N-AWLA Convention A Notable Business Session

lioce fobin Elected Presidenf -Speoker A. and Privileges of Being o Lumbermdn -

Brislow Hood Sfresses fhe Opportunilies Ponel Discussions Cover Ivlany Probfems

By MAX COOK

REVITALIZED National-American Wholesale Lumber Association staged its 69th Annual Convention at the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco, June 20-22, a record attendance of 200 attesting to the success of the powerful meeting.

Especially notable was the convention program, not of the usual "let's play" nature, but rather of a serious, positive tenor. From the very first speaker, A. Bristow Hood of Ralph L. Smith Lumber Company, to the windup orator, Jack Pfeiffer of the McKinsey Company, the tone of the sessions was serious, constructive and directly involved with the quandry the lumber wholesaler finds himself in today.

An ar-rnual affair, the election of new officers and directors saw veteran North Carolina wholesaler, I. Alex McMillan, step down from a highly successful term as president. His successor, Oregonian Mace Tobin, graciously accepted the president's gavel and pledged his full efforts to the fine aggressive National-American program. Tobin, a highly respected Eugene, Oregon, lumberman, perpetuates the stature of the National-American Association in today's changing lumber industry.

Other officers elected to serve under Tobin for the coming year included: L. J. Fitzpatrick, L. J. Fitzpatrick Lumber Company, first vice-president; Chuck Clay, Forest Products Sales Company, second vice-president; and William H. Seibert, Tionesta Lumber Company, re-elected treasurer.

The 69tli Annual Convention was chairmanned bv Tack Ford, Tarter, Webster & Johnson, Inc., San Francisco, with the able assistance of Al Bell, Hobbs Wall Lumber Company and Joe Shipman of San Rafael. Sincere credit should go to these men, the officers and directors of the association, N-AWLA executive vice-president J. j. Mulrooney, western manager Don Andrews and southern manager Robert Darrah, for their efforts in producing the excellent convention program.

Throughout the 69th Annual, which was preceded by a cocktail "mixer" at the Top of the Mark on Monday night, speakers during the three-day convention stressed the opportunities, but pitfalls facing today's (and tomorrow's) wholesaler.

The opportunities-you might even say the "privilege" -of being a lumberman were brought out in A. B; Hood's excellent address ' "Lumber-A Modern Material in a Moving Market."

For a closer look at specific problems facing the wholesale lumber industry, several panel discussions were held during the three-day show: both the DFPA and NLMA were praised for their splendid achievements in the field of lumber products promotion ; wholesalers urged closer cooperation between the manufacturing associations and the wholesale lumber industry; Hoo-Hoo and its important role in wood promotion rvas discussed; a closer liaison between all lumber associations was urged.

Component building came under close scrutiny: most of the panelists felt the wholeshler will get into the distribution of component parts-but not the actual fabricating of these parts. Ways to encourage the company salesman to do the "complete selling job" were discussed ; wholesalers were encouraged to pay closer attention to the customer's real needs-and then "sell" them to the producer.

As the selling of a commodity product such as lumber is largely psychological, what would be more logical than to have a psychologist on the program?

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