5 minute read
FREDC. HOLMES
Walk Behind Mower
A versatile lawnmower that can be equipped with a grass bag, an oversized leaf bag, a leaf shredder or a mulching attachment is new from Outboard Marine Corp.
The Ryan Semi-Pro mower utilizes a Briggs and Stratton four horsepower System 2 engine and has a reinforcing bumper and side-wear plate. The 6 in. front and 8 in. rear wheels have ball bearing hubs with grease fittings which mount on steel bolt axles. A mechanical compression release is said to reduce cranking effort. Also featured are a temperature compensating carburetor and a low tone muffler.
The mower has the Outdoor Power Equipment seal, meeting or exceeding current ANSI B7l.l safetv standards.
Tile ltalian Style
Designer tiles from four Italian manufacturers will be made available in North America by Trans Ceramica, Ltd.
The line, Opus, includes basic design tiles in both traditional and contemporary styling and an exclusive line of trim and accent pieces engineered in both size and thickness to coordinate with the tiles of other manufacturers.
Time Saving Doorlights
Readi-Seal factory-caulked doorlights from ODL, Inc. are factoryglazed with a thermally applied mastic sealant.
This sealant reportedly overcomes the problems inherent with other types of factory-applied glazing sealants. The caulking, said to maintain its shape and seal under pressure and changing temperatures, is reportedly easy to handle and store. It is said to eliminate the mess and clean-up time associated with hot melt butyls or foam tapes.
For more information on New Products write The Merchant Magozine, 4500 Campus Dr., Suite 480, Newport Beach, Ca. 92660.
Please mention issue date and page number so we can process your request fasterl Many thanks!
All Decked Out
New deck squares from Ajax Yardworks allow for custom-designing and installing of decks.
Available in 2 ft. or 3 ft. preassembled squares,the diagonal pattern is made of pressure-treated lumber that is guaranteed to resist deterioration and termite damage for 20 years.
They can be installed over on-center joists or over concrete patios or foundations.
Home Center Show Seminars
"Competing Successfully in the West" is the theme of seven business management seminars scheduled during the 3rd Annual Western Home Center & Building Supply Dealers Show, Sept. 19-21, 1985, at the Anaheim, Ca., Convention Center, according to William Fishman, seminar director.
Stanley Marcus, former chairman of Neiman-Marcus, and star basketball coach John Wooden are the show's featured speakers.
Marcus, generally recognized as the founder of quality retailing, will speak at the opening general session, Thursday morning, Sept. 19.
Wooden, former head basketball
Wood Groups v. Energy Regs.
In an effort to modify California's new energy standard, which favors concrete slab construction over wood joisted crawl spaces, the Western Wood Products Association, the American Plywood Association, the California Forest Protective Association, the National Forest Products Association and other organizations are meeting with the California Energy Commission seeking code changes.
They are presenting research which contends that homes built on raised floors are as energy efficient as those built on concrete slabs.
An estimated 250/o of California homes had used the raised wood floor construction prior to the new energy standards, a figure which is predicted to drop to l09o should the present regulations remain. Some 85 million board feet of western lumber and 100 coach at UCLA, and considered one of the game's greatest coaching innovators, will speak at the Friday morning general session. He will describe how his successful motivational theories can be taken from the basketball court into the marketplace.
The show is the only regional exposition tailored to the special needs of home centers and building materials dealers in the West, and is the West's largest and most complete exposition of do-it-yourself products.
Seminar topics will include successful positioning; professional buying; employee training; advantages of an independent; responsibilities of store and department managers; loss prevention; selling lumber and building materials.
Hardwood Sale lncentives
Virginia Hardwood Co., the largest wholesale distributor of hardwood flooring products in the Western United States, has launched a new super sales incentive program for its customers.
Dave Ferrari, president of the Monrovia, Ca., firm, said sales points will be issued monthly to participating firms and buyers, based on purchases of products and materials from Virginia Hardwood locations in Monrovia and San Diego, Ca.; and Phoenix, Az. Accumulated sales points will be redeemable for prizes to be selected from a vast catalog.
Arrangements have been made by Virginia Hardwood with one of the million square feet of plywood per year could be affected.
Wood & Slab Floor Cost Equal
California homes can be built on "raised floors" under the state's energy standard at costs as relative to on-ground floor systems as they were before the standard became effective in 1983, builders were told at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference in San Francisco.
Raised floors are those built over crawl-spaces, and most builders say their customers prefer them as more comfortable than concrete slab floors. However, to cut construction costs in new homes, about 7590 built in recent years in California are on slabs.
Even the 2590 still being built each year as crawl-space style houses is threatened by a builder concern that more alternate conservation measures are needed than with concrete, thus tending to increase the cost. top firms in the country to provide fine quality merchandise.
However, the economics are better than builders may believe, according to Richard C. Connell, Western Wood Products Association specialist, who explained to builders how to utilize a "point system" method to qualify raised floors more economically under the energy standard.
Connell stated that raised floors should be at the same relative cost as slab if the flexibilities of the trade-offs provided in the point system are fully used.
In reporting on a study by ConSol, a Stockton, Ca.,based energy consulting firm, Connell noted, "there was no significant difference shown in energy consumption between slab floor and raised floor homes."
This sales incentive program will continue for three months. concluding on Nov. 25.
True Cost Of $500 Stolen
Very few retailers consider security as a profit making expense, but according to the experts at Pinkerton's, Inc., they should.
If $500 worth of merchandise is stolen, you must earn an additional $8333 in sales (at a 690 profit) to make up for the loss, they explain. At a 2Vo net profit, the loss requires $25,000 in gross sales to break even.
They point out that when an effective security system prevents such losses, the gain drops immediately to the bottom line. In addition to providing protection against both internal and external stealing, a security staff can detect malfunctioning equipment, safety and fire hazards. This can help keep insurance and compensation claims down.
Viewing overhead expense as a real profit center can be worthwhile.
The following letter is a copy of one directed to Donald Monkerud, o columnist at the San Francisco Chronicle, regording his column of June I, 1985. Monkerud once worked for logging companies in northern Caldornia-ed.
Forests Are For Profit
After reading your article "Forests Aren't for Profits," I wonder what material you intend to use for home building. With articles such as yours and those of misinfornied environmentalists, it is no wonder that the public finds it difficult to make rational decisions affecting our forests and their usage.
Are you so naive that you are unaware that our forests are our only renewable resource and through selective and controlled logging will last longer than through your ill advised program? A program that would permit millions of board feet of lumber to be destroyed by natural elements.
No one benefits from millions of acres of inaccessible land now in our forest preserve, except the isolated hiker or fisherman. It is unconscionable to add more acreage when lumber is needed so desperately to build homes for the public. Given the true facts, this public, who you claim is so abused, is infinitely more knowledgeable than you regarding this issue.
Having been exposed to the industry yourself, you should know better.
E.W. Hasenyager President Colonial Lumber Co. San Mateo. Ca.94403
Hardwood
(Continued from page 32) tributor and ask him to install one for you. Size does not necessarily matter. The important point is that your store have a floor display, whether it is 5 ft. by 5 ft. or 300 sq. ft.
In conclusion, take advantage of all possible sales assistance on promotions geared to increasing your store's volume of hardwood flooring business. Some wholesale distributors offer cooperative advertising allowances and even provide assistance in ad composition through their own advertising counselors.
Just call your hardwood flooring distributor. It's that simple.
