Jhanges

Master Charge and Bankamericard on the consumer side. The contractors usually finance ahead through saving bnd loan companies or work through a voucher system.

Escondido mostly uses the local newspapers in spending the one percent of gross sales they allocate to advertising. This figure will probably be upped as more and more sales register on the consumer side.

Fifty years ago, the firm's predecessor was founded as the ALA Lumber Co. and was owned jointly by

Story qI o Glonce

Expansion starts with bright, new showroom, clean and well designed major yard changes will follow projections call for eventual 50-50 mix of contractor to consumer.

R. D. Lee, Bob's dad, and by Bob's uncle and cousin. In 1928, the elder Lee and Vern Jones owned it.

The depression took its deadly toll on the business and in December of 1933, they closed the doors. Next month, Amos Geib contacted Bob's father and by the following month they were back in business as Escondido Lumber Co. When Bob's father died in 1948, Bob bought out his share of the business. C,€ib also has an interest in a number of other yards in southern California.

They seldom use direct mail advertising, having found it did not benefit them. Their ad in the Yellow

Pages has been an asset in their program, however.

Their newspaper ads are laid out so that they stress two or three items in several merchandisins areas. These leaders are never literatly loss leaders. "We want to make money on everything," Bob explains.

The mild climate of the area has resulted in very little of their business beins seasonal. Winter rains usually bring an upturn in roofing sales while the cooler Fall and Spring months may boost insulation sales, but basically, sales are level all year. Charges for cutting lumber vary with the request; $2 is the minimum. Delivery charges begin with a $3 minimum. When a carpenter's service is required by a customer, they try and recommend a local caryenter whom they feel will do a good job.