DFPA Out Prospecting New Veins to Xline the Plywood filorket

I3TH ANNUAI SATES RECORD SET BY PIYWOOD PR,ODUCERS

The western fir pl;rwood industry set its l3th consecutive annual sales record in 1960, according to the Douglas Fir plywood Association. Figures available at year's end indicate total production of approximately 8 billion sq. ft. (%-in. basis), for an iircrease of 3/o ovet 7959.

DF'PA, which represents 132 of the 1b9 mills currenily in pro- duction, points out this is a modest increase in comparison witfr 1959, when production climbed lgVo.But it was made in a year of semi-depression for tlre industry and in the face of a drop estimated at 2O/s in housing starts.

"This means that we have been able to increase our share of the housing market far more than the statistics show," declared W. E. Difiord, DE PA executive vice-president.

Qrroting the generally optimistic predictions for 1961, Difrord said he felt industry conditions would improve in the coming year, h**H* ls ls but that he didn't look for any radical change for about five years.

Although the industry has grown every year, this growth has been anything but steady. Annual production has gone up aJr average ot L2.9/s in the last decade, a pace that makes the industry the nation's fastest-growing outside the defense fleld. But that growth has varied tuom Llo in 1949 to 26/o in 1950.