t'Jusl hord-work, super-service ond mqsfer-merchqndising-"

Butt Lumber of Azuso Sells q Two-bit ltem or o

$2-filillion Troct in'Atom-Age' Retoil Operotion

A custorner can pLrrchase builcling-r-naterial iterns priced at "tn'o-bits" <ir a complcte tract at "trvo-million" frorn Butt Lumber in Azusa, California, and its allied firm, the ('omet Bui[ders Suppll' Conrpanl'.

Absolutely nothing like it f rorn A to Zin the USA and, in particular, Southern Clalifornia.

It rvas ub,rut 151'ears ago thet Stuart H. Butt, o\\'rler of ihe retail lumbe r l'ard that bears his narne, operated a small drrip-in business establishn-rent in El \lonte, California,citerering to the "rveekend" builder in that suburban area. But he rvanted to expand his operations and "spread his rvings," so he chose thc fast gr<-ru ing con.rrr.rtluit-r. ol .\ztts:t. Nol' or-er .50.000 :rutom()l)ilcs ci e rv rllLr- pass his lrlace oi lrusit'tcss, n-hich is Iocate<l on L,S highri:i,v-(r(r:rt thei \\'estcrlr erlgc oi the tou'n. Ilr.rtt sclls srtnrl lrv thc shovelIul urrrl rocl<:tnrl e'rlivcl 1r-v thc picce, so to slrcuk. ,\rrrl if lL potenti:tl lrrril<lcr hrts it clc:tr lot, :ind one-htu'r<lrecl rlollltrs. the llrrtt orgrtniz:rliotr u'ill precut his honre anrl lrrrilrl it for hir.r.r. ()r if hc just u:rnts ', 1'111 ,,i paint,;L fen'n:ri1s lLnrl a lrrush. thcr- c:trr lre olrtlrinetl selcn clavs :r n.el< lrccurrse Rutt Lurnlrcr docs its lriegest volunrc on u'eckenrls.

Tcrr _r-ears ago Stuart llrrtt olrcnccl his llrst -\zusir I'rLr<l irt 111.5 \\I. Iioothill l'ilr-r1.. u'hicl'r consistcd ti 2l itcrcs ltnrl one shccl. '[-oclar-. just one clccl<1e la1cr, this operrrtion hlLs cloulrlcd in size lLrrrl lrolrsts t'norlcnr n rtrchotrscr facilities [or un<lcrcovcr st()ragc oi <lrr- lrrrnlrer. par-rel :incl nrortl<linta u':rre house lrrrd lr laree rrtilitr" l':tre honsc ior rooiing. n:Lils :tntl hrrrrrlrcrls r,f lruildcrs itcrns.

'l'his llrst-nrcrrtioncrl u'Archouse. rvhich is loc:rtc<l onc lrloclt u'est, is nr:tnagctl l)\' ( ). 'l'. ".\rrrlr"' -\rr<1crs,,n. sul)erinte rrrlent of tl'rc rnrtrt rilLis rlir-isi,,r. -\ corrrplctc stocl< of lrrick, srur<1, grrLvcl. etc. is nrLirrtuinrtl :rt this loc:Ltirirr. 1201 \\'. l"ootlrill Illr<1. lt is here th:rt all carlots:rrrirc rin thc lrig Southern I'acilic s1rur. lLncl it is als,,;rt this loc:rtion thlrt the 'lttrrrlrcr corrccntr:Ltion vi!rrl is locaterl.

Through the Comet Builders Supply Company over 95o/o of all material used in the new Hesperia, California, development was furnished. This firm precuts 30 five- and six-room houses each week for packaged delivery any place in the South,ern California area. Cometbuilt homes are presently in use from central California to Arizona and to parts of Baja California in old Mexico. The present production schedule has been main-

Model home (qt righl) next door to retoil yord is otienlion getter ond ties yord in with the bigger, volume so les tained for the past several years and will be increased as the demand for these fine homes increases.

In thc ntorlcnt yrl;ru roorr.r, loc:rterl in the rrtoclcl h,rrrsc next rloor to llLrtl Lrrnrlrer Lonrpturt-. tL clienl ctrn lricli orrt cverv ilcrn that nill go into his hornc. Il:rch roonr is sizcrl to stiit the on'ncr rrnrl tlrcrc irrc lniLnv rrn,l r':rricrl ulrLns frorrr u'hich to choosc.'['ircse s:Lnre h,,rrc.;rrc scllirrg likc "h,,r c:tl<cs" in thc f;tst er,rrr ing r'r,nrnrttnit_r' ,,i Ilcslrcria.

