Producers push d-i-Y marketing plan

"lt has become clear that western lumber producers have been able to take the most advantage of the changes in events," Roberts said "We in the West have benefitted because overall demand maY have taxed other regions' ability to supply."

Lumber producers in the Coast and Inland regions of the West are expected to produce a record 21.8 billion feet of lumber this year, up 9.5'l' from last year and an increase of nearly l0 billion board feet from the depth ofthe recession in 1982. "Western mills have increased their productivity an amazing 600[ since 1979," Roberts said. "Capacity for our industry exceeds 24 billion board feet a year and it appears thal the industry is now operatlng at slightly over 90oh capacitY."

Repair and remodeling use of lumber has provided the stimulus for the all-time high demand, according to Roberts. Repair and remodeling is expected to use a record 15.3 billion board feet, representing 3l% oftotal lumber consumption. That volume has increased by more than 7 billion feet in just five years.

International markets for U'S. lumber have also improved. Lumber exports should reach 2.2 billion board feet this year, up 14% from 1 986.

Roberts also predicted lumber demand to remain strong into 1988, though not at record levels. Total ll'least IItnt tu Pagc 76)

Lumber Procurement Guide

The new North American Wholesale Lumber Association 1987-88 Membership Directory provides retailers of forest products a valuable source of wholesaler-distributors whose value-added services to lumber distribution can lower total costs and improve profits for both suppliers and customers.

Retailers will find the publication a source of dependable wholesalerdistributors who are specialists at delivering products at the lowest total procurement cost.

The 95-page directory features NAWLA member firms throughout North America who are directly and indirectly involved in forest products distribution. The 346 wholesaler members are listed in alphabetical order by state/province and city. Each listing features the name, address, telephone, telex, and fax numbers, personnel, species and products distributed, and market regions served. The listings also note firms operating distribution yards and reload centers.

New to this year's directory is a special section devoted to the association's newly created wholesalerprocessor membership category. This section features 17 secondary lumber manufacturers listed alphabetically by state/province, and includes information on their facilities, species, products, market areas, and modes of transportation.

Associate listings cover 194 primary manufacturers of lumber, plywood and related wood products, while service affiliate listings carry a roster of 61 members who provide goods and services to forest products distributors. Both categories are listed alphabetically by company name.

The directory also features a quick reference index to help users easily

DOMESTIC HARDWOOD TUMBER IMPORTED HANDWOOD LUMBER SUGAR PINE, HARIIWOOD AND SOFTWOOD PLYWOOD PARTICLEBOARD, FIBREBOARI)

The Merchant Magazine locate individual companies. The front pages are devoted to the many services North American has to offer its membership which can improve their value to their customers and suppliers. Dates and locations of future NAWLA annual, sector, and regional meetings are included. Association officers, directors, committee chairmen. and staff are listed to acquaint users with the NAWLA leadership.

Copies of the directory may be obtained from NAWLA, 2340 South Arlington Heights Road, Suite 680, Arlington Heights, Il. 60005. The cost of the directory is $10 postpaid.

IRUCK 0RIUER Louis Rodriguez Jr., Fremont Forest Products, Whittier, Ca., placed third in a field of 182 flat beds at the 7th Annual World's Greatest Working Truck Show in Anaheim, Ca., recently. In addition to preparing the Fremont truck for showing, he demonstrated his driving skill with its trailer attached. All trucks were required to have been driven a minimum of 1000 workino miles per year. Judging was on a point basii in six categories: technical inspection, attractiveness, engineering, judges' personal opinion, mileage and age. The show is held each year for the benefit of the Crippled Children's Society.

Effective Training Aid

DOMESTIC HARDu/OODS

Hardwoods of the Pacific Northwest (19 sPecies)

An upto-date look at Northwest hardwoods (two Parts)

A background on alder's PoPularitY (two Parts)

The Cinderella tree of the Northwest (West Coast red alder)

Western MaPle

Oregon Myrtle, smooth & tough

Developing California hardwoods black oak)

Northeastern Hardwoods (four parts) (yellow birch, hard maPle, black "h""ry, beech, red oak, soft maPle, basswood, ash, white birch, yellow poplar)

A background on walnut

Black walnut

General physical ProPerties of Southern hardwoods (16 sPecies)

Working with hardwoods (16 sPecies)

Hickory's looking good (two parts)

Koa: the Royal Hawaiian hardwood

ASIAN-PACIFIC

Malayan Hardwoods (chart) (48 sPecies)

Some Malayan Hardwoods (two parts) (10 sPeciesr

A quartet of related Asian Hardwoods (aPitong, gurjun, keruing, yang)

The five species of meranti

Ramin: a commercial light hardwood

Commercial satinwood

The romance of teak (two Parts)

South American

Tropical woods from Mexico (cocobolo, goncalo alves, primavera, canalete)

More on tropical woods from Mexico (guanacaste, lingnum vitae, capomo, ebony)

Banak: a mahoganY substitute

Cedro: the volatile Latin

The hearyweight and the lightweight 0ignum vitae, balsa)

Two prominent Brazilian hardwoods (rosewood, jacaranda, goncalo alves)

Two varieties of brosimum

An Enviable Record

We recently received the notice of your 65th year of publication. Congratulations! That's a long and enviable record, one to be recognized and heralded.

