It's Parr Lumber Company's llt Christmas

Betsy Bendix

Lynn Bethurum

Mary Lou Briseno

John Brown

Miles Butterfield

Maureen Delaney

Tony Fredrickson

Scott Green

Scotty Halliday

Jim Hand

Richard Harvey

Jim Hynick

Mike Johnson

Curt Karstrom

Joe Kayda

Mike LaDuke

Jim Lawson

Robert Malone

Jeff Manning

Paul Miller

Lee Marlatt

Janet Parrella

Mike Parrella

Peter Panella

Frank Pharr

Bill Pritchard

Bob Pritchard

Francis Rich

David Sclimenti

Melinda Taylor

Gilbert Tonez

Frank Via

Pam Winters

WallyWolf

GARY L. SMITH executive vice president

I N rHe ERA of the buying group I and the co-op your friendly lumber/ hardware/building material trade associations have done some heavY dutY soul searching and self examination. There is enormous pressure on these groups to identify the types ofproducts and services they can provide their membership that the for-profit organizations mentioned above don't, won't or can't offer as efficiently. We must either do enough things better to remain viable, or resign ourselves to declining membership and eventual extinction. There is another group that is wrestling with that same problem and retailers canand probablY should - help them find their niche.

Does anyone remember the bad old days of gypsum board and hardboard allocations? Those were some fun times - trying to meet the needs of your loyal customers, covering bids, wondering if you should even try for the next job that included quantities of those commodities. Similar happenings crop up now and again with insulation, redwood, cedar, and other products you rely on to stay in business. What do you think of first when you remember those times? I hope it's a who and not a what, because in many cases it was an individual or an organizationnot a thingthat got you over the hump.

The independent wholesaler, that broker, reloader, free spirit, good old buddy ofyours, is feeling the pinch and you might be able to return some of the favors he did trying to keep his loyal customers supplied during the bad old days mentioned above. He's also the source of those mixed trucks and decent tallies you appreciate getting once in a while. One of these days you may have to decide whether or not he is going to stay in business; and the determination is going to be based on whether or not the services mentioned above are important to you.

We'll be the last ones to suggest you turn your back on co-ops and buying groups; that may be one ofthe quickest roads to early retirement available today. But you may want to give some consideration in the process of buying right to shoring up a segment of the industry that has provided valuable cohesion and support in the past. You hope that something extra you provideservice and consistency - brings your customer through the door in spite of the competition. Your suppliers need a more than occasional dose of the same.

Future Dates

Check our Calendar on page 20 tor information on upcoming conventions, meetings and trade shows in your region.