S:tory ata Glane

the mills that support the wholesalers," said Houk. "The major percentage of mills nowadays sell direct to our customers. Our main suppliers are the ones who honor the time-honored system of moving products through wholesalers."

The company's reputation also helps. Parr honors the traditional route of distribution, from manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to end user. "We try to support

Similarly, Parr doesn't sell to its customers' customers. The company occasionally gets a bum rap since retailer Parr Lumber, headquartered in Oregon, now has salesmen in the Inland Empire, calling on contractors.

The wholesaler has its own fleet of five trucks plus an on site mechanic and complete shop to maintain its trucks and forklifts. Having its own transportation permits Parr to provide unique, flexible services to its customers. "We hy to control our own destiny," said Panella. wr*l;llT 3"iTl,1 i$t ff T"? editors asked dealers across the counbry, they received similar answers, regardless of the region.

He attributes the most credit to his staff. "A company's biggest assetand it doesn't show up on a financial statementis its people," he said. Panella plans to semi-retire before too long and hand the business over to people like Houk, Long, son and sales manager Mike Parrella, salespeople Lynn Bethurum and Janet Parrella, and corporate secretarylchief financial officer Pamela Winters, an I l-year Parr mainstay.

"I want these people to have a part of it," Parrella said. "The lumber company's been good to me and I want to share it. I'm going to let them run with it. I want to enjoy life."

Parrella will devote his time to l-egacy Ranch, his race horse training and breeding facility in Chino. He has 85 quarter horses and thoroughbreds on the sprawling 30 acre ranch. Last year [rgacy was the third top moneymaker in the business. Its stallion, Menidoc, has pro. duced $8.5 million in lifetime money earners. One offspring, Griswold, also owned by Parella, recently set a new world record for the fastest quarter horse ever to lace at 870 yards.

Meanwhile, success at Parr Lumbereven in tough timesseems a sure bet.

Dealers, whether they buy from a manufacturer, wholesaler or distribution yard, want a win/win relationship. "I want to get a quality product at a reasonable price so I can give my customers good quality at a fair price" was the consensus.

Dealers also ageed that they want their hardwood to meet National Hardwood Lumber Association grades. "This is the only way we can be sure oul customers get proper yield," explained one dealer.

"I don't want to have to call in a NHLA inspector," another added. "This is a losing situation for us and the seller." [f there's a problem, he and fellow dealers expect immediate corrective action by the supplier.

Hardwood Distributor's Association members aim to provide professionally trained sales representatives capable of working with customers and advising them on the many facets of the woodworking and lumber business, explained HDA spokesman Charles F. Wilson. Wilson Lumber