desert fline equals family fun

snagged by TW&J's Joe Contestabile with u" b5. Low net nod went to Lane Lumber's Jack Milliken.

First flight was won bY Ed Both, sec' ond flight by Stan Mago of Mt.-Whitney Lumbei Co. and third flight by Jerry McGuire of Cal'Forest Lumber Co. Bob Kalweit won the guest low net' Gal golfer honors went to Phyllis Mil' ler (Hugo Miler, Rounds Lumber Co.) and low net trophy winner was Delores Coleman (Ken Coleman, Eckstrom Plywood).

Redwood Pork Plqn Blosted

A hybrid plan for a 66,384-acre redwoods national park has been recommended by a Senate Interior subcommittee which embodies elements of park proposals that have been urged by Sen. Thomas H. Kuchel, R-Calif.; Rep. Don Clausen, R-Crescent City, and the preservationist Sierra Club.

The proposed federal park would encompass the Jedediah Smith, Del Norte and Prairie Creek state parks, but the State of California would not be required to turn them over to the federal government.

Byron B. Miller, vice president and general manager of Arcata Redwood Company blasted the proposal saying, "the bill is completely unacceptable to the Arcata Redwood Co. It removes 12,500 acres, or more than half of the company's total holdings. Our existence as a company would be seriously threatened and the economic well-being of the community, of which Arcata Redwood is a part, would necessarily be adversely affected.

ooThe Jackson-Kuehel bill," he added, o'as currently constituted: (1) offers no relief for employees dislocated as a result of the removal from private ownership of substantial quantities of commercial timber; (2) provides for no inJieu-of-tax payments to communities whose economies would be seriously irnpaired by the loss of significant tax revenues. Therefore, Arcata Redwood intends to use every means at its command to fight a bill that in no way serves the total public interest."

The bill proposed by the subcommittee would make available 14,000 acres of {orest service land that lumber companies with property within the national park could take in lieu of money for their property. Lumber companies own more than 28,600 acres of land within the proposed park's boundaries.

This is as close as the bill comes to the "swap" principle proposed by California Gov. Ronald Reagan, who has insisted that the federal government give up lands in exchange for the state parks.

UNITED T(| SERVE Y(|U BEST!

A United staff of veteran lumbermen experienced in handling the requirements of the retail dealer

United in their effort to provide prompt, efficient service on wholesale orders from our up to l8'. Fine ned old groulth timfrom our YollaTree Farm.

United inventory of prime softwood lumber maintained with the retail dealer's needs in mind.

.

Eighth Of A Series

Are you running a slumber yard? Don't be afraid to sell unusual consumer items - they make money

By REED TAWTON mqnogement consuhont

fN TALKING with traditional lumber I dealers, the expression otten crops up' "What? We wouldn't sell thnt in our lumber yard!"

Pet supplies is a good example of what I'm talking about. When one yard began keeping reco.ds on what customers asked for- and could not find, dog leashes and collars appeared on the list two or three times a week. The dealer still doesn't carry a supply of chains or collars. Be' "u,r.L ooTh"y don't belong in a lumber yard."

In 1920 almost 95 Percent o{ all ma' terials which went into a house were lum' ber. In the 60's and 70's less than 40 percent of the materials and barely 25 percent of the value of an average house is lumber ! No lumber dealer in America can blame the building slump fior alJ his troubles today! A full share of the blame must be accepted by the dealer who has made little or no attempt to get his share of the home improvement and the do'it' vourself market. Yes, I said that bad word-DO-IT-YOURSELF.

[,et's face the facts of life in this day in which we live. For every dollar spent for new housing in 1963, (which was a top year) do-it-yourselfers spent 75$ on materials alone. To repeat? in 1963, for every $3 spent on new housing, another $Z was spent on home imProvement. Most of that money went to big discounttlpe general stores and specialty dealers in

1963 because the lumber and building materials dealer was too busy supplying the contractors. Incidentally, way back in 1950, the ratio was $l for improvement to $10 for new construction.

So, times do change. And if a retail dealer has any intention of staying in business, some major changes in thinking must be rnade" soon.

