A Gold Medal for the CRA

By A. D. BELL, JR. Publisher The Merchant Magazine

rftHE magnificently designed and r spectacularly beautiful College of the Redwoods near Fields Landing, south of Eureka. Calif., was the setting used by The California Redwood Assn. in a first-of-its-kind presentation that, in our opinion, was worth a Gold Medal in any league.

So far as we know no forest products association has ever taken the time to stand still long enough to tell the story of its industry. This the CRA has done to a truly appreciative audience of its peers.

Put together by Patricia Young of the CRA staff, the presentation - where they have been, where they are and where they are going, and why-was a dramatic combination of pictures, charts, narration and music (canned but original) on a three part screen plus live participation of the stafi, principally Phil Farnsworth, exec vp.; Kramer Adams, directorconservation ; Keith Lanning, direc,torpromotion, assisted by Pat Young and Lee Rappleyea, director-technical services. A sguad of comely girls, headed by Helen Mcf)onald, executive secretary, saw that all details ran smoothly.

Guest artists, who made a most valuable contribution, included William Houseman, publisher, The Enuironment Monthly,' David McCann, publisher, florlse Beautiful; and John L. Field, A.I.A., of the architectural firm of Bull, Field, Volkmann, Stockwell, San Francisco,

The Redwood Industry Conference '72, got off to a running start Sept. 8, with an introduction by Byron B. 'oBarney" Miller, president of the as. sociation. who runs Arcata Redwood on the side. Now, with the stage set, and the cast mentioned, let us make some editorial comment.

Slory qi s Gfqnce

The more than a half-century of work that has gone to make redwood the unique and valuable market product it is today was reviewed at the Redwood Industry Conference'72.

The program was divided into three parts. Part I told the story of the redwood industry from its beginning in 1915 through World War II. The emphasis was on the necessity for cooperation among the redwood mills to establish standards (grades) common to all that would bring a uniform product to the market place. Without this, no efiective promotion program could be developed.

Part II covered "The Modern Promotional Era: 1947 to 1969", in which it was pointed out that the period '47 to '59 was primarily devoted to laying the foundation for a broad promotion program by research and developing technical data that would identify redwood as a unique (and thus more valuable) species than its cnompetition. Having established this position, the period 196069 emphasized capitalization on the o'promotional difference".

Architects were the first to be indoctrinated (the association has the name and address of every architect in the U.S.A.-and many overseasand everyone is on the mailing list). Next came the contractors and builders and, finally, the general public. Current advertising is confined to the four leading shelter magazines, which are read by architects and builders as well as potential home buyers. Copy and layout have always been dignified with ernphasis on special unique uses of the product.

As a result of following faithfully a well designed plan, the association has been chiefly responsible for creating a demand for redwood that, over the yearc'47!69, has seen a combined price and production total rise of 218.4%, which reduees to IlI.4/o when the effects of inflation are considered.

Vhen the same figures are compared to the other four major softwoods, the results are spectacular:

Redwood

--.....+llL.4% Western red cedar --------------+ L6.2% Douglas fir -------------....----..-.-+ 5.4/o Ponderosa pine -----.-.------...-- 03% Southern pine ----.---.--- 28.6/o he concluded, in view of the public's new environmental awarenes,s.

There is a lesson here. The redwood industry has learned well that cooperation in support of and implementation of a well-designed plan (to reach a particular goal over a period of 20 years in this case) pays off.

At this point we would like to pay our respects to the major architect of this program, who for the past 19 years has served as exec. vp, of the CRA. None other than Philip T. Farnswortho with magnificent help from a brilliant staff.

Part III was devoted to a look at the future by the stafi and guest stars.

'oMarkets to Match Our Trees," theme of the spectacular, left good reason to believe that not only will that lofty goal be achieved, but that there will also be trees to match the markets.

Just as predicted nearly a decade ago in a National Park Service study, the cubic-foot growth of coast redwoods on the commercial forests will equal the annual cut sometime this year or next. By the early 1980s, the growth of sawtimber alone will match the cut.

There are some Ifs connected with these projections according to Kramer Adams, CRA's conservation manager. lhe goals can be achieved if the industry's present land base can be maintained against encroachment; if all elements of the redwood industry will follow the leaders in stepped-up utilization of the tree: and if both product and forest research findings are heeded.

The conference featured the statement by William Houseman, publisher of Enoironment Montfr.ly, that the redwood industry in recent years has been recognized as having a pnogressive attitudg and has led the industry in sueh fields as reforestation. cooperative fire protection, public recreation, product promotion and public service. The public interest will demand more such efiorts in the future.

Consistency and quality has been the major and continuing elements in all of CRA's advertising, literature and publications for the redwood industry, observed Keith Lanning the promotion director.

