The Lumber}lerehant cornes rnto His own

By IACK F. POMEROY Lumber^,,,rf,)i'x'::,,';:::;'!i!l.,r",,catirornia

At long iast the retail lumber and building material merchant iscoming into his own ! Right nowhe is onthethreshold of gaining that recognition"within the industry and to the general public that he is the key man to see firston anybuilding, repaiiing or remod,eling; that ire is the merchandiser of the construction industr.y;that the most economicaiand e"fficient methodbt airtriUuting tumler and building materials is through his establishment and through his services.

The attainment of this recognition has not been hard on this job it knew had to be"done. Now, the results of this effort are beginning to be felt.

The big job began immediately following World War II. The average age of all lumber company employes was close to 60 years, stocks were low, many staple items were unob_ tainable, stores and offices were run down and the atmos_ phere of "order-taking" hung over the industry. The public was short-tempered and irritable inits demands for goods and services, sales persons were apathetic, manufacturers began to harangue the dealers about .,merchandising,,, and some were using the industry as a whipping boy for their ou'n short-sighted sales policies.

Then the Industry Went to WORK

The retail lumber industry took a look at itself and went to u'ork. The work began individually and collectively. To train the new men coming into the business and to refresh those returning, 30-Day Educational Schools were set uD with emphasis on products and selling. Company meetings w-ere being held. Films and literature were being sent for. The training program was underway. As the many new building products came on the market the dealers had to u'eigh their merits, decide which ones and in what quantitv they would stock, and to educate their employes to seil them.

The years that followed have seen the majority of the retail lumber merchants remodel, rebuild or rearrange their stores into attractive places of doing business; buy new and improved materials-handling equipment, new trucks for faster, safer delivery; set up specialized departments in hardware, kitchen cabinets, garden supplies and tools, paint and wallpaper, and household appliances to better serve their customers. They have increased their advertising expenditures in all mediums and, through their trade asso_ ciations, have become increasingiy active in the area of Public Relations.

Customer services such as plans and planning services, how-to-do-it in{ormation, installment or budget selling, free estimating, financing arrangements, off-street parking, demonstrations, outside salesmen ancl equipment rental, have been installed for the convenience of their customers. While all this was going on, they still had to con_ tend with increasing b.usiness costs, higher taxes, and new forms of competition. But the work of the indus_ try revitalizing itself went on.

The dealers, individually and collectively, were using every method at their command to improve their situation. Their trade associations conducted schools and courses, held dealer meetings, cornpiled statistical information. em- easy. The retail lumber industry has worked long and phasized and stressed advertising, better seliing methocls and public relatibns.

Trade journals were being read more carefully for new ideas and methods, and new lines of merchandise to sell. Manufacturers' sales aids were being put to better use and their representatives were helping in giving demonstrations and turning in sales leads. Everything was being sl-rarpened up.

As these things took place during the years, a new look began to come over the face of the retail lumber industry. The "office" in the corner of the yard, with the short counter and the big spitoon, had already given rvay to the ,,lumberyard store," but now that was changing into the "building materials headquarters," rvith a complete line of merchandise for the builder's or homeowner's needs.

The salesmen in that store were well trained and competent, and the public began to discover that, along with the materials purchased there, they could get service. They could get expert advice on rvhat materials to use and how to use them; they could get their financing arranged for them; they could see the materials attractively displayed and get quick delivery on them. These things added up.

Advertising Aids the Dealers

Today, more building material manufacturers are spending more money in nationally advertising their products than ever before, and in almost every advertisement the reader is urged to see his local retail lumber and building material dealer. All the "shelter" magazines, such as Better Homes and Gardens, House Beautiful, Sunset, American lfome, have come to the realization that the key man in construction and home improvement picture is the retail lumber merchant. Along with Life, The Saturday Evening Post, Popular Mechanics and Popular Science, they have all set up departments to create promotions, tie-ins, sales aids or whatever they can to ally themselves as closely as possible to the lumber dealer and the workthathis industry is doing.

Next year rvhen the president of the United States proclaims it the year for home improvement and Operation Home Improvement is in full srving with its slogan, '56the Year to Fix," the lumber merchant is going to be THE central figure and rightfully so.

All these segments of the industry-from the manufacturers to the magazines-2re realizing and have confidence that now the lumber and building material merchant has come up to the top as the Merchandiser of the Construction Industrv.

lotest Wood-treoting Techniques Told qt PreserYers' Meeting

Engineering and woocl treatment techniques jointly have advanced to the point that structural designers can now specify built-in preservative or fire-retar<lant protection for their glue<llaminated arches and beams, according to reports presented at the fall meeting of the Western Wood Preserving Operators' Association held Cctober 28 in Seattle.

Research carried ollt over the past 15 years has established the compatability of wood glues lvith the varions chen-rical treatments applied to wood by pressure treatment, F. W. Gottschalk, president of MacKintosh and Truman Lumber Co., Seattle, reported. It is now possible for wood laminators either to manufacture their glued structural tir-nbers from surall lvoorl members pressure-treated with rot, termite ancl fire-retarclant compounds, or to have glued-laminated stoclt processed after manufacture at commercial wood-preserving plants, he stated.

While lumber prices have aclvanced in relation to the rising wage rate, dernand for forest stumpage, advancing metal prices in the iron and aluminum industries, ancl the possible iuture use of synthetic fibers in pulp and paper production may place wood products in an even more favorable cornpetitive pricc position, B. L. Grondal, professor of woocl products, University of Washington forestry school, stated. Unitecl States forest practices and wood utilization methods are being rapiclly adapted in the Philippine Islands, Florencio Tanesis, forrler director of the Philippine l3ureau of Forestry declared. A government research laboatoy, patterned after the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory at Madison, Wisconsin, is now being established to carry out research on philippine rvoocls.

Cole lumber Compony Holds Do-lt-Yourself Clqsses

The Cole Lumber Companv, \-an Nuys, Calif., held its first in a series of do-it-1'ourself classes for its retail customers late in October. Starting October 25 from 7:30 to 9:00 p.rn., the yard, at 6140 Sepulveda, is, holding the classes the fourth Tuesday of each rnonth to furnish practical help by experts.

The first session offered instruction in color styling with a lecture and demonstration bv lim Bowen, salesmanager, National Lead Company; use and application of wood paneling, with demonstration by Jack Pollard of the Southr,vest Plywood Corp., Inglewood, and construction technicalities, building laws and ordinances, by Contractor Victor Penn. Questions ll ere answered and refreshments served during the class.

The Cole Lumber Company is also sponsoring a current contest among'its patrons for ideas on how the retail yard should advertise itself. The first prize is $50 cash; second, a turkey; third, a Christmas ham. Everyone entering the contest receives as a free gift a 6-ft. steel tape to the men and a magnetic potholder to the tr.omen. Entry blanks are to be deposited at the vard's store before December 10.

Fire Hits Orbon lumber Co.

A $100,000 fire struck the Orban Lumber Company, Pasadena, November l.t and consumed 250,000 board feet of finished lumber in the yard at 77 S. Pasadena Ave. Five Pasadena firemen were injured in the conflagration. The fire threatened to spread to the adjoining Crown City Mill & Lumber Co., but was held in checlt bv 10 firefighting companies.

County Building Permifs Drop

Building permits issued in Los Angeles county unincorporated area in October totaled 3701 at $22,236,709, against 4937 at $29,902,765 in October 1954. Butfor the ten rnonths this year, total valuation was $327,353,592, compared with $2U,054,427 in last year's same span.