More Thcrn 6'000 Lumber Merchcrnts Flock Chicclgo for Exposition Clinics, Producls, Demonstrqtions

More than 180,000 square feet of the International Amphitheatre in Chicago were jammed with capacity crowds from December 10-13, overflowing all "action" demonstrations, breakfast and luncheon clinics, and exhibit demonstrations at the third annual National Retail Lumber Dealers' "Building Products" Exposition. Paid registrations totaled 6,470, representing yards from coast to coast.

Largest crowd-puller was the materials handling trackside demonstrations, witnessed by more than 1,000 lumber dealers each day, where flat cars and wide-door boxcars were mechanically unloaded in a 2-hour "spectacular." A variety of lift trucks, selected for retail yard application, swiftly unloaded "unitized" lumber, plywood, and other materials shipped from western and southern mills to the Exposition. All the "unitized" shipments arrived in Chicago in excellent condition, according to Robert B. Brown, NRLDA materials handling director, who coordinated the big handling show.

From the trackside demonstrations, mechanical equipment moved the materials into a full-scale "Inside Warehouse" under a pole-frame shed erected on the Amphitheatre floor. Throughout each day, thousands of dealers rvatched handling demonstrations in the warehouse, inspected new types of lumber binning, covers, strapping techniques, etc.

On Wednesday, under the supervision of John Moeling, Sterling Lumber Co., Chicago, 36,000 bd. ft. of lumber rvas mechanically unloaded in a record-smashing 2l minutes.

Dealers streamed through the 30x90 Profit-Maker I\{odel Store at a steady pace throughout each day. Enthusiasm for the professionally-designed display ideas-sponsored by NRLDA and American Lumberman magazine, with 100 cooperating product manufactur was indication that the store-building trend in the industry is still in its infancy. This was further underlined by overflor,v attendance at the "Management Side of Merchandising" clinic, moderated by Jack W. Parshall of Building Supply News. Advice on pricing, budgeting, markets was given by experts.

At the Component Parts theatre clinic, dealer crowds' watched as floor and wall panels were made and placed into a mock "Lu-Re-Co" house. A new "spline" interior wall system met with enthusiastic approval. "Component" kitchens, complete with appliances for lumber dealer consideration, were demoristrated and a new "plumbing wall" was introduced for the first time.

Fred L. Dill, Carmel, N. Y., chairman of the Components clinic, and Carl Norcross, of House & Home magaz.ine, expressed warm approval of the interest shown in dealerfabrication of house "parts" instead of pieces. Raymon Harrell, of the Lumber Dealers Research Council, said that additional research developments are being planned now, to be unveiled at the 1957 NRLDA Exposition.

Watson Malone III, Philadelphia, Exposition Clinic chairman, was forced to engage clinic rooms with larger seating capacity immediately after the initial luncheon session. More than 125 dealers, for instance, had to be turned away from the "Operation Home Improvement" management luncheon moderated by Robert Blackstock of Blackstock Lumber, Seattle.

Evidence that the lumber dealer today is vitally interested in modernizing business also stems from the record 6fi)-dealer attendance at the Exposition's Kitchen Clinic.

All manufacturers reported excellent booth traffic, and many have already announced expanded plans for the 1957 NRLDA Exposition.

The general feeling of dealers at the show was aptly summed up in comment from W. Temple Webber, Jr., Temple Lumber Co., Lufkin, Texas: "The exhibits had last year's convention beat a hundred times. Judging from the NRLDA trend, I am sure that next year will be better and bigger. The national association has gone a long way in helping the dealer with his many problems."

At the Exposition banquet, awards of merit were presented to the clinic chairmen by Phil Creden, Edw. Hines Lumber Co., Chicago, and general Exposition chairman. Creden said that the "workshop" format would be con-

Dealers Urged to Boom Business Wirh Instqllment Gredit Selling

Retail lumber dealers were urged by R. A. Schaub, president of the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association, to make broader use of installment credit as a means of setting another new record in'the volume of home improvement business in 1957. In an address before the organization's board of directors meeting at the Conrad Hilton hotel, Schaub said, "Many home owners who would like to enlarge, modernize, or repair their homes are not aware that they can take up to five years to pay for larger jobs under a monthly payment plan. Less than 6/a of the nearly $31 billion outstanding in installment loans is for repair and modernization work.

"Moreover, less than 20o/o of. the home improvement business is being sold on the installment plan, whereas 70 and 800/6 of. automobile and appliance sales are financed with monthly payment plans. Additional home improvement activity will help to offset the decline which has taken place in new home construction because of the scarcity . of mortgage funds.

"Recent changes in the Federal Housing Administration's Title I repair and modernization program increased the maximum time for repayment of FHA insured loans from 36 to 60 months and raised the maximum amount of these loans t'rom $2500 to $3500," he continued.

"Inasmuch as at least one out of every two existing homes needs major improvements, and two out of every three home owners would like to undertake some sort of major modernization job, home improvement business potentially is far greater than the record-breaking amount now being undertaken.

"Wider use of installment credit is the best way to get the extra work started," the dealers' president concluded.

tinued and expanded at the 1957 Exposition, scheduled for Philadelphia, Nov. 4-7, and program innovations added in materials handling, store merchandising, retail management and component subjects.

Confidence that another year of good business lies ahead, and that continued close working relationships between dealers and manufacturers will contribute greatly to the mutual interests of the two groups, together with enthusiasm over the Women's Congress Homes, featured the annual meeting of the board of directors of the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association prior to the opening of the NRLDA's Third Annual Building Products Exposition.