In a time when publications come and go with regularity, it's a pleasure to see one that services this primary industry well, providing useful and needed information, as well as being the voice, the historian and the archivist.

Congratulations to you and to your staff - may the Merchant Magazine continue at least another 65 years.

As we get ready to celebrate The Capener Company's lOth anniversary, it's nice to get your notice.

R. L. "Buzz" Capener

The Capener Co.

5830 Oberlin Dr., Suite 300

San Diego, Ca.92l2l

TIMBER SIZER PRE-FABRICATION

65 Big Ones

Congratulations on the 65th anniversary of the founding of The Merchant Magazine, et al. I am sure you take great pride in celebrating this event.

Certainly, there are very few companies that survive, grow, and prosper for those many years. You give credit to your advertisers and your readers; however, you and your staffshould also take a bow for keeping the publication in the forefront of our industry.

Best wishes for another 65!

John Bates

Westmark & Associates

3186-El Airway Avenue

Costa Mesa, Ca.92626

65 YEARS AGO

We truly enjoyed your editorial about the65thanniversary of The Merchanr .l am sure Daddy would be pleased.

Katherine Wray (Mrs. Newton)

4718 Hallmark

Houston, Tx.77056

(Mrs. Wray is the daughter of the late Jack Dionne, who founded The Merchant Magazine in 1922-ed.)

D.F. GRAPE SIAKES REDWOOD & D.F. LATH TIMBERS

From cutting a wedge to pre-fab'd crane pads or mine shafts. Angle to customer specification.

Bracrrt International

Drawer 4779, Arcata,, Ca.955Zt 707-822-3648

The Merchant Magazlne

A Seeming Error

There was an error in the September issue of The Merchant Magazine. There are 128 cu. ft. ofwood in a cord, not 80 cu. ft. as was printed on page 64.

Ed Fedinew

H&M Wholesale Lumber

P.O. Box 326

Etiwanda, Ca.

Although we didn't acplain, the source of our information, John Kaufmon, National Forest Products Week rep, does: "One cord equals a stack of wood, 4'x 4'x 8' or I 28 cu. ft., which includes bark and air. A cord of solid wood when compressed equals 80 cu. ft."ed.

Retirement Bonus

Since my subscription expired recently, not having The Merchant Magazine to read each month, is leaving a real empty space in my days of retirement.

I have been retired 5 years. The wife and I have enjoyed every day of it traveling, working in our yard and just taking it easy. I do miss the Hoo-Hoo meetings and working with a sales crew and the many building supply accounts we served.

Please accept my new subscription for 3 years starting as soon as possible. Frank Stanger

22ll W. Coronet Ave. Anaheim, Ca.

On Paying Disputed Bills

If you are involved in a dispute with a supplier over a bill, identify any checks sent to him with the invoice number or date ofdelivery ofthe goods covered by the payment.

This will prevent him from applying the payment to the disputed transaction.

With a four acre drying yard, dry kitn and complete milling fagility, we look forward to serving your requirements.

October 1987

L-P- Fibreboard

(Continued from pagc 5I ) challenge and opportunity of being on our own and serving our new stockholders," according to Lawrence C. Hart, Fibreboard's chief executive officer.

Hart joined Louisiana-Pacific in 1978 and served as L-P's corporate controller and as general manager of one of its large California-based wood products divisions before being named ceo of Fibreboard. A graduate of Portland State University, Hart is a member of the Financial Executives Institute and serves on the board of both the Western Wood Products Association and the Western Timber Association.

Louisiana-Pacific is intimatelY familiar with spin-offs; it was formed in 1973 as a spin-off from GeorgiaPacific Corp. L-P's consolidated annual sales are in excess of $1.5 billion.

Dixieline Stock Offered

The parent firm of Dixieline Lumber Co., San Diego, Ca., has proposed the sale of 2'10/o of the common stock of Dixieline Products, which includes Dixieline Lumber' Nortek Inc., Rhode Island-based building materials and equiPment conglomerate, registered with the securities and exchange commission the proposed sale of 1.6 million shares worth as much as $23 million to reduce its short term debt.

Dixieline Products, including the lumber company, two door companies and a stair Parts manufacturer, almost triPled net earnings during the first half of 1987 over the same period last year to about $4.08 million on net sales of $106.05 million.

Since Nortek acquired Dixieline Lumber in 1985. the chain has expanded from five stores to eight by moving into former Handyman locations. Four new stores are set to be opened in the next six months, in Lomas Santa Fe, Vista, Carlsbad, and Rancho California, Ca.

