Plywood Xleetings Confident of Big Future Morket

MARKETING PROBTEMS DRAW D.F.P.A. ATTENTION

The needs of a changing market and how to meet them got close scrutiny at the 24th annual meeting of the Douglas F ir Plywood Association, which drew more than 150 industry executives and their wives to Sun Valley, Idaho, May 15-19. A parade of top speakers addressed the three-day meeting, which also included election of trustees and o6cers.

Executives of some of the nation's biggest plywood producers, beset with their own mounting marketing problems, heard speakers make these points:

Theirs is the fastest-growing non-defense industry and, while production capacity currently is outstripping market needs, DF PA is marshaling all its resources in a research and promotion prog:ram desigrred to broaden existing: marketsHenry C. Bacon, executive vice-president, Simpson Timber Co., who was reelected as president of the plpvood association.

.Listening "actively" to your customers instead of being pre-occupied with marketing mechanics can often eliminate selling problems before they are created-Wllllam Ii. I)ixon, general manager, Dow Chemical Co.

Statistics are needed to tell you where you've been, but only marketing research can give a company an idea of where it's going-Rlchard iI. Sargent, vice-president and I'eneral manager, portable appliance division, Westinghouse Corporation.

Nothing Can Match Components fncreased efrciency by the builder-which mearB more use of components-is the only way to ofrset increased costs in the home building industry. More research in this field is urgently needed-Alan D. Brockba,nk, clairman, Research committee, National Association of Home Builders.

Components can do a job in home construction that nothing else can match. Proof of this is that two more dealers are adopting the Lu-Re-Co system every day- S. B. Slaughter, first vice-president, Lumber Dealers Research Council.

Mr. Bacon illustrated the industry's ability to expand its markets by the growth of softwood plSrwood use in home building. In 1950, he said, the industry was selling 40O-square feet of plywood per new house start. In 1960, the estimate is for 2600-sq. ft. per new house start.

W. E, Difford, DFPA executive vice-president, pointed up the association's work in developing new components and in research aimed at producing a wider variety of products for the industry.

Assoclation Lauded

Both Slaughter and Brockbank, major home builders in their own right, complimented the association on its research programs but called for eyen more efrort.

Brockbank pointed out five areas in which more research is needed.

"F'inished materials with long life are needed. The greater strength of glued construction calls for more work in that fleld. Dimensional stability of building materials must be increased. F'astenings and connectors-the small nailed house takes a quarter of a million hand movements-must be improved. And both on-site labor and actual construction time rnust be reduced. Goal of the NAHB is a house in five days," Brockbank said.

Sargent and Dixon, both marketing experts, approached the same conclusion from different routes. Both emphasized that a successful marketing: program is one based on information gathered in the market place.

Apply Art of Listonlng

"You've got to organize your marketing program to encourage the flolv of new ideas and put heavy. emphasis on planning and research," Sargent said.

Dixon stressed the personal, emotional involvement of individuals in marketing decisions and stressed the need for "empathy between buyer and seller.

"An effective way to g:et at those fundamental personal needs and emotional mainsprings is to apply the art of listening," he said.

Safety awards.were presented to winners in four divisions at one meeting session. The Roseburg, Ore., mill of U. S. Plywood Corp. won in division III.

Approvee Spy Fltghts

Erwin D. Canham, editor of The Christian Science Monitor and immediate past president of the United States Chamber of Commerce, won national newspaper coverage for his approval of the controversial U-2 flights over Russia in his address, titled "Balance Sheet of Peace."

Fred C. F'oy, president of the Koppers Company, just back from an ocean-span- ning tour of U. S. defense facilities, presented an encouraging survey of our preventive war power and concluded that the administration is spending wisely and reasonably for defense.

A less-reassuring address, at least from the standpoint of the current federal administration, was delivered by Attorney Eldgar N. Eisenhower, brother of the President. Critibizing'what he called "termites in g:overnment," Eisenhower charged that tendencies to "socialism" will see future generations of Americans become "nothing more than faceless robots in a great government slave camp." He urged his listeners to join him in working: to elect men and women who will "recreate in government the constitutional concept of our liberties."

Ofrcers Re-elected

Officers re-elected, along with Bacon, included J. H. Martinson as vice president, W. E. Difford, executive vice-president; Harrison Clark, secretary, and H. A. Peterson, treasurer. E. C. Dw;rer, Portland, Ore., was elected to flll the seat on the board of trustees vacated by F. L. tr'oval, sales manager, Long-Bell Division, International Paper Co., Longview, Wash.

Three board members were re-elected to two-year terms: Kenneth Ford, Roseburg, Ore.; George Raknes, Centralia, Wash., aJld George H. Weyerhaeuser, vice-president and manag:er, wood products, Weyerhaeuser Co., Tacoma.

Board members elected to one-year terms include J. L. Buckley, vice-president for development, Georgia-Pacific Corp., Portland, Ore.; John Connors, Brookings, Ore.; Howard Lemons, Westfir, Ore.; J. H. Martinson, I'acoma, and K. L. Morrow, general manag'er, California division, U. S. Plywood Corp.

-Nafional Foresl Producls Week Oclober 16-22-

N.P.D.A. ANNUAL AISO PURSUES SATES THEME

The National Plywood Distributors Association's 18th annual convention exceeded advance promotional promises, as indicated by acclamations and comments expressed by attendes, which listed industry leaders from throughout the U.S.A.

. The marketing theme was fully developed by a roster of nationally recognized speakers. In addition to formulae for success, the sinews and vitals of plywood distribution were exposed to critical examination and infections isolated.

Social and sports activities, with perfect weather in the Sun Valley resort, were at the season's peak and released tensions to fulfill desigrrs for a combined businessvacttion event thru the July 1-5 dates.

Setting the tone of the convention, Ernest G. Swigert, president of Hyster Co. and past-president of the National Association of Manufacturers, in a superb address titled "Responsibilities of Marketing Men in the Sixties," using plywood basic references as a benchmark, pointed out the drift in politico-economic affairs that would have been sobering even if the plywood market had been better.

Wm. J. Zellerbach, V.-P., Crown-Zellev bach, in an authoritative address titled "Upgrading Skills in Marketing," delved into the marketing theme and developed a pattern that was closely followed in subsequent business talks.

Dr. N. H. Engle, Ph. D., who is conducting P.M.I.'s research and educational program on plywood marketing, revealed actual percentages of fir plywood distribution in various channels which heretofore have been only estimated. He documented the "value-added concept" and other basic principles of marketing.

W. E. Difford, executive vice-president, D.F'.P.A., in a luncheon talk reviewed some history pertinent to distribution and spoke candidly of promising but unfulfllled obligations in distribution matters.

Clark E. McDonald, managing director, H.P.I., made friends for his cause, meanwhile updating marketing techniques ap- plicable to jobber distribution. He added lustre to his already substantial reputation for charm and diplomacy.

Panel Feature

In the.heralded panel feature, moderated by Emofy E. Moore, who was assisted by Robert Smith, four distributors and four producers dissected the topic of plyuvood distribution without fear or favor. At the insistence of an appreciative and enthusiastic audience, the panelists exchanged facts and opinions in depth on aspects of distribution for nearly three uninterrupted hours to a forced adjournment for a latelate lunch.'

Panel features are not new to plymen but never in the history of plywood gatherings of any kind has so much information been revealed attendant to causes, efrects, symptoms, cures and panaceas of mal-distribution, reports Mahlon Munson.

Agreement was specific on two related aspects: (1) Over-capacity, and (2) confused distribution practices. So much truth was exposed that corrective measures by managements appear imminent to speed, convalescence or demise as is .certain to