AtL AIONE. . . AND tIKE

IT!

We're independent! And becquse we're independent ihere isn't ony one mqnufqclurer who con rock our boot. We're free lo hondle mony different lines to sell you the best one lo suil your individuol needr. Nolurolly, we're nol forgelting obout oll of our top suppliers, our mill sources ond our mony good friends in the industry, bul we ore independent enough so we qren'l forced to push ony one brond. We exercise freedom of choice in buying ond selling. Whot's more, our 38 yeors of speciolized experience with locol building conditions is yours to profit by. So, if you're costing oround for o dislribulor who's free to give you unbiosed selling stop fishing, chum.

of operation brought forth so many questions that young Bill Cooperivas just barely able to scratch the surface.

Chairman Leishman introduced his next speaker, R. M. "Bob" Sutton, president of Airline Lumber Co., San Diego, rvhose topic u'as "Catering to the Do-It-Yourself Trade." Sutton started his own talk by praising the previous talk of Bill Cooper, and then said, "Our do-it-yourself customers were u'aiting on each other or trying to get another customer to 'ivait on them, so we put uniform shirts on the Airline employes. We also use the number system on Saturdays when there is not much contractor business.

"As soon as we got into Do-It-Yourself, we felt we had to piece-price. Now rve wouldn't change for anything in the world !" Sutton declared.

Under Airline's slogan, "Shop in the Shorts Shack and Save," the San Diego dealer said that "Short lengths are one of the sweetest markups a dealer can have."

The highlight of Sutton's talk was his explanation of his yard's ARA Plan-Airline Revolving Account. He passed out sample literature on it to every dealer in the conference and said the plan had been a boon to their business.

"If you're going to start Credit, start lf/o," he told his fellow SCRLA dealers.

At this junction, Sutton was interrupted for a hot-andheavy barrage of questions on how the 4RA plan skirts the usury problem, etc., but the dealers were so interested that they pinned Sutton down on every littlest detail of how the credit plan works in the San Diego yard.

When he could get back to his topic at hand, Sutton said that his yard's customers will come in to make a $10 installment payment and buy $5 more merchandise for cash.

"The average Do-It-Yourselfer orders materials at 4:00 p.m. Friday and wants them by 10:00 a.m. Saturday," Sutton continued. "So we explain to them that there will be a regular delivery charge of $1 but it will be $3 for Special Delivery, etc. It takes care of the nuisances or else we can make a little profit on them," he added.

Again at the end of his interesting presentation, Sutton was peppered with questions from the audience of lumber dealers.

(A separate story on Airline Lumber Company's "Revolving Credit Plan" will be presented in an early issue of The CALIFORNIA LUMBER MERcHANT.)

Chairman Leishman introduced as the next speaker, Paul Snyder, manager of the Mullin Lumber Co., Studio City. Young Snyder very forthrightly and assured read a most interesting paper on "Merchandising and Selling in a Dynamic Economy," hitting such well-recognized points as modern merchandising techniques, industry trends, remodeling costs competing with vacations, new cars, etc. in the customer's budget; simplified selling, self-selection increasing over-all consumption, sales promotion tips, etc. He said sales will stay up after a successful promotion. Snyder concluded by saying th,at he believes night-shopping is coming to the retail lumberyard.

The final talk on the first afternoon's program was by Al L. Childs, secretary-treasurer of the Lumber & Builders Supply Co., Solana Beach. "lJnaccustomed as he was," Mr. Childs proved himself a very adroit platform speaker even before he got into his scheduled topic, "Radio Control of Lift-Truck Operations."

Praising former SCRLA Conferences, Childs said that "Conventions are fun but Conferences are business from 9:30 a.m."

Getting down to brass tacks, the seaside lumberman said, "There's very little new. It's all been tried before by one or more experienced lumbermen. But perhaps the time wasn't as ripe then as now, I'd like to suggest. The lifttruck has bridged the gap between yesterday's and today's wage scale. Thi calculator has replaced figuring by hand.

"The lift-truck-and now radio-control of it-have paid for themselves stickers, sorting chain, car unloading, delivery trucks, resaw, finish shed-all operations are tied into the radio-lift," and he explained how the Larrick yard operates two. Childs said the radio-phone solved the problem of a third lift for the yard and made it unnecessary; it has increased the efficiency of the two lifts now used; the yard can now accomplish in one minute u'hat used to take 10. "Even the yard boss goes for the radiolift, and he's a hard-bitten veteran of 3O years," said Childs.

Getting technical, the Solana Beach dealer said the UHF radio units are limited to a l2-mile range. The 1'ard operates its lifts rvith radio control on a "Citizens Band" from the FCC. Childs said there is no upkeep, no maintenance on the operation.

Chairman Lathrop Leishman, who has few ecluals, did his cultural center of Pasadena proud with the little poem he dashed off on the spur of the moment to conclude the afternoon's stimulating session and prepare the dealers for the evening ahead:

"Go back to your rooms, Take a rest and a shower; So you'll be able to stand on your feet For the Cocktail Hour."

(The report of the PauI Hallingby Testimonial Dinner and the Second Day's dealer sessions will be carried in the next issue.)

Kern €ountyBuilding Goins Over t955

Bakersfield, Calif.-Hitting a near-record total of $43,693,626 for the year's first 1O months, Kern County building showed a 22.2/o gain over the same 1955 period and exceeded the lZ-rnonths total of $41,688,247 for all of last year. Building activity in unincorporated areas for October totaled $2,724,981, compared to $1,452,434 in last year's same month.

New home construction dominates the building totals, with perrtrits for 189 new residences at $1,892,988 in the countlr's $3,397,250 October total. Taft and Tehachapi showed gains over 1955.

Holgren Succeeds Normon

Appointment of R. A. Halgren to general manager of the Minnesota and Ontario Paper Company's National Pole and Treating Division was announced by Paul'A. Mahony, Mando's vice president in charge of sales.