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lf,qteriol-Hqndling Speedups Goining in Retoil Yqrds

Gratifying progress is being made in reducing the cgst of doing lrusiness iu retail lumbervards through l.rore efficient methbds of han<lling materials, and the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association is plaving a leading part in making that progress possible, J. C. O'Malley, NRT.DA's-president, told members of the Lutnberuren's Association o{ Texas at its recent annual cotrventiot-t.

"The econor-nics tl.rat catr be effected are illustrated by the case of a yorlng luurbertnatr who hacl owned a yard less than two years and becatle ir.rterested in uraterials handling as the result of seeing our nraterials hartclling program at the Chicago Exposition," Mr. O'Nlalley saicl. -

'iHe went back to his town of 17,000 and looked over his old yard, wl-rich was built irr the 1890's. He clecided he rvould buy a lift truck ancl remodel the yard. This he <lid over a period of n-rouths.

"Nine nronths later his father, a lumberman of 35 years' experience in the retail business, visited this yard and 'was thrilled to see u'hat a good job had been done in the remodeling program, rvhat nrodern rnaterials handling now meant to them, and how much ntouey they were now saving in handling their materials. The father said: 'I shouldn't have believed this was oossible. Had I been faced with the decision to do it, I clon't Lelieve I rvoulcl have had the courage to attempt it.'

"This nrodernization didn't take too big an outlay of mouey but it dicl take a lot of hard work, imagination, and ingenuity.

"Here are some of the berrefits this young lumberman told me he is receiving as the result of his modernization program. A flat car of sheetrock is nor,l' unloaded in two and one-half hours. Time before was one ar-rcl orre-half days. Unloading time for all material has beer.r recluced anrazingly. Extra labor for unloading cars has beetr completely elinrinated. Deliveries go out faster. Storage space has been increasecl tremeudously. One delivery truck has been eliminatecl. Custonrer service has been greatly improved. \Vithin two 1'ears the cost of the fork truck and nodernization lvill have been paicl for through actttal cash savings.

"This isn't an unusual storl'. There are sinrilar, perhaps tlrore amazing, stories being told in every sectiotr of ottr cottntry in yarcls of all sizes, frorn tl.rose so small you might wonder why they are in business, to the giants. We feel you should kr-row these stories, thereb-v* profiting from them. We {eel you shoulcl know hou' tl-re various mechanized dealers effect these tretrtettclous savittgs.

"The purpose of the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association's nraterials handling progranr is four-{old. The first ptlrpose is to originate nraterials handling techniques. The mernbers of the Nlaterials Handling Committee are doing this.

"Our second pprpose is to stir-nulate action betweerl the nranufacturers, shippers ancl dealers for the development of these neu'' ideas. We must get tnauttfactttrers, railroads, and everyotle acting so we can take a<lr'antage of the hancllirtg savings possible with the new ideas.

"Thircl, we act as a cle:rritrg house for the new ideas so our dealers, the manufacturers, and the sl'rippers all knolv about them and so they will all r,r'ork togetl.rer in developing them.

"Fourth, and most inrportant, we nltlst eclttcate the retail dealer in the rn'ays of tr.raterials-handling efficiencies which will result in cost reduction. Tl-ris is the basis of the materials handling program-cost reduction to the dealer. The cost of doing business is the thing tl-rat is hurtir.rg us nlore tliart anything in the lunrber industrl' today. In developing a program which will reduce our cost in l-ranclling, u'e feel our euergies are well sDerlt.

- "At this time u'e are u'orking hard on developing the unitizecl

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