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Lumber ftlonufocturers Okoy $I,25O,OOO Yeorly Notionol Wood fflerchondising Progrqm
Tucson, Ariz.-A special Wood Promotion Planning Committee of the National Lumber Manufacturers Associa- has approved ground rules for a proposed $1,250,000- a-year national wood merchandising program. In the cli- to a three-day lumber merchandising meeting, Dec. t:, 17-19, the committee spelled out the intended scope and purpose of the program and the area of NLMA responsibilitv. irl Other committee members present at the Tucson meeting li:,.were H. S. Mersereau, Crossett, Ark.; T. H. O'Melia, Fulf:, ton, Ala.; Saxton B, Ferrell of Pope and Talbot, Inc., Porti; land, Ore.; William R. Garnett, Tacoma, Wash., and C. J.
,,: Heading the committee, recently appointed by :,' NLMA President N. Floyd McGowin, was Willard A. .'i '-Constans; generd sales manager of tlre Ralph L. Smith 'r, Lumber Co., Andersoru Calif.
..]ohnson, Lewiston, Idaho. ;,r ', Over-all objective of the merchandising program, ac-
^cording'to the committee, would be "to create nationally an atmosphere in which NLMA's regional associations and members can better compete against competitive
In defining the area of NLMA responsibility, the committee emphasized: agency, to present the program to manu'facturing segments of the lumber industry early in 1958. The agency will complete work on the presentation by early March and most bf NLMA's federated associations *ittlr-crte on the program by April 15, Before the program can be undertalien-as a joint NlMA-federated association project, it must be approved by regional groups responsible for at least &/o of NLMA's dues income.
" , 1'NLMA's role in merchandising should be that of supplementing the merchandising activities of the regional assdciations and special care should be taken to avoid duplication and conflict."
As detailed by the Wood Promotion Planning Committee, the program would provide for:
1. Advertising in the trade journals read by builders, architects, engineers and school officials.
2. Advertising in other opinion-molding publications.
3. "Educating" building pode and fire insurance officials in .the many uses and advantages of lumber and wood products.
4. Expanding NLMA's present public relations activities. This would inqlude 'increased pieparation of text books, technical and promotional literature, films, trade and product publicity.
5. Encouraging high school and college students to follow careers in the technical sciences related to the use of wood.
Also attending the Tucson merchandising meeting were NLMA staff members and the managers, promotion personnel and advertising agency representatives of several federated associations. Representatives of the Van Sant, Dugdale advertising agency discussed sample copy, tentative budgets and a general theme for the merchandising fn another action, the committee approve{ the selection of Van Sant, Dugdale and Co., Baltimore advertising program.
