Merner Lumber Co. Does Borh Contrqctor qnd 'Weekend Corpenfer' Business Successfully

Over the many years since its establishment, Merner Lumber Company, in Palo Alto, has developed an enviable clientele of custom home builders, and at the same time has enjoyed increasing volume from do-it-yourself customers living in the university town of Palo Alto and vicinity. During the past few years, Paul Merner, president of the company, began to look for a successful formula for maintaining a profitable combination of these tlvo markets.

The backbone of Merner Lumber Company's economy is, and always has been, the contractor constructing custom-built homes ir-r the Palo Alto area. As the firm does not solicit the business of tract builders, it has alrvays been aware of the importance of retail and do-it-yourself business to augmer-rt its custom contractor sales, which today represent about trvo-thirds of the concern's total dollar volume.

Ho'iv to give equal service to the contractor and the consumer alike, under the same roof, became a real problem, especially after the end of World War II, which instigated one of the biggest building booms ir, the Peninsula area that Northern California has ever seen.

No matter how many clerks Merner lvould put on, the line of customers waiting to be served continued to grorv cnstomers waiting to buy a piece ol 2xl for the porch railing, and contractors waiting with the specs. for a nerv $30,000 home. The r.vaiting was bad enough, but trying to explain to the sharp-eared 2x4 customer the lower price quoted on the same material to the $30,000 home builder was something of a nightmare to the Merner clerks.

The answer became clear, and last month N{erner Lumber Company finished a complete face-lifting job rvhicir included the establishment of separate contractor sales and do-it-yourself departments.

Halfway back in his big yard, Merner put in another office, clerks and an order desk and parking facilities {or the contractor trade, including a separate yard foreman and crew for that division. Lumber and builcling materials for this volume business were moved past the halfway point in the yard and on both sides of the firm's planing mi11. It{es,, sontractors can drive directly back into the yard, place their orders quickly, load their trucks and be on the way back to their jobs in a minimum of time.

Up front, the N{erner Lumber Companl- store was remodeled and expandecl, parking facilities rvere greatly en(Please Turn to Page 40)

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