SCRLA's 3rd Annuol filembership Conference

Breoks Breod -ond q Few Heods

^In spite of th,e weather and parking hardships, a record 165 retail and wholesale lurnbermen turned out for the 3rd annual membership conf-erence of th6 Southern California Retail l,.r-U".-,t5o, F"t;"tiZ, f.!f.i in the Ambassador hotel ballroom. Luncheon was delayed for about 45 minutes due to trum" J;ili;il ; next-room- meetin-g by Senator Knowland, but when Preiident Hal Brown called the meetine to o.d"i at 2:00 p.m., he shifted things into "high gear" and a lively series of discussions got underway. o

Prominent lumber executives from Santa Baibara to San Diego attJnded this important conference. In addition to tl.re Southern Califorr.rians. a feu, visitors fron.r the north u'ere in attendance, including Frecl Holnres. Holmes Eureka Lumber Co., San Francisio: Al Peirce. oi the Al Peirce Co.; Howard Page. Coos Head Lumber Company, and Julian N. Cheatham, Georgia-Pacific Corp., portland, Oregon.

In his openirrg remarks of rvelcome, President FIal Brorvn expressed delight at the fine turnout and declared it was the opinion of all concerned that these annnal conferences \t,ere of mutual benefit to the retailer ancl wl.rolesalers alike. He urged everybody to express their vieu's from the floor on all subjects and then callecl on Ed Fountain, a member of tl.re panel, to get the discussions underway.

For tl-re next three hours, the followirrg topics were co\-ered thoroughly pro and con: "Who Do ltetailers Consicler Their Legitimate Customers ?" "\\Iho Do Wholesalers Consider Their Legitimate Customers?" "\\rhat Should \\rholesalers Expect of Retailers ?" "What Sl-rorrld Retailers Expect of Wholesalers?" and "Hou' Best Can the Problem Created by Purchases of Straight Grades of Lumber Be Dealt M-ith ?"

In every case, loyalty of clealer and wholesaler was tl.re prime interest. Flthics in the legitirnate charrrrels of distribution from wholesalers to retailers to consunlers ancl builclers \\-as the paranrount issrre.

All wholeialers on tl-re panel cleclarecl they rvorrlcl not sell their customer's crrstomei ancl cleclared their organizations filled a great r.reecl in furnishing lrrmber on scheilrrle to the retail dealers in the grades. sizes and species orderecl.

Inventories on hand to service the retaii lumber clealer was completely covered by the plyu'ood members of the panel, and their elTorts. to be tl-re ilrrick source of srrppll. tcr all clealers regarclless of the size of the orcler.

Tl.re action-u'as informative, eclucational and full of goorl fellowship from start to linish. It contiuued on into'the cocktail hour which all attendecl. ancl the afteruoon rvas very well spent throrrghout tl-re busitress session arrcl the social contacts made cluring the "Convivial N{ixer."

Prominent members of tl-re question ancl answer panel inclrrclecl Nloderator lfal A. Brorvn, presicler.rt, Woodheacl Lumber Co., Los Angeles i G"y J. Barnett, sales r-nanaser. Rossman X'Iill & Lumber Co., \\rilmington; Norbert Brindschul-r, gerreral manag'er, nlyrtle Ar-errtre Lumber Corn.pan1,, oM, Exe(ulive Vice-Pre:ident OJrie Hmilton

