Plywood Disrributors Move Ofiice to Portlond Colifornio's

Williom Fohs Elected 2nd Vice-presidenf

Albert Hersh of Net' York rr,as elected president, and George L. \\raetjen, pioneer panel distributor of Miluaukee, u'as chosen man of the year in plyu'oocl as features of the final clay of the National Plyu'ood Distributors Association's 15th annual convention at the Edgeu'ater Beach hotcl in Chicago, Jttne 72 to 15. The convention rvas attended by jobbers from every distribution area in the United States. ft n'as a serious meeting of the leaclers of the distributionarm of the giant 1tly.w'ood industry. Constructive and searching discussions of problems arising from the temporzrry or.er-production of panels rvere held in the rvell-filled sessions. C)pen-forum and panel meetings dealt n.ith steppedup trade promotion activity, selling, better rvarehousing, distribution economics and other subjects in.rportant to the jobbing trade.

Albert Hersh succeeds Earl G. Thuresson, Chicago, as president of the organization. First vice-president-elect is Roland R. Remmel, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Second vice-presiclent-elect is William F. Fahs, California Panel & Veneer Company, Los Angeles.

I)irectors-at-large representing multiple .narehouse operatior-rs electecl include John Gotez, Jr., Boston, ar.rd Ster,vart White, vice-president & manager \\rarehouse Division, (ieorgia-I'acific Corporation, Portland, Oregon. Floyrl Yates, Southu,est Plyn'ood Corporation, Ingleu'oocl, California, and -\. li. Ltrnclgren, Tacoma, \Vashington, \\'erc electecl t() represent the assciciatior-r's n'estern division.

Directors of the association n'hose terms h:rve an additional year to run inclu<le lired B. Smales, United States Plvlvoocl Corp., Los Angeles.

The inclustry's highest merit au'ard accorded George I-. Waetjen, aftcr a nation-u-ide poll unanimously elccted hirn to receir.e the honor of having his name engraved upon the Scroll of Honor bronze and plyn'ood pylon establishccl in perpetuity in the Hall of Forestry, I'ortlancl, Oregon. rvas presented in a bezrrrtiful cerent()11y. torrched tr-ith sentiment, by Stel.art White of Georgia-Pacific Corporation.

In 1941, George Waetjen \vas one of the original organizers of the Nationlrl Plyl'oocl Distribrrtclrs Association and has continrred active participation ever since, strir-ing to bring about a closer, rnore desir:rble, relatiorrship betl'ecn the marrufacturer and distributor.

President Earl G. Thuresson presidecl at the ser-eral sessions. Arthur r\. Ilood of American Lunrbermarr, Chicago, in one of the opening sessior.rs clelir.erecl a thought-provok- ing message entitled "What's Itight and What's \\'rong \\rith the I'lyrvoo<l Jobbing Brrsiness."

Louis G. Riecke of Neu. Orle;rrrs las nroclerator of a panel session devotecl to rla\.s ancl mcan,* of crrtting expenses arrd irrcreasinq slLles or both. Jolrlring operations *'ere put ltnder the flourscope and examinerl minutelr- in search for black-ink metho,ls f,,r this 1,erio<1 of terlporarl. over-production. \{echarrical accor-rrrting, proper truck disp:rtching, palletizing, simplifiecl inr-cntorr- control, scheduling of irrconring merchandise ancl nlln1er()r1s other ftLcets of u-arehouse opcration n'erc clinicallv cxarnine cl.

\\r. E. Difforcl, managing director of the l)ouglas Fir Plvrvood Association. in 1.ris positir-e milnner critically cxanlinerl thc l'e;rker links of plyn.ood <listribrrtion anrl prcscrilred tor.rics for a<lding strength l'here rrccded. lTe pointcrl to the steaclv incrcase in sales of l)ouglas fir plvl-ood ancl to nen. specialties, ne\\' uses for staple srades arrd greater rrse of pre{abricated systems for industrial and corrstmc-

Williom FAHS (lefr)

Williom H. HUNT (righr)

tion items, which are lotvering the net end-use costs when fully capitalized upon. He told his jobber audience that this prefabrication of items was to be encouraged as a means of off-setting rising custom-labor costs.

"You Jobbers might set up your own pre-fab shops within or connected to your present businesses," he said.

Of the many new markets for panels, he pointed out that the replacement of homes and businesses demolished for right-of-u'ays for booming highu.av program is not to be overlooked.

A panel forum consisting of three jobbers and three manufacturers held an attentive audience into an over-time session. Topics discussed included the Comrnercial Star.rdarcl, grading rules generally ancl the entire DFPA grademarking program'n'hich hacl becn shou,n eariier AS now mol.ing into high gear.

I)istributors, {ollou'ing up a series of meetings .lr'ith fir pl1'u'ood manu{acturers earlier in the spring, revieu.ed carcfullv the functions the fir plyu'ood jobber performs and the reasor.rs l'hy he is entitled to consicleration as the primarv outlet for panels on their u.ay to market. Don L. D:tvis, rvho made the presentation to the manufacturers, inclicated complete copies of the talk rvere available from hirl or through Nationai Plyu-ood Distriltutors Associat1on.

The session clevoted exclrrsir.elv to hardn'ood plvu-oocl cronded one of the days u'ith leaders in this fielcl dei',,tins the hours to talks, discussions and panel forums. R. C. P,ehm anrl Charles L,. Close, both of Harclt'ood I'11'u-oo<1 Irrstitute, Chicago, told their audience of the rapicl stricles nracle in prefinishing plvl,ood an<l hou. joblters and their crrstomers may cash-in on the llettcr Offrces in Wood prog--ram.

lfr. Rehm pointed 'out horl, the "R.O.\\'." cooperative effort u'us creating demanil for clecoratir.e panels {or ofllce u'alls. furnitnre anrl accessories. He told of holv thousa-nds of salesrlen, not iclentihed 'r,r.ith the llvu'oorl irrdnstrv as sttch. nere crc:rtirrg c()nsunrer demand i,rr harrlrroo,l '1,1-1'u'ood. 'l-o ring the cash rcgister from sales stinrulatecl lrv others, he toltl his aurlience hos' to cooper:rte u'ith other factors in the bro:rd olfice-sultply fielcl and horv to herrcfit imrlediateiy rr1>on the immense promotional effort rrorv beirrg expended.

\\'nr. H. lTttnt, vice-president, Georgia-Pzicific Corporation, T)ortland, acted as moderator for the open forum discttssion of har<ll'ood ph.r'oocl problems facirrg the distributor. The r:rnge of topics cliscussecl on this forun.r l'as t-ide btrt specific comment l'as nrirde of the necd of eclucating

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