8 minute read
-A qsoyt's Qruetings - - and Best Wishes for the -.-Nu* U.ar A et r. H. BAXTER
San Francisco & GO.
Pressure-Treated Forest
tube. One of Anderson's most interesting finds came while he was walking through a forest. He noticed a bullet embedded in a pine tree. Above and below the bullet were 'streaks of pitch, a valuable source of resin for paints, varnishes, and othe_r products. The tree had thuJ responded to its wound. Why not deliberately wound the lree to make it form these products? He cut-an incision a third of the way around the tree, then poured sulfuric acid in the wound as a stimulant. Six months later that third of the trunk had turned into a sort of heartwood, rich in resin and other chemicals.
If further studies show pine tree wounding to be economical, millions of young second-growth pi-nes can be--made to produce heavy deposits Sefore being cut,. filling a gap left by the- fast-disappearing old-giowth pine stumpwood in the Southern states.
Resin is only one of the extractives that Anderson and his assistants, Eugene Zavarin and Gene Kritchevsky, are studying. Kritchevsky has turned up 18 chemical- components in Port Orford cedar wood oils and is analyzins substances in redwood cones to learn why stains aipeai in redwood during drying.
Zavarin began probing ihcense cedar at the behest of a Stockton firm when some of their pencil slats, upon being converted to pencils and lacquered,-became discolored anE therefore unusable. Besides findine the cause of the "bleeding," he also hit ona promisiing anti-oxidant that is now being tested by a food manufactu-rer.
Another line of research may help Southern California,s furniture industry, which is fihaini eastern and imported hardwoods scarcer. California hafowoods could be used if they didn't split and warp during seasoning. Seeking a chemical seasoning method that causes nJ splittine-or warping, the FPL chemists are trickling ac-etone.-and alcohol over lumber to pick up moisture and extractives at the same time.
Some six million board-feet of tan oak are cut in Cali-
Los Products Angeles
fornia.every_year. -The logs are left in the woods after the, bark.is, peeled off. "He-re," says Anderson, ,,is where.l chemical seasoning could hit a jackpot. The trees could,,,l be taken to mills and the whole opiration of season incl', tannin removal could be done at orice.',
- Thiq kind of integration might also be applied to Douelas .1 fir_bark, which yields a wax ai good as thaf of the carnairba'i " palm. Wax by itself wouldn-'t pay but, bv extractins I other chemicals such as tannins af the same iime, and b! ,1 using the bark as a soil mulch, costs could be spiit thre'e, ways and the whole venture would be profitable.- i
The cut-and-haut philosophy of eariy timber days is i: gone. F'aced with dwindling ieserves -and'competition ,,,i f:::-ff^.1"9E^:ld. ___..11 -*F_fg""t. industr| must .;l integrate a variety of wood uses in order to "r.it costs. .. , Chemical research will provide the knowledge to make '.i th,is possible.
Gqsccrdes Plywood Buying E. K. Wood Oregon Holdings
Portland.-Approximately 300 million feet of standins ,',i timber, a sawmill and mill iite.at Reedsport, Ore., formerl! ;l operated by E. K. Wood Lumber Co., *ere..poit"d Ueinl",'r purchased by Cascades Plywood Corp., Lebanon. Orel',: $ greett vene.er plant was said being considered for ihe old-i:;
Reedsportmill.-
Lumbermon Wins Assembly Sect
Lou Cusanovich, 45-year-old business manager of a Van ;, Nuys lumbe-.ya.!,. was elected last month to i seat in ther;i 64th Assembly District bya substantial margin,orr"i tir'.,: nearest rival in the.special election. Cusanovjch-campaigned.: i aggressively on a "right-to-work law" platform a"t ciitea "i for legislation protecting "union demociacy" in handlins oi"union affairs. The lumberman is on the Re-publican ti,ck&. : *
Doscher, Ex-OHl Heod, Predicts $t g Billion R.emodeling Mqrket
One of the most significant developrnents of the 1957 NRLDA convention was the emphasis on the fast-expanding and highly profitable home improvement market, according to Tohn R. b6scher, formerly head ofOHI and now owner of his own lumber dealer advertising agency.