\Ionrovia; Charles Clay, presiclent, Clay Lumber Co., Ingle,tg_oc!; James W. Cooper, vice-president, W.E. Cooper \\Iholesale Lun.rber Co., Los Anfeles ; Ed Fountain, pjrtner. E<1 Fountain Lurrrber Co.. Los Angeles ; John F. ilanson, o\r'ner, Anclerson-Hanson Co., Encino; Robert C. Harri-s, secretary-sales n.ranager, Lounsberry & Harris, Los Angeles; Robert lt. .f ames, manager, Macco Lumber Co., Paramount; George F. Kelly, r'ice-president, Sun Lumber Co., San Pedro; Lorvell Kolb. manager, N{ullin Lumber Co., Los Angeles ; Stanley G. \'Icl)onald, r'ice-presiclent, Ou'ens Parks l,unlber Co.. \'ernon ; ,John 'f . Northam, general marlager, Harbor Ply.il'ood Corp., Los Ansele.; Art Penberthy, Jr., sales llanager, Tacoma Ltrmber Sales. Inc., -\r.ca<lia: J. Stark_Sou ers, r ice president-general manager, Inlancl Lrrmber Co.. IJloonrington; Peter V. Speek, nianager, Rodcliscraft, Inc.-Lrrnrber Sales Division. Arcadia. and Alfrecl \\tahl, sales nranager, Consolidatecl Lumber Co.. \\'ilnr irrgton.

During the social hour, er-erv subject of current events, Iumber sales an<l clistributiorr. foreign affairs and politics ivere <liscrrsserl. Brrt tlre urairr topii of conversation r,r.as. "\\'hen u'i1l Orrie Hamilton. the officers and clirectors of the Southerr.r California Retail Lumber Association scheclule another Xlernbership Conference ?"

It rvas the opinion of all concerned srrch events are eclncatiorral, informative atrcl u-onrlerftrl for the industrv as a rvlrole.

New Nomeplote Deol Mcrkes lt Eosy Now fo Get Product lnformqtion

A solution to a n.rajor irritarrt of industrial expositionsthe neecl for visitors to fill car<ls :rt nllmerotls exhibits wherr they u.ant more information or A salesmau's call-has been found b1' Clapp & Poliak, Inc., Nerv York. u.l'rich procllices manv of tl're nation's largest shou,s. Plastic plates, sinril:rr tc.r tho-se usecl for rlepartment stores ancl gasoline charge accotlnts, rvill be rlistributed in aclr'ance of the si.rou' arrcl at special clesks at the shou.. Each plate n'il1 bear the visitor's name, title, conrpany arrcl acldress. Ilooths rvill be erlrrippecl witl.r machines to rrrilt the inforr"natiotr rr,herr the visitcir wallts special literalure or a visit fronr :r sirlesm:rtr.

Inquirl' hanclling h:rs been a problenr to exhibitors atr<l visitc,rs alike. The visitor rt''earies of fillirrg blanks citr itrquiry cards at booth :rfter booth ancl fre.literttlv rtttts t,rtt of calling c:rrds. For the exhibitor, tliere is tl.re problenr of illegible handwritirrg anrl half-li11ecl carcls. u'hich alone acconrrt for the loss of as nruch as 20cic o{ sales' leads obtairretl at a sholl', as well as loss of calling carcls. szrlestnen too busy to see that visitors fill the carcls, irritated customers tvho tlislike {rlling ciirds, atrcl salesrnetr's titne cotrsttlre(l for clerical work.

Visitors u.ill still be reciuired to register at the errtrance of the shot. aucl tire neeti for ti-ris registratiorr is nrtt eliminated b1- the uel in<lrriry plate.

Georgio-Pqcific Joins the SCRTA

Georgi:r-Pacific Corporation, Portlatrcl, Ore., 1'ras joinecl the Sorrthern California ltetail Lumber '\sstt. as an Associate rnenrber. Officers of the large tnatrrrfacturing ancl n lrolesale firrrr are O. It. Clreatlranr, chief exectltive olficer: R. R. l'anrplirr, presiclent; I. N. Cheathan.r, r'ice-presidentlurnber s:rles atrcl export, arrrl \\r. H. lIunt, vice-presidentpl1"n'oori ancl specialty sales.

Long Beach, Calif., buikling permits hit $3,730,690 in -fanuary, inclurlirrg more than $600,000 in family du'el1ing tur.rits, reported tl're Dept. of Jluilding ancl Safety. The largest clollar volutne, $1.211,770, rvas reportecl for repairs ancl alterations. lirrr"ricipal projects rvere $582,500.