilia Balazs has been named chief operating officer of the National Kitchen and Bath Association.

Donald L. James, previously with Payless Cashways, has joined Universal Forest Products as director of national sales-site built construction.

Jmeph P. McPartland has been appointed senior exec. v.p. at Ames Lawn & Garden Tools. Jeffrey E. Forbes is now chief information officer; Joseph R. McShane, government/railroad sales mgr., and Eduardo J. Carranza, Jr., retail service coordinator.

Tess llutton, formerly of Windsor Mill, Windsor, Ca., has established her own firm, Atessco, Inc., Santa Rosa, Ca. She will represent the WindsorONE line and other specialty products.

Mary Murphy, retiring executive director of the Western Building Material Association, Olympia, Wa., was recently honored at a reception for her 22 yeus of service to WBMA and also held to welcome her successor, Casey Voorhees.

Larry Bost is new to Ryobi Power Tool Group as senior v.p. for Ryobi brand sales and service.

Ignacio Martinez Elcoro, ex-APA-The Engineered Wood Association, will be representing southern pine for Southern Forest Products Association in Madrid, Spain.

Randy Zulager has been named mgr. of foam products at Celotex Corp. Tim Merrick is controller.

Tom Long has been promoted to gen. mgr.-storage systems at Clopay Building Products.

Joseph Smith has been named v.p., brand marketing for Milwaukee Electric Tool.

Robert'tsoH' Ilelfrich is the new v.p.mktg. at Wayne-Dalton Corp., replacing Dave Mielke, who is now v.p.commercial products.

Michael J. Lavelle has been named North American director of sales & mktg. for Daewoo Equipment Corp.

Dick Erickson, Weyerhaeuser Co., Federal Way, Wa., has been named v.p. of the new Environmental Health and Safety Services dept., merging the Office of the Environmen! Sciences & Technology, Safety & Health, and Integrated Waste Management. He replaces Jack Larson, v.p.-Energy and Environment, who retired in July.

Joan Trach, v.p.-inventory management, has been appointed v.p.-planning & analysis for TruServ's new planning & analysis team, overs@n by chief operating officer l)on Hoye.

Jerome G. Santowski has been promoted to president and chief operating officer of the Residential Building Products Group of Nortek.

William S. Berra is now executive v.p.forest resources and wood products at Rayonier Inc. Charles Margiotta is now v.p., corporate development and strategic planning, and Grant J. Munro, v.p.-forest resources and trading'

Loren Royd Pierce, Home Depot, Mesa, Az., wed llailee Marie Black July 18.

David Koenig, senior editor, The Merchant Magazine, and his wife, Laura, are the proud parens of 7 lb., 13 oz. Zachary David, born Aug. 3.

Willie Shaddup is the new company spokesperson for Mungus-Fungus Forest Products, Climax, Nv., according to owners Hugh Mungus and Freddy Fungus.

Fighting Employee Turnover

One downside to the strong economy for U.S. retailen is high turnover among store associates, the worst in 25 years, according to MOHR Retail Learning Systems.

"There are no quick fixes for high turnover," says MOHR's Herb Cohen. "Training helps and so do incentives. But the best place to start is recruitment and selection. Because the job market is so competitive, many retailers find themselves settling for whomever they can get, even though