Alert Compbell, Colif., Deqlers Find Profitqble Sideline of Retoil Yord in New'Eosy-Fqst Truss

As a look through any construction magazine will show, more new produCts than ever before are reaching the market.

From amorrg these, an alert dealer can select those which seem snitable to his market ar.rtl to l'ris operation. If he's right, his irrventory investmeut makes a profit ar.rd he's off to more business.

But it often takes careful thought to look ahead and know whether the new item-no malter how good it is-will sell to your ctlstomers. Here's how one dealer did it:

About a year ago, Ken O'Neill and Charlie Ellis, dealers in Campbeli, California, and about as pleasant a pair as yott could fincl, were looking for ways to make n.rore profit.

They succeeded so well that their new product now produies 25o/o of. their gross sales and an even higher bercentage of their profits. Yet it increased their inventory, handling and delivery only about 10/r.

Further, they claim it's the easiest item they have to sell, and that they're getting "practically 100/o repeat business."

In proportion to its size, the Santa Clara Valley, where O'Neitt and Ellis operate, is one of tl-re fastest growing areas ir-r the United States. Competition among colltractors there has become terrific ancl price has become very importarrt ; for example, well over 90/o of tl-re homes are col-lstructecl with dry-wall.

O'Neill and Ellis realized that their best new item would be one that helps a contractor to ctlt l.ris costs. They looked at a rJozen items until they found a new truss clesign called Easy-Fast.

Trusses, they knew, were already being ttsed in the valley and contractori were more or less aware of their aclvantages' So O'Neill and Ellis felt that contractors would accept a luew truss, if it had some decided advantages.

One of tl-re lirst things they noticed about the new truss r,vas that it could be assembled almost anywhere-on the floor; the ground, or drivewal i on newly raised wallswithout a j1g or l-rydraulic press and without turning the truss over. They knew contractors would like this because it fitted on-tl-re-job conditions.

O&E liked this, too, because tl-rey saw that it could be sent out to the job in the same way as other lumber. And, even when it was shipped assembled, there were no thick gusset plates to hold the trusses apart so that half of the load was air.

What about the labor cost of assembling the truss?

This is where tl.rey found they could really save the coutractor some money. The main reason is that the Easy-Fast Truss does not have to be turned over in assembly. It is