Ponel Sessions Stimulote NBf DA Gothering

A record attendance of 417 persons were at NBMDA's eighth annual Spring convention held at the Arlington hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas, May 9 and 10, according to M. C. Blackstock of Lumber Supply & Warehouse Co., Seattle, Washington, president of the National Building Material Distributors Assn.

Two panel discussions-one covering the position of the wholesale distributor in Components, and the other reviewing the wholesale distributor's potential in selling Aluminum Products-were presented.

"Components-Integrating the Distributor" brought together J. Vaux Wilson, Jr., vice-president of Homasote Company, Trenton, New Jersey-speaking for the Manufacturer; Don Knecht, general manager of Building Material Distributors, Rapid City, South Dakota-for the Wholesale Distributor, and Sam B. Slaughter, Jr., vice-president of Lumber Dealers Research Council -for Lu-Re-Co. Gordon Lawler, editor of American Lumberman, moderated the panel.

"Components should reach at leasl 40/o of new home building within the next five years. Further, we anticipate that the cost of producing components will be reduced and perhaps cut house costs 75/6 to 20/a," stated Lawler in his opening remarks.

Vaux Wilson commented, "One of the things that is needed is to adopt sound work procedures that will increase efficiency ever;rwhere. The next important thing is to speed up the operation so that you don't have so many delays from the standpoint of weather-so that people can get their homes quicker-so that you can get greater turaover with the small amount of skilled labor you have."

Conclu{ing his remarks, Mr. Wilson said, "What we need today is a lOVo reduction in the cost of houses and, if we could get that, it would lift us off of this plateau of 1.1 million units almost overnight."

Don I{necht, representing the wholesale distributor, stated that a wholesale distributor cannot enter into the building of components with the same conception a distributor has in merchandising building products. Mr. Knecht reviewed the trirogress of his company in developing Lu-Re-Co's system in his trading a'rea and spoke most enthusiastically about the progress he had made with retail dealers in his area on the idea of selling housing units rather than 2x4's.

Mr. Slaughter discussed the national Lu-Re-Co program, reviewing the new program whereby each producer of Lu-Re-Co components received a "quality shield" number. Every component that leaves his plant has this eomponent shield on it with his individual number so that an F HA inspector can easily identify the manufacturer of the various units.

"Aluminum Products-Who's Carrying the Ball?"-the second panel in the busy day's program-brought together top aluminum executives.

J. Hays Wimsatt, Wimsatt Brothers, Inc., Louisville, Kentucky, moderated the program as the representatlve of NBMDA. He stated that when he joined his company 11 years ago, aluminum products accounted for less than |Vo of his sales. Today, aluminum accounts for over 254o ot. his total volume.

Representatives of the manufacturers indicated that better than $10 million would be spent this year by the four manufacturers present in promoting aluminum products to the consumer, the homeowner and the home-buyer. In addition, 910 million to $15 million would be spent by local companies engaged in aluminum product sales.

James W. Benton discussed the fact that, in his opinion, it was the consumer who more and more is deciding what is going to go into the house he wants to buy. This is not only true in new construction but also in remodeling and-repair. He stated, "Today, advertising, especially through television and space media, can take our products to the consumer faster than our salesmen can get around to see the wholesale distributor."

Benton also pointed out that the aluminum manufacturers today are spending more and more money in research and development of new products, new applications, and better ways of building homes.

M. C. Blackstock, presiding at the business sessions of the eonvention, reviewed the continued growth of NBMDA, indicating that the association now represents 675 warehouses in 44 states (including Alaska) and in Canada, and that total sales of NBMDA members would reach 9975 million in 1960.

Program committee for the three-day convention was chairmanned by Harold C.

May of Little Rock, assisted by John Ingram of Little Rock, J. W. Starrett of Jonesboro, J. E. Snipes of Jonesboro, and Merritt R. Wentz of Fort Smith.

Over 100 ladies were entertained during the meeting with special social functions and sightseeing trips developed by the Ladies Program committee, with Mrs. Adrienne Blackstock of Seattle, Washing- ton as Honorary Chairman.

M. L. McCreery of Jackson, Michigan, was Program chairman for the group dinner and stated that the Hot Springs convention was the largest attendance of any spring meeting since NBMDA has been formed. He announced the dates of November 16-19 for the ninth annual convention to be held at the Palmer Ilouse in Chicagio.

Lynn Dqwson Covers Profit-Plqnning

Ar WIASG Meering in L.A.

Appraising today's lumber market and good profit-planning was covered at a recent meeting of the Wholesale Lumbermen's Association of Southern California bv Lvnn Dawson, prominent statistical analyst. Dawson, who has been in the Southern California lumber field for years, indicated that far-reaching methods of profit-planning are essential for a growing business.

