The Retail e] - - ln Association With Western Pine

(Written Especially for The CALIFORNIA LUMBER MERCHANT by The WESTERN PINE ASSOCIATION)

Ever since the day virtually theentireWestern Pine lumberindustry gathered itself together into one trade group-the WesternPine Association-it has been no coincidence the Retail Lumber Dealer has been one of the greatest beneficiaries.

In the early 1900's the ground was broken for the in the great Inland Empire formed an association to accomplish singly.

Meanwhile, in California, a similar organization rvas formed a few years later.

And 25 years ago next year, the two groups came together under one name and combined and directed their already effective efforts toward the purpose of manufacturing and merchandising the finest lumber product possible.

Today the association consists of some 400 member mills scattered across the big 12-state Western Pine region. Its mills produce about one-fourth of the natior-r's annual softwood supply. It provides numerous services an<l constantly strives to maintain its high star-rdards of lumber product manufacture.

Among the fundamentals of good business is the quality of the product and the service that goes with it through the processes of marketing. And of utmost importance along that process is the ultimate merchandiser-the retailer.

It is there the final sale is made which justifies the tremendous investment in timber, property, equipment, manpower and organization which goes into the manufacture of lumber. It is natural, then, that the manufacturer must be particularly interested in hisretail outlets. It's good business.

Butto get the real benefits from such an organization, the retail lumber dealer, himself, must understand and use association's ultimate development when lumbermen try to accomplish things together none could hope to what is available to him. The association offers a vast pool of resources rvhich over the years l-ras meant good business to the nation's retailers. Each of the association's separate functions-whether it be forestry, promotion, research, traffic or grading, or any of the many more detailed categories -plays an important part in the economics of running a lumberyard, though the proprietor may not always realizeit.

By classifying the major association activities, the group's primary functions may be better unclerstood:

Grading

One of the most important and fundamental factors in a smooth-running lumber industry is grade standardization for its lumber products. The \\'restern Pine Association has established its own set of grading rules, and these are uniform across the l2-state Western Pine region. fn consequence, No. 1 Common in Montana is the same as No. 1 Common in Arizona; and so it is in Idaho, or South Dakota, or California.

A 25-man grading bureau operates out of the association's headquarters in Portland, Oregon, always r,vorking throughout the region to assure as high a degree of uniforrnity as possible. The inspectors visit each of the region's mills periodically, check current grading practices, and work with the mill graders themselves to maintain and develop a professior-r of accurate and skilled graders in the industry.

Forestry

The backbone of the lumber industry is its forests and theirability to produce. Today, the forest picture looks better than at any time in recent history.

We are growing more trees faster now than ever before.

Prominent in the development of this situation has been the guiding hand of the Western Pine Association's forestry department. Crystallizing important policies and, through committees of member lumbermen, setting up rules of forest practice, the department has played an important part in forest thinking on higher levels.

In the field, association forest engineers work with forest owners on many and varying problems in an effort to keep on developing Western Pine forests to the ultimate in growth and productivity.

Prize activity of the department isits Tree Farm program, rvhich it sponsors under the American Tree Farm System. In the region, where three-quarters of the commercial forestland is government-owned, nearly 8@ Tree Farms now cover nearly six million acres. California, .lvith 1,633,723 acres inits 762 Tree Farms, is number one state in the region in acreage. Idaho's 414 Tree Farms, horvever, lead the entire region in Tree Farm numbers.

Through the efforts of the association and its committees of member mill lumbermen, great steps have been taken in Western forests against insect and disease infestations, fires and other forest destroyers.

The tremendous strides taken in forestry by the industry as a whole were evidenced by the facts contained in the recent survey of the nation's forests. To the retail lumber dealer, it means lasting resource.

Promotion

The modern popularity for Knotty Pine is in a great part due to the promotional efforts of the Western Pine Association. The place knotty paneling as a whole has attained in (Continued on Page 92)

FOR the forty-fourth year, JOHN \U7. KOEHL & SON, INC., wishes to extend the Season's Greetings to its friends and customers and all the good folks who have made possible these many years of progress by their approval of the GUARANTEED \7OOD PRODUCTS we continue to furnish exclusively through the Retail Lumber Dealer. Forty-four years of SERVICE enables us to propedy supply your \(/OOD WINDO\7S, \(/OOD SASH, \[OOD DOORS and CUSTOM-MADE MOVABLE SHUTTERSand we are determined to continue to furnish you QUALITY MATERIALS with the same fair-deal Policy that we have maintained in the past and will stand upon through the future . . .

So, for the forty-fourth season, we are sincerely h"ppy to be able to wish You and !eu1s-rr/ VERY MERRY CHRTSTMAS and A HAPPY, PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR,''

Since l9l2