Beautiful Hawaiian hardwood now readily available

wavy, interlocking grain pattern. An attractive curly or "fiddleback" figure often results.

Its other features physically and mechanically rank similar to black walnut. Technically, it closely matches walnut's strength, hardness, density, stability, uniformity of shrinkage and easy seasoning; in fact, koa is much less prone to degrade in seasoning than black walnut. Straight-grained koa machines easily, although more figured wood 'may be somewhat diflicult to shape or plane.

As with walnut, koa has traditionally been devoted to uses such as furniture, cabinetry, boardroom and office interiors, architectural woodwork and wood specialty items.

Most koa trees have fluted, often crooked main stems which branch into massive, widely spreading limbs. Due to their age and state of decay, these trees commonly suffer from butt and crotch rot.

Since most of the standing koa is in old, decaying trees, experts estimate that at least half of this resource will die and rot away before it can be harvested. In light of a lack of programs to remove, regenerate and sustain the forests, heavy movements for preservation of the native forests, especially on public lands, have prevailed.

But now, with enterprising forces

Story at a Glance

Hawaii's finest native hardwood boasts strengths of walnut and unmatched beauty of its own... koa's potential ready for development like Sumwood providing a dependable supply of koa, the market is wide open. This is one beauty you'll be seeing a lot more of. Like a piece of fine jewelry, koa grows in value with age.

HomeClub, Ilullerton, Ca,, will open two units in El Paso, Tx., before the end of the year. Allwoods Home Centers in Roswell and Hobbs, N.M., have been leased by Westlake Hard' ware, San Antonio, Tx., and will reopen this month

Fred Meyer Inc. wrll move its Clackamas, Or., Home Improvement Center to a new across-thestreet location in Dec. . HomeClub will open a 103,000 sq. ft. warehouse store in Tacoma, Wa., next spring . . . Builders Squore recently opened their first Wa, store in Tacoma.

The Paint Factory, a new San Marcos, Ca., based paint and home decorating firm has opened its {irst store in El Cajon, Ca.. Coast To Coast in Baker, Or.. has moved to a new 6,300 sq. ft. location . 84 Lumberhas relocated its Vallejo, Ca., store to a new facility in Martinez, Ca. . .

Ernst Home Centers. Seattle, Wa., expects to complete remodeling of all stores in the chain in '88 and open five new Washington State stores; their goal is to add l0 to 15 stores a year Pay 'n Pak will open a new store on Hogan Rd., in Gresham, Or., closing the Gilsan St. facility:.

Albeni Falts Buitding Suppty is the new name for the former Diamond Lumber /nc. facility purchased by Blackie Ockert in Newport, Wa. The new Yellow Front store in Blackfoot. Id.. will stock housewares and hardware...

O'Malley Lumber Co., Phoe- nix, Az., is testing Sunday closures at l2 of its 14 retail out- lets. . . Larkin's Lumber & Building Supply, Waldport and Newport, Or,, is observing its l5th annlversary

Builders Emporium has closed its 15-year-old store in Visalia, Ca., because of structural problems in the bldg. . . . Vannausdle's Hardware, Port Angeles, Wa., has voluntarily closed Cooks' Lumber, Murray, Ut., has closed with plans to use the l3 acre site for something 'umore valuable" than a lumberyard

Mid Pac Lumber. Honolulu. Hi., is now a distributor for Frankc. lnc., Kitchen Systems Division

The Terry Co. has added new storage buildings at its Ventura, Ca., and Simi Valley, Ca.. loczitions. Roc'klin Lumber & Milln'ork, Inc., Sacramento, Ca., has relocated its offices to Roseville, Ca.. . Ganahl Lumber Co. will have its new 2,000 sq. ft. mini mill in Corona, Ca., in production by Nov.

Simpson Timber Co, plans a $ 1 5 million expansion at its Portland, Or., Oregon Overlay Div. including the additon of a 30,000 sq. ft. building Potlatch is replacing its 60-year-old Lewiston, Id., mill with a $35 million facility.

WTD Induslries, Portland, Or.. has acquired a North Powder, Or., sawmill .. . Newquist & Bergstrom has moved into posh new offices in Newport Center, Newport Beach, Ca. . Lumber Products, Portland, Or., is celebrating its 49th year in the hardwoodbusiness...

The Merchant Magazine

Baker Hardwood, National City (San Diego), Ca., recently completed an enclosure of its mifl building. . Sierra Paci.l'ic Irtdustries has started production at its new sawmill and dry kilns in Anderson. Ca.

Pctcrman Lumber has a new iacility in Hesperia, Ca.: (see p. 36 for story) Cascade Empire has moved from Hillsboro, Or,, to handsome new quarters in the Kruse Way area of Lake Oswego (Portland),Or....

Cal-Tex Lumber Co,, Eureka, Ca., a Schmidbauer Lumber C'o. operation, will build a new $10 million sawmill in Nacogdoches, Tx,; a Sept. '88 start up is anticipated

Spokesmen at Davidson PWP. Chino. Ca.. refused comment on an industry report that Goldome Slrategic Investments, a subsidiary of Goldome, Buffalo, N.Y., is acquiring all or part of the company; Goldome recently acquired a large portion of Plyw,ood Paneling Industries, New Orleans, La....

J.E. Higgins Luntber Co., Concord, Ca., has officially acquired the Sand Plywood inventory and vehicle fleet at their Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Escondido, Ca., yards for an undisclosed amount. Steve Oberholser is overseeing operations from the L.A. warehouse . .

Housing s/ai"/s were down 1.5%, in August (latest figs.) at an annual rate of 1,582,000 units. .. single-family starts dropped 4.5%r. multifamily starts climbed 6.1% .. building permits were off 0.10/o starts in the West were down 2.50h , .

Home-loan interest rates have been raised to a maximum 10.5% frorn l0olr by the Veterans Ad'