A. KEttEY

Wholesalers

Softwoods: Douglas Fir

White Fir . Ponderosa Pine

Sugar Pine . Hemlock

Via

Home Improvetvient

(Continued lrom Page l0) phase of the retail operation.

"The biggest point in the success of our home improvement program has been in finding good, reliable subcontractors who do quality work and can be counted on to complete their part of the job on schedule," said Eyer. "All the subs that we use have been with us for more than three years," he added.

To attract reputable and qualified tradesmen. Plains pays a fuJl 1O0/o to sub- taking a risk, but it enables us to maintain a sound working relationship with our subs, and also to schedule our work so closely that we can complete a major remodeling job in about five weeks. The homeowner appreciates this fast service, and so does the building department, since they can send a man out to check the entire job at one time," Eyer said. turnover items for the walk-in trade. contractors when they complete the rough work.

'oJust to give you an examPle of how tight we schedule our jobs, I visited one of our construction sites recently and found five subs from five different companies all workine at the same time: the cement man laying ihe steps, the framing man working on the roof, the electrician putting in the wiring, the mason finishing the fireplace and the plumbing sub running the gas lines. That kind of timing gets the job completed right on schedule."

"Paying ofi before the finish is in is

The big profit factor in such a close relationship with sub-contractors, Eyer points out, is the fact that the dealer can rely on these subs to buy their materials from his yard. Though the profit margin is often low on these materials, the dealer is nevertheless able to maintain inventories of slow-moving items which he ordinarily could not afford to stock. Home improve' ment programs provide the dealer with a guaranteed source of future sales' allowing him to carry displays of bathtubs, sinks, and hot water heaters and other low-

"Winning the eonfidence of your com' munity, I feel is probably the largest single factor in operating a suc.cessful home im' provement business," Eyer said. "When a homeowner starts thinking about remodeling, he looks to someone he knows and trusts to help him plan the project and provide him ideas and suggestions. I think it's important for a dealer to get out and meet the people who live in his city, and to take an active part in communitY affairs."

Eyer practices what he preaches. He is a member of the board of the Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce and the Orange County Mental Health Association, and a past president of the local chapter of Sertoma. a men s -servi(.e club. ln i96-1. Scrtoma rramed him tht'ir "Man of the \"r'ar."

"Man1' dealers. it seems to me. are too t'oncerned about the pri<'e of tht.ir malerials.'l'his js n,, cluul,t clue lo the irr. r'reased <ompetition from the erowing numlrer oI discount stores in southerrr California." savs Eyer.

"\li"r e found" hou t'r er. that the <.ustomer who (omes to a retail r.ard isn't realll l<-ro < otrr.erned ul,ou1 1,1i6'.. \\'lrat he'"s looking for is idt'as and some adr ice on a particular prohlem he has. Help him .olr e his prol,lem arrd 1,rrr'r t, made l orrrsr.lI a sale. The prir.e is only secondary.

"As an example. out of 60 rlall panelings which we've sold, only one specified mahogany. Most of our (.ustomers wanted elm or one of the more expensir-e panels.

"The discount house hasn't reallv hurt tht lumher d,,al,'r. lrr fact. thev'r e h.,luec[ him by showing him how to mt,rchan<llse. Here at Plains, we don't sell price. \\"hat rre sell is qualitr. rt,liability ,ncl s.rr i,.,,.

"W"'r e [,rund that listirrg 'sper.ials' ,,n our sign in front of tht' storr. brings in r.en. little ne\^ l,rrsinlss. Wc ,.orrld lrlr ertise nails at a penn) a pourrd and 2x1.s at a ni<'kel a loot and we wouldn't sell $20 uorth to homeorvners. But put up a catr:hy little slogarr on the sign arrd n"arly r.v"r1, customer who comt:s in has some comment about it." Eyer said.

Plains has earnt,d quite a reputation in the community for its -"loganeering. Each u,eek. the sign olTers sur:h axioms as. ,,If we ain't got it. \'ou don't need it!" and "Want to keep her? Add a rooml"

THE LADIES: GOD BTESS 'EM

'Io t.lo-qt' thost' hig homt. impro\-ement sales. Ever is t'onvint.t.d that the dealer must woo the Iadies. "After all. the sals r:ontrol about 70 per(:('nt of the natiJn'-s purchasing power." he says.

"\I'i"r'e found that one thing the ladie,. (Continue.d on Pase 67 )