m|luE...

3444 doors, 23,913 sheets of gypsum board, 5108 rolls of insulation, 551,867 pieces of moulding, 45,309 cartons of nails, 16,4914x8s of paneling, 24,382 squares of shakes, 14,609 windows, 1-3l+-million b.f. of dimension lumber, and a million or so sq. ft. of plywood

in tlnc IUcE[-End ?

That was OREPAC's problem. We had to move the entire inventory of our Salem and Portland warehouses into a brand-new one in Wilsonville without missing a beat in serving our customers throughout Oregon, Washington, and Alaska.

Weiliilit,too!

Those trucks rolled around-the-clock from quitting time on Friday, Sept. 7, until the doors opened for business on Monday, Sept. 10.

So we're ready and waiting to serve you . . . with 3000 different bulk materials line items.

Our sales staff stays in Portland until our new corporate office complex is finished in Wi lsonvil le, around mid-December.

And we're going to do it all over again. By November 15 we'll have stocked another $1lz -million inventory in our brand-new 100,000 sg. ft. warehouse i n Fai rfield, California.

We had to move loads like this..

Intothis...

p) ETAIL lumber merchandisers f\ are fortunate to have the opportunity to market a product that has consistently grown each year in popularity.

Increased usage in new home construction accounts for much of this growth. A recent U.S. Department of Agriculture study indicated that at least some paneling was used in over 407o ofnew home construction, and from r/t ro r/z of the builders expected to be using even more paneling in the future. It is no wonder paneling consumption reached all-time highs during I97l and 1972, two record-breaking years in new housine starts.

Retail Merehandising of Hardruood Story at a Glance

Plywood

By William A. Ames Administrative Assistant Hardwood Plywood Mfgrs. Assn.

Ease of installation, durability, and the inherent good looks of natural wood species have led to an explosion in the market for hardwood plywood wall paneling.

Although wall paneling consumption is largely dependent upon the volume of new home construction, a growing number of do-it-yourself homeowners spend nearly 6 billion dollars per year on home improvements and remodeling.

This booming market can be expanded to its potential if lumber and building material merchandisers realize the needs and charac- teristics of the consumer. Few people have any knowledge whatsoever of hardwood plywood wall paneling, which makes the role of the salesman crucial. Rarely does the customer know exactly what he wants or how to install the paneling. Hardwood plywood offers a variety of species, colors, grains, and textures which can often confuse the customer. Since few can afford the talents ofan interior decorator, they rely heavily upon the judgement of the salesman. It is, therefore, essential that the dealer teach his salesmen the properties of different types of panels as well as the proper method of installation. Nothing will turn a customer off quicker than a salesman who knows nothine of the product.

Attractive display techniques are an important complement to the salesman's knowledge of the product. The customer must be able to visualize the panel as it will appear in his home; and uncertainty is a lost sale. Panels should be on display in upright racks, with the suitable moldings adjacent to each different color and texture of panel; and if adequate space exists, room settings will be a tremendous boost to sales.

Once the salesmen are educated and the paneling is attractively displayed, the full potential of the doit-yourself market can be obtained through a successful advertising campaign.

Although there is no cutand-dried method to guarantee effectiveness, basic stress should be placed on genuine quality at a low cost, ease of installation, and durability. Brand name, prefinished lauan paneling can be advertised at or below cost to draw the traffic, while the "rider" items. i.e.. prefinished moldings, colored nails, etc., can reap the profits.

A good salesman also finds relative ease in selling most customers upward to higher quality lines.

The do-it-yourself homeowner market has grown far too lucrative for lumber and building material dealers to ignore. Complacency is the dealer's worst enemy. An organized marketing effort will reap rewards far greater than the cost, and the do-it-yourself market will expand to levels never before imagained.