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FROM TIME TO TIME each o{ us reads something that he feels r greatly expresses his personal sentiments. When he does so, often times he will pass the article along to his friends suggesting that they, too, read it and share the sentiments. Printed below is an excellent message sent to Kentucky retail lumber dealers by Don Campbell, executive vice president of the Kentucky Retail Lumber Dealers Association. I hope you will agree with me that the thoughts bear repeating and you will share it with all of your associates.-J. R. McBrien.

56The lumber dealer needs more competition, but competition in senices, not in prices. For too many years, we have blamed all our troubles on unethical distribution and cut-throat competition. The time has now come for us to throw away our little book of fairy tales and realistically appraise our position.

DEATERSNEED more competition, according to an article from a Kentucky association executive submitted this month by Bob McBrien.

There is no such thing as unethical distribution but there is such a thing as inefficient distribution. There is no such thing as cut-throat competition unless we use price as a bait, instead ofthe services we can render.

Prices, like water, always seek the lowest level. Many lumber yards are operating at a profit. The reason lies primarily in their method of selling. They emphasize service, not price. They point out values, not how much less their goods cost. They use a preplanned price list, not a method of auction.

Like a good physiciur,, tir.y Jo "oJnuu" to offer their services to the low bidder. They know the customer is no fool. They know he will come to them if he can be convinced that their services are the best. There is no more reason for competitive bidding on price among retail lumber yards than there is between professional men. The only yardstick should be the quality of the service each one can render.

If you doubt this, sit down and appraise every customer on your books and see how many of them bought from you strictly on a price basis. I wish it were possible for you to tell how many sales you have lost where you pitched your salesmanship on the altar of price, not on thc services you could offer. Most of our troublcs today result from bidding at*cost or less.

Now, if there is any doubt in your mind that a little extra service -will bring a lot of extra profit and that price is always incidental, then ask yourself these questions:

Do I send my family to the best physician because he gives me a cut rate? Do I select my lawyer because his fees are less? Do I stop at the same filling iationbecause the gas is cheaper?

How often have you torlh, ,"r, ulrt1, needs on price?

If the answer is what I think it is, then why should your customers' habits be any different???

P. S. Don't forget to attend the LMA Convention May I-3 at Harvey's, Lake Tahoe. We will be looking for you.

Western Retail Lumbermen's Association

NEI'yS

By ROSS KINCAID executive vice president

TIWENTY-FIVE members of the Western I Retail Lumbermen's Association joined representatives of the Wood Products Asso' ciation of Hawaii in a two'day conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, February 14 and 15.

WRLA's immediate past president Ray C. Blackstock of Blackstock Lumber Com' pany in Seattle, served as chairman of the meeting, assisted by Putnam S. Robbins, executive director of the Wood Products Association of Hawaii.

In the round table portion of the meetting, Carl Lindquist, Editor of Build,ers Report Padfic, reported on past, present and potential construction activity in the Islands. He commented on another major industry-tourism-and that 700,000 persons were expected to be in this classifica- mem' bers are seen with members of the Wood Products As' sociation of Hawaii during the WRLA-WPAH joint conference. Twenty-five Northwesterners went on the trip to the lslands. tion during 1966. Other representatives of the Hawaiian association, serving as panel' ists at the round table were: Jim H. Johansen, Lewers & Cooke; Wayne Meredith, City Mill Company, Ltd.; Mit Sato and Mike Carrick, of MidPac Lumber Co.

Plant tours of the above firms, as well as construction tours through several housing developments, were a part of the confer' ence. The meeting wound up with a golf tournament and banquet, the latter attended by over fifty conference participants and their wives.

From the success of this endeavor, the first ever attempted by the Western, it appears that others will be scheduled in the future if the association follows the recommendation of the Hawaiian tour par' ticipants.

Benefits from the conference with rep' resentatives of the other association are many, and appreciated as well was the hos' pitality of the Islanders. Many W'estern members commented on the unusual op' portunity afforded by the tour to exchange ideas and become better acquainted with other members of WRLA.

Wood lVlorketing,Inc. To Cro totol

Wood Marketing, Inc. will go ahead with a local trading area promotion plan aimed at increasing the use of lumber and other wood products in residential construction . with primary emphasis on the new home market. Primary communications themes for the program will stress the idea that wood is the most versatile basic building material and that it ofiers the greatest economic, environmental and functional values for beter horne desigrr and modern living.

Directed toward consumers (home-buyers), home builders and wood product distributors, the program will use 30 minute local television backed ,by a solid schedule of newspaper advertising and publicity in each of four key residential construction markets. Activities projected provide special services for home builders currently building with wood and for others participating in a program of desigrr improvement.

WMI President, Boyce P. Price said that the projects and activities would begin immediately and peak during the 1966 fall home building and selling season. He pointed out that the local trading area con. cept would permit WMI su,bscribers and local wood promotion groups to be directly involved with the program. IVMI market managers will be active in the areas se- lected to organize local activities and implement the basic program.

Steering committee chairman, John L. Robins, vice-president for marketing of Simpson Timber Company emphasized the need for increased promotion to and merchandising support for quality home builders to stimulate increased use of all types of wood building materials for residential construction. He also stated that the approved program was d,esigned, to etucourage greater p.rticip.tion in local, promotion ol wood, proilucts by iniliuid,ual, retaiJ onil wh,olesale d,ealers.

W'MI chairman of the board. Leonard K. Floan, vice-president, Potlatch Forests, Inc. said the program could be carried out within the framework of present WMI dues structure. He also said that increasing the number of trading areas or future programming . . or the addition of new projects would 'be contingent on the measured efiectiveness of currently approved activities.

New RRCC Appointment

Warren C. Hanchett, .Forttrna High School and College of the Redwoods forestry instructor, has been appointed chairman of the 1966 RRCC education and training committee, Bernard Z. Agrons,

Redwood Region Conservation Council president, has announced.

In tlle coming year, the committee will ' produce a new nature-trail type filmstrip :ri for elementary school use. Teacher train- ' {i ing aids, revision of existing teaching aids ' and development of new iterns will be produced.

Hanchett replaces Dr. Siilney McGaw, committee chairman for tle past fifteen '' years, .who resigned in 1965 to become dean of vocational education at San Jose .i City College.

Moore Oregon in Lothe Field

Moore Oregon (Moore Dry Kiln Company of Oregon) has anounced their entry into the field of lathe decks, lathe chargers, lathes, tipples and tray systems as a means of augmenting their line of plywood machinery, according to Cameron J. Warren, president.

Requests for package deals with equipment dealer responsibility for the basic units was a motivating factor in broadening the product line. Moore Oregon has orders for two high-speed lathes to operate on small blocks. The first lathe is expected to be in production June 1. One of the basic features of tJre charger and lathe is its a,bility to operate at the rate of four (4) blocks per minute.

Stockton Box Company selected PBI to erect a building at their Tudockn Calif. plant. The reason? Big Sauings in price uitb no sacrifice in qual'itlt of natefial's and,