The most important ingredient in planning, according to Dawson, is to have a first-hand knowledge of the factors that affect the market.

"Lumber is one of the most volatile markets of all the products and commodities produced in the United States. It is governed almost entirely by the law of supply and demand," Dawson continued.

"To truly appraise the lumber market, or any market for that matter, know the basic fact of production, demand and price then allow for the variable factors (weather, transportation problems, money market), etc. When the true relationship of all these factors is appraised and evaluated, a pattern of the situation and trends can be seen," said Dawson.

Among other important facts, certain basics should be kept in mind. These are:

Marginal operators only do business when there is an indicated net profit Inadequate transportation facilities will result in generally higher prices Combination mills sometimes do not produce lumber from fir logs even.though they have them in good supply.

In closing, Dawson said that these factors, together with a close eye on housing starts, FHA price policy, mill ship- ments and weather conditions, will help any lumbermah, wholesaler or retailer, to better predict his market.

(TelI thern Aou sau it in The California Lumber Merclmnt)

A new booklet on the "Evaluation of Architectural and Decorative Materials" that describes the various tests available federal, state, trade association, etc. specifications, acoustical testing, and performance testing of new materials are described. Copies of the booklet are available from: Snell, Inc., 29 West 15th Street, New York 11. New York.

Persislency

Said the little red rooster, "Gosh all Hemlock ! Things are tough; Seems that worms are getting scarcer, and I cannot get enough; What's become of all those fat ones is a mystery to me, There were thousands through that wet spell; now where can they be?"

The old black hen who listened did not grqmble or com: plain; She -had gone through lots of dry spells, she had lived through floods of rain; So she few up on the grindstone, and gave her claws a whet, As she said. "I've never seen the time there weren't worms to get."

She picked a new and undug spot; the earth was hard and firm.

The little rooster jeered: "New ground. That's no place for a worm."

The old black hen just spread her feet, she dug both fast and free, "I must go to the worms," she said, "the worms won't come to me."

The rooster vainly spent his day through habit, by the ways

Where round fat worms had passed in squads back in the rainy days;

When nightfall found him supperless, he growled in accents rough, "I'm hungry as a fowl can be; conditions.sure are tough."

He turned then to the old black hen and said, "It's worse with you, For you're not only hungry but you must be tired, too; I rested while I watched for worms, so I feel fairly perk, But how are you? Without worms, and after all that work?"

The old black hen hopped to her perch and dropped her eyes to sleep, And murmured in a drowsy tone, "Young man, hear this, and weep; I'm full of worms and happy, for I've dined both long and well,

The worms are there, as always, but I had to dig like H-1." Oh, here and there red roosters still are holding sales . positions, Who cannot do much business now' because of "poor conditions !"

But soon as things "get right" again, they'll sell a hundred firms, Meanwhile the old black hens are out' and gobbling up the worms.

Greqt Retqil Yord GiveowcY

I)ealer Earney Thompson of the Thompson Lumber Co.' 1205 S. Oxnard Blvd., Oxnard, Calif., klndly sends The Mer' chant a copy of a,n excellent prlntod glveaway he ls uslng' imprtnted on the front fold wlth the retall yard's name a'nd address.

Ihe Maller, or Handout is entltled "Our Brakesr" and ls reprinted locolly from the booklet, "Iile l)rivers," published by General Motors Coqr. Dea,ler Thompson's local printing also uses the phrase, "Beprinted As a Publlc Service by Thompson Lumber Co.," etc.

The small, 6-page foldout trracks a potent safe-driving messago and concludes on the back fold with an lllustrated chart of "Automobile Stopping Distances."

The Shorpest Pine

The teacher had been reading to her class about the forests of America.

"And now, boys," she said, "which one of you can tell me which pine has the longest and sharpest needles?"

Up went a hand in the front row.

"Well, Tommy?"

"The porcupine."

Thof Hcs Him

"Are you a clock-watcher?" asked the employer of the candidate for a job.

"No, I don't like inside work," replied the applicant without heat. "I'm a whistle-listener."

An Unfqir Ghorge

The judge was passing sentence on an old man for stealing.

"This is a sad case," his honor said. "You, who remained honest until you were sixty, have tarnished your name and dishonored your family, all for the sake of three miserable dollars."

"Please be fair," said the defendant, "was it my fault there were so few?"

Too Mony of Them

"I see you are at the bottom of the spelling class again. How did it happen?"

"Got too many z's in scissors."

The Wisdom of Solomon

It was in Manchester, England; the place a local theatre. In the play the King, old and infirm, had two sons, and was debating which should succeed him. He paced up and down the stage, wearied and troubled.

"On which of these, my sons, shall I bestow my crown?" he asked aloud.

Immediately came a Cockney voice from the gallery: "Why not 'arf a crown apiece, guv'nor?"