Special lssue: Hardwood

current interest in ecology and the related appreciation of the good, natural things in life, wood among them.

Formal advertising is limited to display ads in the Yellow Pages in the several directories that serve their 20 mile trading area, which encompasses approximately one million people. Word of mouth is an important factor, as are referrals from lumber dealers who carry the standard array of hardwoods and pass on special requests to the House of Hardwood.

Because of space limitations, many orders are placed from samples in the display room, thus avoiding the necessity of maintaining a large inventory. This is particularly true of some of the more exotic hardwood paneling.

They are open Mon.-Fri. 7:3G-5; 8-4 on Saturday. Approximately one-third of the business is charge, either throueh house accounts that have been checked and okayed for credit or through Mastercharge cards. Because of the limited range of what they sell bookkeeping is not broken down into a number of categories, but rather lumps everything sold under one heading.

Before anyone tells you there is no money to make in retailing hardwoods, better tell them to visit the House of Hardwood. The business is there for those wise enough to plan and service it properly.

CUST0ilER service gets big stress (1) even if the customer does wear a beard ard carry a purse. (2) Letters in the nane of the firm on the front are in real hardwood. 6) Milling operation at the rear of the compact firm does standard a well as custom milling for its customers. (4) Larry Waldeck, left, answers a question for a befuddled buyer who even brought his Great Dane in for a look around. (5) and (6) Interior shots of the display room, which features a number of hardwmd samples as well as an extensive selection of stains, adhesives and oils. 0) lhat's firm president Mrs. Jeanne Waldeck at rear, framed by the office window, which overlooks entrance to the House of Hardwood.