NPDA Annuol Votes Confidence in Future Morket

The National Plyrvood Distributors Association's 14th annual convention, held in the Broadmoor hotel resort, Colorado Springs, May 15-lB, presented a series of introspective meetings during the n'eek-long meeting. Clinical examination of the health of plyrvood distribution underlined most of the sessions. Speakers emphasized the need of improved salesmanship, merchandising, informative records, rapid accounting and operating economies.

Despite a period of temporary market-weakening as the 300 jobbers, their ladies and guests assembled, a firm spirit of determination and confidence prevailed. Unusual harmony and cooperation between the jobbers and their manufacturer-guests lvas evident from the start. All seemed anxious to solve common problems, although outspoken exchanges o{ opinion between these two groups enlivened panel sessions.

President L. E. Hall, Lumber Products Companv, Portland, presented a program of qualified speakers .ll'ith varied subjects, each of genuine interest to well-attended and attentive audiences.

Thuresson New President

Elected president of the association lvas Earl G. Thuresson, Associated Door and Plywood Company, Chicago. Albert Hersh moved up to first vice-president, and Carey A. Watkins was the newly elected second vice-president.

The follorving new directors were elected : Fred Smales, U. S. Plywood Corporation, Los Angeles; John Goetz, Trenton, N. J.; Theodore Merrili, Newark, N. J.; Jack K. Fiddes, Franklin Park, Ill.; Ben Johnson, New Orleans, La., and Dean Trumbo, Portland, Oregon.

Hold-over directors are Jay Wallenstrom, Roddis Plywood Corporation, Marshfield, Wis.; Wm. Gouline, Baltimore, Md.; James Standard, West Hartford, Conn. ; John P. Ashton, Des Moines, forva; Larry S. Clark, St. Paul, Minn.; Roland Remme, Little Rock, Ark.; W. W. Logan, Jr., Tampa, Florida; Wm. Fahs, California Panel & Veneer Company, Los Angeles, and Kenneth J. Shipp, California Builders Supply Company, Oakland, California.

"The place of the wholesaler in the building material field is a secure one, even though there are some dealers who see no necessity f<x him and there are a few wholesalers who think they are in a dying business," declared J. W. Parshal, editor of Building Supply Nen's, in drarving conclttsions from a survey of 600 firms whose principal business was rvholesaling building materials. This survey report served to introduce the panel discussion on costs and markets facing the jobber today.

Cost Discussed

In the first talk on the panel discussion, devoted to "Striving to Maintain Profits in the Jobbing Business," Rosecrans Baldwin pointed out methods for using the figures in NPDA's annual Financial Survey as a yardstick for measuring results of individual company's operations. Hubert F. Heying of Kansas City acted as moderator of the panel. Other costs aspects of the jobbing business were discussed by Leonard Miller, who outlined a simplified system of inventory control; Wm. F. Gouline, describing machine accounting to control paper work; M. L. Mc-

Creery, detailing delivery costs in operating a fleet of trucks betu'een four rvarehouses and customer yards, and by Don L. Davis, Jr., u'ho confined his talk to the important elements of cost in sales promotion and advertising.

The second portion of the panel session was devoted to possibilities for expanding sales. In this session, W. E. Difford, managing director of the Douglas Fir Plywood Association, advised the jobbers that sales management "would be one of the biggest things in your lives" during the next tlvo or three years. He said, "If I were a jobber I would learn everything about training salesmen." In his candid discussion he pointed out weaknesses, as well as merits, of current selling methods used in plywood distribution.

How to Expand Sales.

Ste'ivart W. White of Georgia-Pacific Corp., Olympia, Washington, outlined important and specific methods of selection of sales personnel and emphasized the importance of creative selling. White said, "The creative sales approach offers greatest opportunity for success in the future." He said this type of selling makes it possible for industries to grow and to maintain leadersl-rip in their field. He added, "The salesmen actually learn by doing and more often than not are amazed at the respol-rse and results they get from extra effort in the creative selling approach."

James Welsh of Memphis, Tennessee, described an experiment in dealer promotion and advertising which underscored the need to constantly evaluate distribution trends in each market in which the jobber operates.

Fred Smales, United States Ply.u'ood Corporation, Los Angeles, emphasized the importance of proper selection and training of salesmen. He gave his audience specific examples of extra compensation incentives for productive creative selling. Markets for hardu'ood plyr,vood were discussed by Charles E,. Close and Richard D. Behm, Hardwood Plyrvood Institute, Cl-ricago. These speakers pointed out the proven, and also the neglected, opportunities for expanded sales of American hardwood plywood and horv these markets may be sold.

Theodore Merrill spoke on the addition of new product (Continued on Page 59)