A New Approoch to Advertising Froming Lumber

The problem: Advertise wood house framing to the builder, retailer and consumer all in the same ad. The finished product must be shown, plus a visual and understandable presentation of the "hidden value."

The solution: Feature a modern wood home as seen from the interior of a house in the framing stage next door.

In this wav. the West Coast Lumbermen's Association has launched its 1960 advertising campaign-a campaign to sell and promote UTILITY grade lumber (CLM, P. 11, 2/t/60).

The lead-off ad, appearing in all major shelter magazines, consists of a beautiful West Coast home framed (literally) in the window space of the house frame in the adjoi4ing lot.

For the first time in the history of WCLA national advertising, the message to the consumer deals primarily with the raw materials of home building-the studs, planks and rafters that make up the frame. The buyer is urged to consider the framing of the house before he buys, and to insist on wood framing.

This 1960 series of advertising will provide a major additional selling point for the builder. Economy with no loss of quality, ease of remodeling or expanding, superior insulation qualities-all these merits of wood framing will be

Thqr Brick's Been Around!

Washington, D.C.-A 5,000-year-old brick from the ancient Mesopotamian city of Ur was presented to the American Institute of Architects by the Structural Clay Products Institute, January 28, in brief ceremonies at The Octagon, AIA national headquarters. The molded flat brick came from the city of Ur in Chaldea in ancient Mesopotamia, now called Iraq. The brick bears the royal stamp of King Shulgi of the Third Dynasty of IJr, circa 3000 B.C.

A translation of the stamp reads: "The divine Shulgi, mighty man, King of IJr, King of Sumer and Akkad." It is one of several unearthed in 1926 by a joint expedition conducted by the lJniversity of Pennsylvania and the British Museum.

featured to help the builder prove his product superior. As the consumer becomes more actively concerned with the unseen aspects of his house, the retailer will naturally benefit. Another aspect of the campaign is to educate the builder in the uses of UTILITY grade lumber in framing. The combination of buyer-interest and builder-knowledge will move more framing lumber of UTILITY grade through the retail yards.

A highly-selective audience of over a half million will be reached in February by a full-page two-color ad placed in 33 leading national and regional trade magazines.

The ad itself can be used by architects, retailers and builders for determining spans in joists and rafters.

FHA span tables for UTILITY grade Douglas fir and West Coast hemlock are included, plus a line drawing of the various areas of the frame where UTILITY grade lumber is suggested. The ad also points out the savings to be had when UTILITY grade lumber is used in the frame and sheathing of today's modern home.

SUGAR PINE . WHITE FIR PONDEROSA PINE . CEDAR . CUSTOMER MILLING

In recent testimony before a Senate subcommittee, Joseph L. Fisher, Resources for the Future, Inc. associate director, stated, "Demand for lumber for housing will probably increase to 20 billion (board feet) by 1970. We believe the increase in lumber (demand) will tend to create a tight-supply situation, and that it may be difficult for residential construction to get all the lumber it could use."

The prediction, implying a healthy sellers' market in the future, is based on a population upsurge to occur in the next decade. WCLA, through its advertising and promotion program, is making a concerted effort to promote full utilization of all grades to all users.

UTILITY grade promotion, for example, will increase the market for low grade lumber in framing.

VICTORIA AVE. . tOS ANGELES 43 Pleosont 3-4321

TWX: A. 1500

Higher grade lumber will be advertised for use in exposed portions of the same buildings using UTILITY in the framing.

In a recent statement to WCLA members, H. V. Simpson, executive vice-president, warned, "The lumber industry must continue to promote and merchandise its products to the utmost, in order to maintain its present markets and protect them from the encroaching competition of steel, aluminum and plastics."

EeII them Aou sau it in The California Lumber Merchant)

R. J. "Bob" Gehring Now Sole Owner Of Service lumber Co., Sousolito

The sole ownershio of Service Lumber Co. in Sausalito was transferred to R. ;. "nob" Gehring on January 1, when Gehring purchased Partner Frank A. Egnell's interest in the business. Bob Strahle, another Service Lumber vet, will continue on as salesmanager but will be relieved of the responsibility of buying, which will be handled by Gehring himself. George Krings will take over the shipping departrnent and Harry Hill will continue in charge of the general office and credit functions, Gehring states.

Gehring and Egnell originally formed their partnership some 15 years ago when they opened Service Lumber & Supply Co., as it was then called, at 255 Bayshore Blvd. in San Francisco. Gehring, who had spent 25 years with Rolando Lumber Co. and its predecessor before forming the partnership, and Egnell, a 2}-year man with the old Hammond Lumber Company, opeiated for 11 successful years in San Francisco but finally outgrew their Bayshore boulevard yard and moved to Saulalitoln January 3i, 1955.

Cqlifornio lumber Brothers Buy New Mexico Mill

Earl and Miller Benjamin, who have operated a logging and planing mill in Redway, Californiaf for eight !Ja.s-, have taken over the operation of the Socorro Lumber and Timber_Corp. in Socorro, New Mexico, formerly owned by Victor Lewis.

-1_tI9* employing seven people and turning out about 30,000 board feet of lumber a day, the Beniamin brothers expect to increase the Socorro ouiput and put a planer into operation early this year.