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ilSurdett Green Will Continue i,Hardwoods Work in West ,'After FHA Retirement
:.; Fine Hardwoods Association President Wm. F. Ashby iil anttoutt.es the selection of E. Howard Gatewood ,to sucpi , ,ceed Burdett Green as executive vice-presidglt ."J tq" .:- ' sociation. Mr. Green, who is moving to the Pacific Coast, ' has been searching for a successor foi the past four months.. Mr. Gatewood is now vice-president and sales manager-of 'the Taylor Chair Company, Bedford, Ohio, and, was for - eight y-ears with the Wood Office Furniture Institute. He has had many contacts with the hardwood industry and has participated in ioint promotional projects, such as the Hardwoods^ Exhibit in the Museum -of -science and Industry, which is managed by Mr. Green of the Fine Hardwoods Association.
1' "Gr.en and Gatewood will operate as a team during the : next few months while Mr. Gatewood familiarizes himself r #ittt the manv activities of the Fine Hardwoods Associa,tion." Mr. Ashbv said. His work with the office furniture industry involved sales training and a great deal of dealer ' activity and trhus it is expectedlhat in the Fine Hardwoods " Associ-ation he will carry on and strengthen the program 'r recently lauqched for the purpose of creating consumer demand for fine hardwoods.
The directors of the Fine Hardwoods Association persuaded Burdett Green, at the time of his unexpected resignation, to remain on the job until after the coming Furniture Market in January IIe was one of the first "10O lumber consultants" m-ade available to specifiers throughout the United States by the National Lumber M4nufacturers Association. Work with the Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin, and the Union Lumber Company of San Francisco, preceded his association work. Then with 'the American Walnut Manufacturers Association he in.augurated an architectural service that helped p9! q."-e haidwood trim and paneling into several monumental buildings. Some 26years-ago, Green began the Furniture Market Su-rvey which has cott-tit,tously been carried on by-the Wal' nut Aisociation and serves as ihe only source of information on stvle. wood and finish trends.
as menacing so the "Genuine" and "Solid \Malnut" tag and labeling program was born. Subsequently Mahogan-y tag.s and la6eli bicame widelv used and now millions of producti are being clearly id6ntified with the Fine Hardwoods Associationls-"Genuine Hardwoods" tags and seals. Another answer to the substitutes which the Fine Hardwoods ' Aspociation is pushing is to improve hardwoods through research. One example is "Beautyguard," the cigarettealcohol resistant hardwoods. Also, laboratory work is in progress to produce greater hardness for face veneers.
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Aid on Decrlers' Rurol Soles
Six one-minute radio scripts with a rural flavor for lumber dealers' use have bCen made available by the agricultural department of Masonite Corp9ration. T-hey promote Masonite All-Purpose Farm Board. Copies'may be obtained from the iompany's salesmen or by writing the Agricultural Departmgnt, Masonite Corforation,"l11 We-st Washington St., Chicago 2, Ill.
associated since its conception is the Hardwoods Exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry. "This is one of the finest exhibits in the world," says Major Lennox R. Lohr, -director of the Museum. It is the only major promotional activity that the entire hardwood industry has to its credit as a joint activity. It is still at work 364 days each year.-
Beiieving thal "most people love fine woods for their natural beauty," Green created a "wattled walnut" program which puts an unattractive, inactive type of walnut lumber into a ieadily salable form. Following this successful project, "Enchanied Walnut" was born as a means of popularizing character-marked veneers and plywood. The success of thEse projects is confirmed by the present strong, clearly recognized trend in both furnishings and architectural interiois toward naturalness, textuie, informality, and warmth obtained by the use of fine hardwoods.
In the last two y6ars "Burr" Green has accomplished another goal for the association-a display room containing the largest known collection of fine woods from all parts.of the wo]ld in sizes of practical use to architects, interior decorators and furniture designers.
When questioned as to his-plans for the future, Bqldett Green explained, "This move tb an area between San Francisco and Monterey Bay is a goal Mrs. Green and I have had in mind since i staried out-there with the United States Forest Service. As soon as we can get relocated and a home and an office built out there, or even before then, I will be engaged in a few consulting projects. Alleady ar_ran_gements haie-been completed with Elmendorf Research, Inc., 860 Charleston Road, Palo Alto, California, which will be my initial business address after January 1958."
It is understood that Mr. Green will work with several clients of the Elmendorf Research laboratories in the development of merchandising plans for certain new hardwood products. Mr. Green stated that he had a few other plaps involving fine hardwoods which will be announced in the spring.
Altholgh-not known to many of h\s friends in the hardwood industry, Burdett Green has developed non-wood interests over the past 15 years. A few years ago he and his partner bought out an oxy-acetylene and welding supplies business in Oakland, California. Shortly after making his recent decision to give up association work, he purchased his associate's interest in this business'
A--nother fiist with wfrictr Mr. Green has been most closely
However, he says that it isn't nearly as much fun to