EDITIORIAL

Eyeball To Eyeball Gredit

The sumdard methods used to check out a company's credit are quite formalized and usually work well. But many times there's a lot more !o credit evaluation than numbers. Sometimes an inperson looksee is essential.

Ideally, the seller walks in unannounced to check out the buyer. This way he can observe the general appearance of the slore or office. Things to look for include anything that appean shabby, run down or un-businesslike. Are the people pleasant, helpful and professional in their conduct? Does the office equipment consist of a mechanical comptometer left over from tie Twilight Zone or are the computers neatly networked?

If a yard or warehouse is involved, walk through it to see if the general housekeeping is good. Is the building in good repair, are forklifts active and apparently well maintained? Are the workers briskly doing their jobs, or just sort of standing around?

After quizzing top management about credit

DAVID CUTLER editor-publisher

numbers, ask them about their general conduct of the business. Get them to discuss areas such as inventory control, risk liability programs and Workers Comp. Also try and get them to talk about promotion and advertising, health plans, employee hiring/firing policy and even succession plans. Ask them how they finance extra inventory needed for rising sales. Experts tell us many managers don't have a clue as to how some of these important management Eools really work. If they are unsure or unknowing, it's a warning that the company may not be well enouglr operated to pay you for their purchases.

Talk to people at all levels of the company; the more the better. Listening carefully to casual conversations can often tell you a great deal about the most important facet of any business: its employees.

When you're investigating credit, go for the numbers first. But don't forget that there's a lot more to business than just numbers.

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MrcRo=LAM@ cLULAM HEADERS atural Oak $ile and rail paneled walls have always offered the definifiw statcment offornd elegance. The custom nature of these installations have made them one of the more expensive design options. By standardizing the panel format, and using venerred stiles and rails, States Industries'LIBR ARY PANEL has greatly reduced both the materials cost, and the installation time.

Sliced domestic Red Oak veneers, trimmed with solid Oak mouldings combine to create a panel with the quality and integrity of a cornpletely site built installation, at a fraction of the cost.

Wilh the addition ofexisting base and crown moulding patterns, you can create a look that is as spartan or elaborate as desired.

Stiles and rails are laid out on l6" by 32" centen with sufficient tnm margtns to permit custom fitting t0 vrrtualiy anv room dimension. Panels are furnished square edged, sanded and unfinished, to facilitate custom finishing in place. Because these panels are jig assembled by hand, optimum grain and color match is achieved. Buttjoints and moulding miters are excellent.

Wainscoting. boxed columns. accent uails. as well as a r arie[ oi lurniture c0mponents. arc easilv cut lrom thc basrc 48" br'96" bv I i, 16" panel

With the LIIIRARY PANfI from Sratcs Industries 1ou can crcate an atmosphere ol'\larmth. stabilitf and prcstige on a modest budget.

1994 Products Expo Accents Wood Uses

A "World of Wood" pavilion at the I{ome (lenter Sho'"v's 199.1 Building, Remodcling & I)ecor Products Expo will providc retailcrrs and disfibutors selling to buildcrs, rernodclcrs, comrnercial contractors and horneowners an opportunity to mcet lcading industry prol'essionals.

Displuys, rvhich rvill be providecl by wtxrd industry,associations and tlc show's sp()nsors, will focus on ncw wood ard rvoorl rclu{crl products, llew applicutions for existing products, new sources ol supply and thc lutest technology lurd dcsign developrncllts.

"We arc plcuscd thar eight lcading wood assclciations in the U.S. and Canada lrin,e already reservcd posilions in thcr Wolld of Worxl pavilion," said John Cushnore, World ol'Wood coordinator. "l{esponse to tie pavilion has bccn cnlhusiastic and we cxpect nraily Inorc ilnportani arsrx.ia'ror)s to he lrrnorrg tlle plrrtieipar)ts wheu the Buildiug. Remodcling & llecor ProrJucts Expo and the World of WoorJ ollcn l'icb. i3-1-5 at the Dallis Convcntitnr Clcutcr, Dallas,'['x."

Associations participatil)g to date: American Ir)stituto o1 l'imber Colisl-ruction, Anrclican l)lyrvood Associatlon. Anrerican Wood l)rcse rvcrs institute. Natrorurl Ditncnsion ManuI'acturers .,\ss()ciat.i0n. S()uthern Forcst l)nlducts Assttciatiou. Southcrn Pine Inspectiou Burcau, Western Wood l)rotiucts Assocration and Wood Specralties Group of the Couttcil ol' l;orest. Liclustries o1' Ilritish Colurnbilr.

I-ightiug Itroducts, lighting merchandisiug Lleuds nnd consurncr lightiug etlucrrtirin will rcccive specill attcntion iu rr l)ccclr'Ii'ends and Concepts I)avilion clesigned by Blacken i)esrgn Associutcs, Scotch PliLins, N.J. 'l'hc exhibit rvill bc organized into ihree subjcct lu'cas: lighting product rends: nrcrclrunclisirrg/display t:'cuds and consurner cducation lrcnds.

Aiiditiontrlly. Rulding P roduc't s Digest aud sisl.cr publication 7'licr M erc ltu nt tll tt.gu:ine ale co-spursorlng an e11 uiprncut show-within-aSh0rv;15 Part of t5e cxPo. 'thc

(This product formerly marketed as The

Matelial Ilrrnrlling, Storagc & Dclivery Slturv rvill include exhibits and dernonstrations ol' Iorkli{is, industriul tools, rvilod n':rste rtcyclitig systerns, strappingi hlruding cquiprrlcnt, truck bclorn/clanc systonls, I'loor Lrucks, racking, shelving aud relatcd cornputer sof(wlrrc.