NBMDA Annuol Doubles Attendonce to Set New Record

A new record in attendance was established at the annual meeting of the National Building Material Distributors Assn. at the Sheraton hotel in Chicago, November 12 and 13. Almost doubling attendance of a year ago, building rnaterial wholesalers from 37 states and Canada, as well as representatives from 88 national manufacturing organizations, participated in the fifth annual, rvhose theme covered "What's Ahead in 1957."

The first day r,r'as open to all manufacturers and their representatives, the second day was tl-re business meeting for members of NBMDA. A total ol 448 persons gathered for this tvvo-day business meeting.

Follor,r'ing the call to order by C. A. Haag, president of NBMDA, he announced a 22ok increase in membership since the meeting a year ago and that the association coulcl look forrvard to a membership of 450-500 wholesale building material distributors u'ithin the next few years.

The general program brought together outstar,dir.rg executives in the fields of finance, government ilnrl busirress, highlighted by several talks includir-rg:

"The Outlook for Mortgage Money in 1957"

by

Robert H. Pease, V. P.-Draper & Kramer, Chicago.

"How the Government Looks at Housing in 1957"

by Herbert Studer, Federal Housing Administratiorr. Washington.

"Togetherness-The Future is Bright"

by

Art Hood, Editor, American Lumberman, Chicago.

"The General Construction Outlook in 1957"

by Walter E. Hoadley, Treasurer.

Armstrong Cork Co., Lancaster, Pa.

The afternoon program presented Harry Babcock, director, Bureau of Investigation, Federal Trade Commission. Washington, D. C., r'vho discussed "When May a Functional Discount Be Granted," and the Panel Discussion on "Sales Helps-Is the Wholesaler Doing an Effective Job ?"

NBMDA officers and directors elected for 1957 rvere E,ldon Reising, Evansville, Ind., president; T. J. Dougherty, Cincinnati, Ohio, vice-president, and D. N. Peterson, Philadelphia, re-elected treasurer. Directors elected for a term of two years included R. E. Freeman, So-Cal Building Materials Co., Los Angeles, Calif.

On the morning of the second day, three Product Round-

Table Panels rvere held on Lumber and Millwork Products' Roofing and Insulation Board Products, ancl Steel and Wire Products. Following these separate meetings, the entire group convened to hear rep()rts of the chairmen of the respective Panels. The afternoon session include<l "Sales Motivations and Incentives," "What's Nerv in Inventory Systems," and "Can The Dealer-Distributor Team Be Strengthened ?"

At the business meeting concluding activities. it rvas atrnounced that the national Spring meeting of NBMDA would be held in the Jung hotel in Neu' Orleans, NIal15.16-17,1957, reported S. M. Van Kirk, general manager.

NBl,tDA Wins Trqde Group Awqrd

A national ar.vard for "outstanding service to the public: and to the industry rvhich it represents" has been receivecl by the National Building Material Distributors Association. C. A. Haag, Springfield, Ill., NBl\{DA president, announced granting of the au'ard by the American Societv of Association E,xecutives. It rvas the first time any building material group had receivecl this ltonor, Haag sai<|.