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r Choosing Hampton Lumber Sales Company to meet your lumber needs is one of the best moves you can make. r You get a dependable supply of high-grade lumber from one of the country's largest independent forest products companies. Hampton grows and harvests much of its own timber - and uses the latest sawmill technoloEies to process it. r You get courteous, professional treatment from your assigned sales representative. This means fast answers to enquiries, expeditious order handling and on-time delivery.

o Hampton even has its own fleet of center-beam railcars. Make the smart choice. Call Hampton and enjoy the benefits of a half century's experience in the forest products business.

Hanptm udwiuelg reprcsents these seaen eslablished nills:

Wilfamina Lunber Com pany - Green Dougla frr fianing up to 28'

Tillanook Lumber Company - KD henlock up lo 26'

Wleeler ilanufacturing Co. - Specifred heary cuttings up to 40'

Fort Hill Lumber Compny - Specialtg uttings through 26'

ChannelLumber Company - f&Land pine dinmion

James Van Loo Lumber C ompny - Grem Dougla frr framing

Precision Lumber Company, tnc. - I(D Sout/rem Yellow Pine

Hampton Lumber Sales Co., Portland, 0R 503/297-7691, FM 503/297-3188

Hampton Distribution Center, Portland, 0R 503t 289-2r7 4, FAX 503/289-2261

Precision Lumber Company, Pollok, TX 409/853-9333, FM 409/853-3344

"It was a great success," Kirk smiled. "We wrote seven orders for the new Senco full roundhead framing nailer which isn't even available yet. (The purchasers) will have to wait 30 more days for it."

The first Technology Fair was likely a first annual, with plans for a repeat performance nexl sunmer.

Yaeger & Kirk Near The End

Yaeger & Kirk Lumber Co., Santa Rosa Ca., which filed for bankruptcy in August, is now seeking liquidation of the 121-year-old company.

Devastated by the recession, competition, an ill-timed expansion and costs of more than $300,000 to clean up a leaking underground fuel tank, the company is $7.5 million in debt. Sales, which had been as high as $35 million in 1989, are expected to drop to $18 million this year. pnly a staff of about 45, the flagship store in Santa Rosa and a Sonoma location remain. Llkiah and Healdsburg operations have been sold.

The company dates back to 1872 when it was E. V. White Lumber Co. Steve Yaeger, father of present owner Buck Yaeger, became a partner in 1944 with Bob Kirk joining him as a parmer in 1952. Thomas Gemetti is a partner today.

Too Much Service Not Enough

Retail store executives think their selling floors are overstaffed, while their staffs believe there aren't enough employees on hand to service the clients, according to a survey by Service Dimensions Inc.

Nearly 447o of executives polled felt there were too many employees relative to the number of customers, while 66Vo of employees said customers had to wait for service because there weren't enough bodies to go alound.

"As sales decline, the natural tendency is to tighten up on expenses," said Service Dimensions pres. Susan O'Dell. "But this recession has made many executives forget that to earn a dollar you need to spend a dollar. Yes, look for waste on the selling floor, but do it in the context of managing your service hours properly."

NHLA Develops Claims Plan

A lumber claims handling Procedure being developed by the National Hardwood Lumber Association will be discussed at a "Meeting the Officers and Staff' session during the annual convention, OcL 16-19, Loews Anatple, Dallas, Tx.

Based on a Better Business Bureau model, the procedure will handle terms and conditions that fall outside the NHLA sales code. A database of hardwood claims is proposed with complaint and response documents maintained until the complaint is settled. At that time all documents will be destroyed with an entry noting satisfaction made for both parties.

The database would give the industry a way to investigate prospective customers or suppliers and !o register complaints. A fee will be charged.

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L-P Changes Mind About Mexico

Personally persuaded by California Gov. Pete Wilson, Louisiana-Pacific Corp. has decided to build a $28 million roofing plant in Northern Californi4 canceling plans for adding the facility to its lumber manufacturing complex in Mexico. (See The Merchnnt, Sept. p.2I.)

The decision was a switch for L-P, which has often been a harsh critic of California govenrment. regulations and environmental pressures. Citing recent reforms which "have streamlined the process and will allow us to maintain a reasonably aggressive consfuction schedule" for the plant, president Harry Merlo said that until now "a big detriment in locating a new plant in California has been the state's lengthy and cumbersome permitting process."

The plant will use a new process that combines cement with fly ash and sawdust to create a flame retardant roof shake. Fly ash is the residue from smokestacks in industrial boilers.

Expected to be in production by late spring, the facility will be capable of producing 180,000 squares of shakes annually or enough to cover 7,200 avenge-sized homes. Company representatives noted the market for flame-resistant roofing material has grown tremendously since the enactment of strict new roofing requirements in california after the 1991 Oakland fire.

The plant will be built on land already owned by L-P in Red Bluff. About 92 jobs will be created wirh laid-off L-P workers given hiring preference.

California On The Mend?

California, the western lumber industry's leading yet depressed market, may be bottoming out and headed for a gradual rebound, according to the Western Wood Products Association.

The Federal Reserve expects the California economy to "bump along the bottom" for the next year, but forecasts a bright long-term outlook for recovery. Yet a recent Federal Reserve report noted the current downturn is the st,ate's most severe in the past 30 years, with housing permits down 70Vo since 1989 and existing home sales off 20Vo.

In 1990, nearly a third of the West's lumber shipments went to California, dropping to a27.6Vo share in 1992 and 26.9Vo for the first six months of this year, reports WWPA.

LASC Conference Agenda

The Lumber Association of Southern California has scheduled the 1993 Fall Mznagement Conference for Nov. 4-6 at Stouffer's Esmeralda Hotel, Indian Wells, Ca.

Aiming to assist members in conducting their businesses over the ensuing year, the committee has arranged to have a vice president and senior economist from the Bank of America

October 1993 open the conference on Thursday. Following programs will feature Lynn Michaelis, senior economist from Weyerhaeuser, top people from the building industry, developers and association members. A 2nd Growth panel and discussions of insurance, Tele Track (Pacific Telephone's Computer Assist System), steel framing, anti-theft measures and mechanic lien law changes are also planned.

Exhibits will be open with lunch available from food stations located around the exhibit area.

A cocktail party, golf and tennis toumaments complete the agenda.

Japan Agency Certifies QB

QB Corp., Salmon, Id., has been certified as a Grade Level I Japanese Agricultural Standards Manufacturer by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

National standards for forest products have been established by the Japanese government to improve the quality requirements for visual appearance, physical, chemical proper: ties and mechanical strength. In order to become a JAS certified manufacturer, a company must pass a series of tests based on criteria stipulated in

JAS standards. These are administered by the Japan Plywood Inspection Corp., registered grading organization for JAS.

"We are especially proud because QB Corp. is one of the first plants outside of Japan to achieve this level of manufacturing certification," said G. Holton Quinn, QB president. "Mitsui & Co. USA, Seattle, exclusive exporting representative for our laminated beams, and Mitsui Wood Systems assisted us in the achievement."

In-Store Eateries lntroduced

Not content with just equipping doit-yourselfers, Home Depot is now starting to feed them.

The chain will test market minifood courts at 16 locations, including four in Southern California.

The 1,200-sq. ft. Depot Diners will open between mid-October and Nov. 1. Other test markets are New York, South Florida and Atlanta, Ga.

Food suppliers mclude McDonald's, Burger King, Coca-Cola, Pizza Hut, Freshens Yogurt and Blimbie Intenratiopal.

Home Depot will decide in the spring if tbe service will be rolled out nationally.