Areas Of Consumer Buying

! Awnings l-l Bathroom Fixtures n Brict<s

5 Carpets l--l Cement n Cement blocks

I Electrical Suplies & wlnng l-l Faucets & Parts n Fencing, all kinds

I-l Floor tiles

51 Flooring l-'l Furnaces

I Garbage disposals n Garage doors & replacement parts l-l lnsulation l-l Kitchen cabinets

I uigrrt fixtures

! Masonry supplles l-l Towel racks l-l Ornamental iron works

I eaint & supplies fl Patio materials

I Paving stones

I Plumbing supplies n Poured flooring

I Range hoods & fans

I Roofing materials

L-l Sheet metal supplies

I Shingles

I Siding, metal, too

! Sprinkler systems

[] Stucco & repair materials

! Swimming pool supplies n Pre-cut shelving fl Drapery hardware fl Ceramic tile l-l Hand tools n Power tools -n Watt coverings l-l Water heaters

I eipe & supplies l-l Water softener & supplies n Weatherstripping l-l Screens

5 eet supplies n Garden supplies & tools ff Auto supplies

I I Formrca

! table legs n Venetian blind rePairs

In speaking of lumber and building materials dealers in 1962-1963, Bank of America pointed out that profits were not very strong. ". Net Profit on Tangible Net Vorth before taxes was 4.84%. This places them second lowesl among the 14 retail lines examined by Dun & Bradstreet, indicating a need for better management."

And this was at a time when business was good! Good management is a niceto-have in good times. It becomes a haveto-have during a depression, Let's face it, while the rest of the nation is going through its greatest period oI prosperity, highest Gross National Product and hishest sales figures ever. the home building business and many Iumber dealers are in the midst o{ their worst depression!

For rhe past seven mont-hs, l've been writing in the pages oI The Xlerchant Magazine., telling various facets of what you can do to bring yourself out o{ the doldrums.

Rut too much o{ the reaction I have seen in too many yards has been based on personal opinion rather than on good market analysis and good salcs promotion.

A peculiar kind of prejudice is keeping many lumber and building materials dealers from being profitable today.

I{ you had a retail lumber yard just two blocks from the ocean. would vou re- fusc to stock a supply o{ beach equipment? If you were on a main highway

Sfory clf q Glonce

Doing some tough talking in his hardest-hitting article to date, management consultant Lawton lances dealers for their reluctance to sell more kinds of things.

llear a major clam hunting area, would you re{use to rent potato forks at $3 to $5 per day? If there is no paint or wallpaper store in your shopping area, would you still 'refuse to stoop so low as to handle paint, because "it doesn't belong in a lumber yard"?

Maybe it's time to take off the kid gloves and find out the difierence betw.r)n a Iumber and buildine materials rk aler and a slumber yard.

Lu.mber business is good, People are

Gof o Queslion?

Drop u,s a line, and, we'll get Reed Lawtort lo giut: lou expert answers to your problems. No names will bc used. Just send them to The Merchant Magazine, 412 W. 6th St., [,os Angeles, Culil.90014.

keeping their homes a little longer and spending more than ever keeping them in good shape. In tht-' 14 southern counties of Cali{ornia one of the few western areas where accurate and uptodate figures are available, gl09 million has been spent so far in 1967 on additions and alterations for which permits were issucd. Some $200 to $300 million more has been spent on home improvemcnt materials alone by do-it-yourselfers, Security First National Bank figures show the total for single family dwellings has been $542 million for the same period. and this includes labor.

O.K. What do you have to do to get your share? Take a good look at the list on the opposite page and you should be ablc to meet most of the needs of anv customer in at least 45 of the 50 areas of interest.

Next month The ilIerchanr will publish its annual projection of business outlook tor 1968. You can do your part by preparing now {or a more prosperous year ahead by taking arrother look at your ability to serve better the consumer trade.

l)o you have a large, lighted sign? Do you spcnd 2lz-3 perccnt of your gross on advertising, sales promotion, and so on? Do yon have good professional advice on market analysis and sales training?

I)o you have the broad, in-depth inventory required to meet this trade?