After attending every meeting on this subject and inter-riewing scores of dealers, Doscher feels that the remodeling markeiin 1958 will exceed $18 billions because building rnaterial dealers are now seriously intent on getting their share of this business. As a result of their effo.rts, FHA Title loans are up 22/o this year over last. Today, the average Title I loan is $800,'compaied to ${00 only two years ago. At the culle-lt rate of inciease, this figure witt lump to $1,000 per job in 1958, Doscher said.
Compared to last year's NRLDA convention, Doscher noted that there was considerably less concern with the fall-off in new house starts. Most dealers were far more interested in how to sell package remodeling, complete kitchens, additions and garages, how to estimate, and how to advertise to get remodeling business. All sessions on these subjects were complete sell-outs.
On the subject of advertising, dealers agreed that it was the only way to get more home improvement business. Newspaper advertising is by far the most Popular medium and the dealers who are most successful use newspaper advertising every week.
There'vias general "gtie*enf that l/o of total gross should be budgeted for consumer advertising. ,However, it was pointed out thit since about half of the average dealer's business is with contractors and builders, and half with homeowners, this l/o figure is actually 2/o of the part of the business that can be advert-ised. This figure, Doscher says, is competitive to other retail industries, but specialty items require a bigger percentage. To aid lumber dealers who want more home improvement business but who do not have local advertising counsel, Doscher has established an advertising service which features a series of
HrB,r,rAN A. S,rrrtrH
Wl"ol"nl" {u*b", "*lerch.ant
1908 Conodq Boulevord
Glendole 8, Cblifornio
HERMAN SI$ITH t
A w 6.lcd6tt. tu Fn M. | l|oPrr -. -* r-p ro ".r-, n.r' yd, | 5.n"i&g bwiltuildffi,odbdd} ite, fr! d so of hFinG b..tu # |[raYilffi Hff ,ln?"-**::*T.lTlfJ.lil*'*"lw*hbrdtunnd.r.6rrq l54g
CArl U3 'OT A FR:E EsflilA'E
As an introduction to fohn R. Doscher's home-improvement advirtisine service, tliis advertisement in mat form, ready to run, is Jfiered free to any dealer outside present franchise areas. Doscher's service s-ells for $175 per year. One sale from this free ad could more than pay for all 52 ads in the 1958 series.
OtD GROWTH DOUGLAS FIR-GREEN.AD-KD ao.to;
IflcDonqld Cedqr Producls, [td. Gilchrisi Timber Compony
DrREcr sHrP'fiENT -
Douglos Fir Plywood-lmporled qnd Domestic Hordwoods.
AVAILABLE tCtPonderoso Pine Common5-tugql Pine ftcfory qnd Seleci Grqdes-Western Red Cedor Siding, Boqrds & Poneling-2t', 3" )& 4" CHB Roof Deck.
1893
4848 West Pico Boulevsnd, los Angeles 19 o Phone WEbster 6-8238 TWX tA 44il this is our 65th yeor in business big-ticket remodeling projects in a different new ad every week. The service, with professional artwork and copy complete in mat form, is available to lumber dealers on an exclusive one-dealer-per-city franchise basis for $175 per year or $3.36 per week. Interested dealers can write to John R. Doscher, 10 Rockefeller Plaza, New York 20, N. Y., for further details on this advertising campaign.
D&B Survey Shows Business Foilures
Business failures, although rising in 1956 and in 1957, have not kept pace with the upsurge in the total business population. During the first six months ol 1957,9,945 out ol every 10,000 business concerns in the United States did not fail with losses to creditors, according to a recent study by the Business Economics division of Dun & Bradstreet, Inc.
