With Reco_rd Plywood Production Yeor, lndustry Looks to New Lumber Deoler Promotions in 1958

Written Especiclly for rhe CALIFORNIA TUMBER MERCHANT

By rhe Douglos Fir Plywood Associofion

With a, recorcl plyu.ood production ye:rr bchinrl thcm, rvestern. fir p11'u'ood manu[acturcrs are planning i! ne\\:, nationt'ide lrrmber dealer prornotion in ^ 1958. tt shou,s pror.r.rise of giving nrany deaiers;L lrigger share of thc corrstnrction dollar irr tlre nexi ien.r'carJ.

This promotion is the adclitit.,ir of ten fresh nen stvlish Chris Choate ply.n'ood l'rclme desigr-rs to the Lu-Itc-(.t,- svs, tem component buildir-rg. The pr()grirm u.ili be backcrl -1,r. str_ong national sales promotior.r arr<1 nrercharrdising.

Itr a cornbinecl statement, Lu-ltc-Co I)resident C. _\. Thomps,,n -arj( !,.,trglzr..s Flr Plyrvood Association NIan:rginu I)irector \\t. E. Difford said the progran] is intencjed to g.irjci both Lu-Re-Co dealers and other-clealers "er.erything it takes" t.) get a bigger share of the corrstruction'dolla.r irr 1958 The dcsigns u.erc <leveloped by Diil,-\ u.ith a vicn, of providing clealers u'ith thc mercl-ranclisir.rg rrn<l sales tools they neecl to develop the salc of a homc u'ith thc materilLl in it all the u'ay from planr.ring to a finisherl house Lu-I{e-C.o has definitely prorred itself as a. progr:rrn lrrr<l a builcling svstem. It rv:rs ilcvclolred bythe [.rnii]ersitr. oi

The "Wokefield" designed by Chris Choote, is eosily odopted to the lu-Re-Co concepl of home building

Illirrois Small Horles Council uncler contrzrct u'ith tl're I-unr' ber l)ealers Research Council. At this point. about 1.2(X) dealers Lrave aclopted thc concept ancl thi nunrlrcr is sr.rr'ing steaclily.

The Chris Choate homes arc highly adalrtable to thc l,u-lle-Co svstem. Sonre arc snrall. Son-re arc cxccutive 1er.cl shou- cases ancl defir-rite merchandising prcstige builders. -\rcl-ritectur:rl styles inclrrclc hornes r.ith lrr-r oriental tciuch and others th:rt are strikingly contempor:rry.

Although rlesigned prim:rrily for basic construction u,.itl'r hr plvu'oocl, Choate has ar-oi<lerl the mon<ttony that could develop irr srrch a progranl rvhicli is kevcd to onc nratcrial. Plans for the ten designs will be executed in either

The "Whiilier" (like oll the homes) will be noiionolly promoted ond odverfised by rhe DfPA, lu-Re-Co ond tne Notionql Plon Service format. They will be available from the National Plan Service.

The development of the joint I-u-Ite-Co, DFPA anrl National l'lan Scrvicc lrromotion \\'AS ()nc of the most sig- nificant clents of a lrrrsv vear for tl-re llvrvood inclustrr'. The net resrrlt of the yc:rr ri,us definitcly ori the "plus" si<lc, l.'ut llrc irrrlustrv ha,l lts lrr,,lrlems.

In spite of the nnsettlci<l l.,usiness atnrospherc ar-rd a poor housing m:rrket in 1957, the fir plvs'ootl irrdrrstry achieve<l an encotlragtng 1'/c increase in sales. Sales in 1957 should be up arouncl the.5.-15 billion s(luare foot mark, as opposed to 5.2 billion feet in 1956.

Per capita consumption of plywood is another figure which points upthe industry's growth. In 1946, the

The "Wheoton" is plonned for soles in o reos where split-level homes ore winning o lorge shore of rhe morket figure was 10.0 square feet. Today, it is a panel per person-32 square feet.

The plvu,oocl inclustry is hopeful thtLt thc cconomists u'ho pre<lict 1.1 million ncr.,, r'ron-Iarm housiug starts in 19.511 are correct. C)ne influential economic report prcclicts at 8(/: expansion in home-buildine' next ye:rr.

C)ne of thc inclustrr''s prolrlents is the apltro-xirnately one billion sqllare foot difference betrveen ci4ncity ancl salcs. Annual prorlrrction capacity has riscn to (r.3 billiilr feet ler-cl. Hou'er.er, tl'rere are several factors u'hich nray hcllr to closc this gap in the coming months.

One of thesc is the prospect for incrc:rsecl nen'home construction, mentionecl above. Also, contmercial construction

(Continued on I'age .S3)