Retqiler ond Disrributor Hqve Their lnnings qt NLIUIA Spring Meetirg; More Aid Urged ro Deolers

Sea Island, Ga.-Wholesalers are succeeding in their efforts to throw off the "stigmatism of the 'profiteering middle man"' and gain recognition of the "value added by distribution," Martin T. Wiegand, vice-president of the National-American Wholesale Lumber Association, who operates a lumber wholesaling firm in Washington, D. C., told the 1955 spring meeting May 19-21 of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association here.

"The latest Department of Commerce figures show some 250,000 wholesalers of all kinds, doing an annual sales volume of $235 billion. Five hundred members of the N-AWLA are contributing, f believe, about a billion and a quarter dollars' worth of this total.

"So the present day lumber wholesaler, dressed in a new suit and with a record of volume business getters, popularly referred to now as the 'value added boys,, are ready to go to work for you."

The more than 100 leading lumber manufacturers gathered at Sea Island heard Wiegand give this report on the advantages of dealing with wholesalers:

"We guarantee to perform to satisfaction-the responsibility of being your representative. We'll deliver the goods into the possession of the retailer at his place of consumption when he rvants to use them. This is known as the place, time and possession utility. To do this-to get your material on the job when wanted, where t'anted, and as wanted, involves such functions as the financing, storing and balancing of inventories. It calls for handling and delivery equipment.

"We assume the risks of unfavorable price changes. We carry the credit risks. We give you aggressive, intelligent and persuasive selling and some sales promotion work. We have sufficient capital to pay promptll' and handle special financing, and if you keep us informed about the production market u'e rvill give you the pulse beat in the consumption market.

"We save you the trouble and expense of expanding your own organization and capital structures. \\re give you complete market coverage which gives you full utilization of your production facilities."

Warning on Substitute Materials

One of the country's top magazine editors forecast a doubling of do-it-yourself sales in the near future, but warned lumbermen that competitive materials rvill grab wood's share of this new business unless the industry does a better job of selling.

Don Seiwell, associate editor of American magazine, called on lumber manufacturers to launch "an aggressive merchandising and advertising campaign" aimed at re-educating both the consumer and the retail lum-