Paul R. Ely, Ely-Hoppe Lumber Co., North Platte, Neb., was elected president of the association for 1957. James C. O'Malley, O'Malley Lumber Co., Phoenix, Ariz., was named first vice-president, and Herbert W. Blackstock, H. W. Blackstock l-umber Co., Seattle, Wash., was elected second vice-president. Leslie G. Everitt, Long-Bell Division, International Paper Co., was chosen treasurer. H. R. Northup, executive vice-president,,and E. H. Libbey, secretary, both were re-elected.

R. A. Schaub, 1956 president, said the retail lumber in- dustry could be proud of the progress it has made in improving communications with the rest of the building industry and within its owr-r ranks. He expressed appreciation for the numerous letters recently received from building products manufacturers assuring him that their consumer advertising will continue to advise the public to see their local lumber dealer when they plan to build or modernize.

Mr. Schaub also urged every dealer to visit the three Women's Congress Houses which NRLDA planned and built at nearby Munster, Indiana. He said that the houses would generate untold publicity for the retail lumber dealer as the place to go u'hen planning to build a new home.

He also said there was a real need either for quicker turnover of dealers' funds invested in inventories, or else for better purchasing terms, and urged the manufacturers to give serious thought to the problem.

Mr. Northup stated that tight mortgage credit was the major problem confronting lumber dealers at this time. "All predictions by economists and students of construction statistics predict another record-breaking construction volume for 1957," he said. "The Department of Commerce, for instance, predicts a $a6l billion total, some 5/o in excess of 1956.

"The predictions on private residential housing starts ' for 7957 vary anywhere from between 800,000 to 1,200,000, depending largely upon the viewpoint of the group making the predictions. It would seem reasonable to expect housing starts in 1957 in excess of one million units, u'hich means a good year for housing under any circumstances.

"It is believed that the Administration rvill take such steps as are necessary to ease the pressure of tight money in the mortgage market. These steps being taken, FHA and VA loans should at least have a reasonable opportunity to attract investors in the coming year.

"It seems likely, however, that for some time to come the situation in respect to long-term, low down-payment loans, will not be as easy as builders would like to see it. The mortgage market will have to compete lvith the unusually heavy demands of business, the new highrvay program, and the needs of individual consumers.

"Looking at the retail lumber industry's major markets for the coming year, construction generally will be higher, including the maintenance, repair and alteration market, if we cultivate it; the farm market, by reason of expected increased income, €xcept in drought areas; and the do-it-yourself market, with continued cultivation.

"lfowever, assuming that the market opportunities for the sale of building materials remain unlimited, it rvould appear that the organized industry's major activities should continue to be those aimed at protecting the national interest of the retail lumber industry in the legislative and governmental relations field, continuing to promote rvider public acceptance of the lumber dealer as the man to see for all construction needs, and assisting in every way possible, through cooperative activities, to improve the operating and merchandising techniques of this industry."

Mr. Northup added that the retail lumber industry had been growing steadily in stature and influence and that its ability to continue the trend would require

TOP NRIDA OFFICES MOVE WEST in 1957-rhe new ofticers ore, left to right (iop lefr photo): Herbert W. Blockstock, Seottle, 2nd vice-president; Poul R. Ely, North Plqtte, Neb,, president, ond Jomes C. O'Molley. Phoenix, I st vice-president. Second photo in fop pqnel shows o very smoll port of lhe 6,47O retoil lumbermen lined up on the opening Registrqlion doy. The Yord Plonning Session of The Hysler Co. (third photo, lop) wos o veiy populor exhibit with the deolers for Hyster's $5 Yord Plonning Kits

9ECOND PANEI: (left) each ond every one of the clinic closses wos sworming with deolers eoger lo heor new ideos; this is the Power Tool Soles session. Cenler: the "Profit-Moker Model Store" wos onother populor exhibit. Righr: 1956 NRIDA President R. A. Schcub (left) presents o ploque for "exceptioncl ond untiring service" to Phil Creden of the Edw. Hines Lumber Co.. Chicogo, the Exposirion generol choirmon.

THIRD PANET: (loft) Pole-frome shed wos equipmeni demonslrotion dreo during 4-doy show; new methods of protective <overing, roofing, binning, strcpping, etc., were exomined by deolers here. Cenfer: President Schoub and Execulive VicePresident H. R. Northup of rhe NRIDA, Annobel'le Heoth, Poul DeVille, FHA Commissioner Normqn P. Moson, HHFA Adminis. lrolor Albert M. Cole and wives went to neorby Munsler, Ind." to view opening of the NRlDA-sponsored Women's Congress Houses. Right: rhe three homes.

FOURTH PANET PIX (right) show two of the mqieriol hondling demonstrolions; ihis typicol bulkheodad flqtcor is shown in lhe exdct condition it orrived from the mill, reody for Exposiiion demonslrotions; three cois were unlooded eoch doy.

IOWER PANEI (right) shows two of the exhibir disploys. The lefi photo shows the Atlos Plywood Corporotion's new poneling disploy merchondiser, which wos unveiled ot the Exposi- tion. The right phoio shows onother "glomorous', disploy, in which the Hyster Co. hod two lovely models going through o "spectoculor"-type demonstrotion with plocards of the merifs of some of its vsrious models of lift trucks.