More than half of the failures occur in businesses that have been in existence for five years or less. It is interestins to note that the proportion of "younger', failures has beei +:gl-inigC steadily in the past 10 years with the exception of 1956. However, the toll ahong businesses aged ten years or more has increased almost steadily in the Jame peiiod. - _In size, failures are relatively small. Some 63/o of the failures in the first six months of 1957 had liabilities of less than 925,000 and only 0.4/o had losses ranging about one million. Furthe-r, average liabilities pe. caJuafity are cur_ rgnlly below the post-war peaks established in 1946 and 1947.In 1956, the highest failure rate per 10,000 operatins manufacturing concerns was 232 ior-furniture manufac"turers.
By states, the highest failure rates per 10,000 operating concerns within each state were: Nevada, 141.8; California] 135.0; and New York, 106.5.
(Tell them you sazn it in The California Lumber Merchant)
Bocrd Repori on Used Lumber
i ne Southern California Retail Lumber Associition i}ile.d its members on November 20 the following copy ,Lhe Report and Recommendations adopted by the Board "Building and Safety Commissioners, City of Los Angeles, 14, t957: iliThe Los Angeles City Building Code requires "l! 'tructurallumbei to be grade-marked by an approved ig.uq"y. {t- thg present time,. no ?ggncy is established.to e-used lumber. Several demolition contractors in the Angeles area arenow meeting with the intent of rf -c :porating an association for the specific purpose of ing useii lumber. Corporate papers, however, cannot filed for l2O or more days.
,,'fln the interim, permission is requested to sell ungraded $ed lumber in the City of. Los Angeles. The dealers :q rn tne \-rf,y or.. l-os nngcrcs. ie that personni:l in their yards arJ experienced in the rding ofiumbei and they agree to certify td the quality eacli delivery.
,i.'"RECO'MMENDED BOARD ACTION-Used lu,mber lota Uv a wreckins company or demolition contractor with fficer" in Los Anleles Citv oi Los Angeles Countv will Angeles City County itted witEout grade stamp until July l,- 1958, that with each- delivery the supplier submits a ded wrth each dehvery suppher
; to the Chief Inspector of this Department declaring t the lumber has been examined by a qualified person I found to be the equivalent of'Standard'grade as estabflf,ished by Grading Rules No. 15 of the West Coast Lumberii,lmqn's Association.
; "The District fnspector shall have the authority to reject i[4y lumber or to reject any entire oider if he finds it to rbe-below the equivalent for new lumber."
:'l:feU them you saza it in The CoJifornia Lumber Merchant)
Under the name of Architects International Bureau of Building Products, a new display center will _o-pen in Miami's Dupont Plaza Center on December 1. More than 800 manufacturers will place glose to 10,000 items on display in the 120,000 sq. ft. structure, ranging-{Io-m door fiinles to complete bathrooms. Displays will be open to the public, and the building will have its own piivate ya"6t mooring for guestE' boats along its. 1.000 ft. dock.
Fred C. Holmes Lumber CompcnY Moving Southern Gnliforniei Office
Russ Sharp; Southern California sales manager lo1.-the Fred C. Hol'mes Lumber Company of Fort Bragg, California, announces that December 15 the Pasadena offices will be moved to Bloomington, California. "We believe our offices should be located in the area closest to fast communication with our customers. The general expdnsion in thg Greater Los Angeles basin is east, so rvq have established our sales offices-in the center of the potential sales area," Sharp declared.
The Fred C. Holmes Lumber Company specializes in direct shipments of choice Pacific Coast lumber products to dealeri via truck-and-trailer, or rail. The new phone number at Bloomington will be TRinity 7-0330.
Blelec Yord in New Site
El Monte, Calif.-The Bielec Lumber Co. w-as open,November 15 in its new building and yard at 13652 East Vallev Blvd. The store has a display aiea of about 7500 square felt and contains one of the largest hardware and building materials inventories ever offered builders and homeowners in the San Gabriel Valley.
