Geor ge J. Silherna gel, Ine.

Wholesole

Industry'Leqder Sees Unlimited Future for Wood

Wood has a greater future than any other material known to man, including modern metals and plastics, S. W. Antoville, chairman of United States Plywood Corporation, told an audience of more than 300 assembled in Los Angeles to celebrate the President's proclamation of the first National Forest Products Week.

He told his listeners that uses for wood and potential markets for wood products are limited only by the "boundaries of man's imagination." But he urged the forest-products industries to consider "much more research and much more 'sell"' to insure the optimistic outlook he depicted.

"Wood," said Mr. Antoville, "is the only natural resource known to man that is inexhaustible when properly managed. None of the mineral and oil resources of the world, from which most other building materials derive, can be replaced within any practical period of time."

He pointed out that achievements in commercial forest management had resulted in the annual growth of "257o more wood by volume than is being harvested."

While detailing strides in recent years that have led to better utilization of timber, Mr. Antoville indicated that forest-products research had only scratched the surface.

"It is not inconceivable," he said, "that genetics research will produce a hybrid, fast-growing tree for future generations that will be fire-retardant when harvested and whose strength, color and grain characteristics will be pre-determined in the laboratory.

"There is nothing in this world," he pointed out, "that can touch wood in terms of availability as a natural resource-or in terms of its economic and structural potential, not to mention the great future it holds as a source of chemicals and plastics."

Markets for improved wood products lie waiting, Mr. Antoville declared, and referred particularly to the "fabulous" farm-building renewal market which he said is estimated at the rate of $720,000,000 a year for the next 20 years. He also pointed to increased housing: starts and growth of the furniture industry, both assured by population growth, as reasons for optimism on the part of wood-products industries.

Stressing fir plywood's "Cinderella-like" growth, Mr. Antoville cited the development of "box beams, vaults" and other revolutionary shapes, as well as the "component building concept" as a portent of even greater future expansion.

He emphasized that fir plywood's growth rate of 73a/2/o anrrwally since 1947 exceeds that of "almost anything else in our economy."

U.S. Plywood, with headquarters in New York, owns 46 manufacturing plants, most of which are located in Washington, OreS:on and Calilornia. Through a country-wide distribution system of 130 branches, the firm sells more plywood-both hardwood and softwood-than a,rry other company.

Subsidiary activities also make it the country's fiftlr largest producer of lumber and a substantial manufacturer of brick and other masonry products. Sales last year were a record $276 million' and Mr. Antoville has indicated that figure will be approached in the current fiscal year.

Curi Hoy Chqirmsn of FPRSection

Curt Hay, salesman for Neiman-Reed Lumber Co., Inc., Van Nuys, has been elected Chairman of the Paciflc Southwest Section of Forest Products Research Society. This local chapter holds a dinner meeting quarterly and presently has over 100 members consisting of people either in the lumber business or closely allied industries.