Pfastic House By Year 2OOO?

Home building, especiallY remodeling, is expected to continue as the second largest market for plastics through the year 2000, consuming almost l5 billion pounds annually by the turn of the century.

Currently the building industrY accounts for some 200/o of the volume of all plastic resin Produced. Commodity plastic, Particularly polyvinyl chloride (PVC), is used in pipe and nonstructural applications such as siding and window frames. Use of engineering plastics is expected to increase in small functional parts such as casters, pulleys, latches and in applications such as pipe fittings, fixtures and protective glazing.

Expected demographic shifts with more single households and couples without children will result in smaller multi-family dwellings where plastics will contribute to design functionality at reduced costs, according to a report prepared for the 50th anniversary of The Society of the Plastics Industry. Multicolored bathroom and kitchen ftxtures, rolling shutters, whirlpool baths, windows, built-in furniture and energy conservation features will utilize various plastics. Plastics are expected to continue to be among preferred materials for replacement windows, bathroom fixtures and siding for remodeling single family homes.

Wwpa Convention

(Continued front page 7l) consumption for next year is forecast at 48.8 billion feet, down 2.50/o from this year, but the second highest consumption year ever.

Most of the dip will be caused by a slightly lower level of home building along with softening in other new construction and materials handling, he said.

In committee action, the executive committee ok'd a recommendation to participate in an industrywide wood dust study at a cost of $24,840. It also approved a request to reinstate WWPA's funding of the United Kingdom representative that it shares with the Southern Forest Products Association. Funding continues until March 31. 1988.

A request by the WWPA staffwas approved by the export committee to begin work on a long term WWPA international marketing plan. The marketing services committee, already at work on the 1988-89 marketing program, noted that its plans will focus primarily on those markets with the greatest oppor- tunities to add demand to current lumber production levels.

The resources and environment committee commended the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management for prompt sales of fire damaged timber before deterioration causes accelerated value and volume losses.

The fall meeting of the WWPA was held at the Sheraton Harbor Island East Hotel in San Diego, Ca., September l2-15.

Trademark Infringement Suit

Trademark infringement suits aimed to protect their federally registered trademarks of Delta. Delex and Peerless have concluded in Radiator Specialty Co., Charlotte, N.C., and Waxman Industries. Inc.. Cleveland. Oh., being prohibited from any further use of these trademarks in the marketing and sale of replacemant parts and accessories, according to Masco Corp.

Those selling and using the products must be "acutely aware that some faucet repair and replacement parts which are presented as genuine

The Merchant Magazine

Delta, Delex and Peerless parts, may not, in fact, be the real thing," says Raymond Kennedy, group president, Masco Corp., and president, Delta F-aucet Co. "The Radiator and Waxman rulings are just the beginning. We consider our trademarks to be valuable assets and will do what is necessary to protect them."

News Briefs

(Continued from page 18) ministration. fixed-term home m^o_r!gqgg. rates hit a weekly high of l0.9lolo in mid-Sept.

The Denver & Rio Grande

Western has indicated its intent to purchase the Southern Pacific RR from Santa Fe Southern"Pacific Corp., Chicago; no price disclosed as of presstime . .

Ochoco Lumber Co. has a sawmill with a 20 million bf capacity under construction in Prineville. Or.. . . . T&H Investments, Boise, Id., is now exclusive sales agent for Park County Lumber, Livingston, Mt.

Keeping Peace Between Employees

Given the nature of human beings, no company can run for any length of time without some form of conflict developing among employees. What can be prevented, though, are the problems that arise when conflicts and disputes between employees are mishandled.

Here's some advice from the Western Building Materials Association on how to handle yourself in these often ticklish situations.

(1) Don't Jump in Too Soon. As much as possible and as long as the situation isn't overly disruptive, try to let employees in conflict work things out for themselves. The danger of jumping in too soon is that your involvement could intensify rather than alleviate the problem. Then, too, if you get personally involved whenever employees are having a problem, you won't have time to deal with major problems when theY arise.

(2) Keep an Open Mind. When the need eventually arises to step in and mediate a dispute, make sure you have all the facts before you begin. And beware of the tendency to jump to conclusions based on previous assumPtions.

(3) Don't Play Both Ends Against the Middle. When talking privately to one employee involved in a dispute with another employee, be careful about saying anything to one that you wouldn't want the other one to heat. Assume that whatever you say will eventually get back to the other employee.

(4) Don't Assume the Role of Psychiatrist' It's not always possible, of course, but as much as you can, try to keep all discussions on specific work-related factors, and not on the personalities of the individuals'

(5) Maintain Objectivity. Keep in mind that even simple thingsa nod of the headcan send the wrong message and suggest that your're siding with one person over the other.

(6) Stay Focused. Make sure all discussions stay focused on the immediate situation and not on other aspects of the work environment. Exception: when general conditions in the work environment are a major factor in the problem.