Thc Satur<1rtr':tnrl SunrllLt- tr:rlllc is terrillc. It rrrluires the srrr iccs ,,f 2O clcrks. oi'er h:rlf of thent l:rrt-tinte u'orkers. t() h:inrllc tl'rc tlr,-ii-,r',rurselI rlrolr in tr:r<lc lLnrl thc selfscrvicr crrstorners. lrverv stalr(l:rrtl-lrnLn<1 lruil<lcrs itcnt cltn ltc iotttrrl in tl'ris rvell-ri, rclicti st,rlc. 'l'rvo c:rshie rs are ()lr tlrtl'n, to ntcli rrp thc rci ctrrrc ;trrrl thc clrsh rce'isters itre ringing all <l:ir- long. 1'his is srvcet rlrrsic to the c-xccutivrs oi the hrrrr l'hich enjovs r-nore th:rn tu'o rrrilliorr rlollars in sales annually, and from all indications this will be doubled during the next couple of years under the capable management of Stuart Butt and Norman Eddy.

Another unique feature of this lumberyard is the fbct that Butt Lumber stocks everything for the outdoor man. Frank Horton, counter salesman, can furnish everything and anything for the sportsman. Here one can obtain hunting and fishing gear, including the license, from Frank. A complete stock of all such supplies is maintained throughout the year.

From a modest start of three employes in Azusa, this progressive retail lumber yard has grown by leaps and bounds. Today it requires the services of more than 20 salespeople and yard personnel to handle the volume of business. On weekends the extra sales, yard and office personnel are employed to adequately service the drop-in trade. The gross

ttBetter Home Advisorstt

sales of about $21 million annually have been enjoyed for several years and, as the eastern ,section of Los Angeles grows, so will the Butt Lumber company because the whole organization is wide-awake and ready for every opportunity.

"No-there is absolutely nothing mysterious about our business. We just work hard and try to take advantage of every opportunity. But most of all, we like to furnish the very best of service that can be obtained anywhere, and I think we are doing just that," said Stuart H. ilutt, headman of this one of the most progressive lumber firms in the west, which was called to the attention of The CALIFORNIA LUMBER MERCHANT by George Clough of Tacoma Lumber Sales, who made the arrangements for this coverage.

lAoking Profits on Home-lmprovement Soles

A simplified system for estimating home improvements is part of a ,complete new sales promotion and advertising service which will soon be available to retail lumber dealers. Developed by Russell W. Nowels in his four Michigan yards, tlre program will be known as "Better Home Advisors,"

"This low-cost system inoludes all the estimating, advertising and salei promotion materials necessa;y to make profits on hom€ modernization and remodeling sales. Itwill be offered on an exclusive basis of one dealer to a cit5" Nowels stated.

Each month, subscribers will receive scaled drawings, materials lists and simplified estimating procedures for one major and several minor home-improvement packages. Subscribers will also receive weekly newspaper ads, radio scripts and publicity stories which promote these home improvement packages. All packages are timed for promotion just in advance of their natural selling seasons, and are tied with the NRLDA Merchandising Calendar, which Nowels developed some years ago.

The program also includes prospect cards, sales form, and selling techniques on following prospects to make home-improvement sales at a reasonable cost. Suggestions on direct mail advertising and monthly merchandising tips will also be a regular part of the service. The "Better Home Advisors" seal will be integrated into the advertising sales form to identify the local lumber merchant as headquarters for reliable planning, financing, and building information on home modernization.

"The new estimating system enables anyone-even truck drivers-to quote an accurate price on more than 30 home improvements in a minute or less. It enables a dealer to qualify his prospect's interest and his ability to pay without spending hours of selling time and without making costly drawings and material lists," Nowels continued.

Designed for the busy lumber dealer, the system can be put to work in any yard in a few minutes' time. The dealer merely adapts the working drawings ,to local building practices, prices and extends the material lists, inserts the monthly terms for the home improvement packages in his newspaper ads and radio scripts, and reviews the estimating system with his men.

Over a year's time, dealers will receive drawings, materials lists, and simplified estimating system for over 30 end-use packages, including attic and basement rooms, breezways, garage conversions, garages, carports, porches, dormers, fences, additions, porch enclosures and kitchens. Minor home-improvement packages include new floors and ceilings, interior wall finishes (sheet-rock, plywood, knotty pine, hardwood plywood), insulation, screened porch, garden tool house, re-roofing, re-siding, interior and exterior painting, closets and several built-ins.

- Eacli of the 52 newspaper ads and radio scripts is de(Continued on Page 52)