Lanning showed a selection of color ads, brochures and other promotional material to the gathering, noting that all stressed quality not only of design but of redwood itself, and that the same basic themes in copy and design were used to maxi-

HARDWOODS MOULDINGS

TREADS RISERS SILLS

DOWELS THRESHOLDS

PLYVOOD PINE SPRUCE mize the impact of every individual piece of promotion.

It is our opinion that with a slight revision of emphasis the Redwood Industry Conferenen'72 could be adapted for and should be presented to a much larger audience. The directors made a fine decision in directing the association to pat itself on the back.

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Plywood, is so scarce these days that thieves recently stole a truck and trailer load of 3/s" STD EXT Rough Plyscore right out of a locked Weyerhaeuser compound, in Los Angeles; the truck was soon found, but the plywood is long gone sheathing, and sanded plywood . . North Bay Lumber, Corte Madera, Calif., has opened a new d-i-y store on the site of the old operatron

Robert Byard, of Gillon Lurn' 6er, San Francisco, has been getting a lot of compliments from other retailers for his testimony, cornplete with rnatched inaoices fo, Iike items oaer seaeral months, before the Price Commission recently in Portland; his presentation ref uted, many thought, the earlier views of the mfrs. and graphically illustrated lurnber increases exceeding price guidelines . .

Hand,y Dan Home Improuement Centers has been organized as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daylin, Inc. to consolidate Daylin's 28 home improvement stores, which include IB Angels and, Angels-Bonanza stores in Calif., and, 3 Thrilt Builders Supply yards in Ariz., no overall name change is currently contemplated; under present plans, Daylin will retain 80/o ownership, and plans to sell stock in the other 20% . ..

There were some red faces anong forecasters as August's housing starts came in 12.2% aboae July; seers now see little decline in Sept. from the present 2,457,000 figure, highest since February's record 2.6 million seasonally adjusted rate Hause & Home magazine estimates perhaps 90,000 modular homes will be produced in '72, compared with 52,000 built last year.

Wickes definitely plans a new Iumber & bldg. materials operation for San Diego, their new home, but timing is still indefinite; thev have closed their modular housing units; no profit was the reason . . . Dixieline Lurnber, San Diego, which came close to being sold (see lune, p. 15) has yet t0 reach agreement with any corporatesuitors...

Coastal Forest Products, Cloverdale, Calif., is a new wholesaler formed by Wayne Bahr and Ted Southard. bids have been let for Neiman-Reed's new Simi Valley, Calif., home improvement center Edward,s Building Supplies, Beaverton, Ore., has doubled their floor space (to 4,500 sq. ft.) in a $30,000 remodeling..

Bowrnan Lumber Co., Artesia, N.M., had a big Open House to talk up their new store addition; more is planned for later Richard Weiss has purchased Car penter' s Lumber, Marysville, Wash., no priee disclosed Simpson Tirnber will have phased out their international trading div. by year's endo when Vanport I nternational, Portland, will take over their accts.

The Palrner C. Lewis Co., Seattle, has been actively promoting the Visual Information Program as an effective dealer selling aid, theyreport moreand more mfgrs. and suppliers are furnishing films to the VIP dealer network .'. lohns-Manaille is near completion of its massive move of its HQ to Denverl about 1100 employeesinuolud...

Chesapeake Indgstries, parent of lessup and, Artesia Door, anxong others, is contemplating merger with l. l. Industries, following Chesapeake's sizeable recent losses latest lumber production figt. show luly d,'own 4.7% frorn June,but 3.1/o above the year earlier; softwood and hardwood shipments were 7% above last year.

Bohemian Lumber Co., Eugene, Ore., plans to buy American Can Co.'s lumbero plywood operations and timberlands in Lane County, Ore., for about 88 million plus inuentory; they also plan purchase, lor 83 rnillion, ol Coburg f/eneer Corp.'s lumber and veneer plants at Coburg, Ore. . s&ls took in $1.7 billion in August, a whopping 53% aboue the same mo. in '71; a record year for the s&ls is all but assured

Solarn Lurnber, Solano Beach, Calif., is now rnass-producing wall' framing sections on franchise from the systemos developer, Kellner Industries, Fresnoo Calif.; an 88 unit project in the area is currently experimenting with the relatively new concept . . , Georgia-Pacific has conaerted its Eugene, Ore., prefinish lauan hardwood plant to lo0/o hot press exterior 4'xB' Doug. fir

More men than women chose the ceiling tile to be used "and that the tile goes into the beilroom nearly 10/o more frequent- ly than -into kitchen or living room, according to a Celotex survey...

Camping gear has begun to show up in dealeros showrooms as the camping craze grows . .