30 



Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



D 



ecember 



ber 25, 1917 



"WL Made in Si. Louis by Bc^l S 



i^ ti^J St.Louis Baskets Box Co. ^ 



WE MANUFACTURE i^-itr'' 



a complete line of 

 Built-up Stock in most 

 any size or thickness, 

 including Walnut, Ma- 

 hogany, Quartered 

 and Plain Oak, AsK, 

 Gum, Plain or Figured 

 Birch, Yellow Pine, 

 S y c a m ore, Cotton- 

 wood, etc. 



ESTABLISHED 1880 



be made, without bestirring themselves to see that it is 

 made right — that is, favorable to them. If a manufac- 

 turer of wall paint or roofing tile or flooring or heating 

 equipment or electric light fixtures or lavatory equip- 

 ment hears of an important building job, he does not 

 wait for things to happen; but he proceeds to make them 

 happen. His method is to go to the front, take an aggres- 

 sive stand with reference to the importance of his own 

 product, and see that it gets consideration in the final 

 round-up. 



Of course, the situation there is strictly competitive; 

 that is, the manufacturer knows that somebody in his 

 line will get the business, and his job is to see that his 

 own product is given proper consideration before and 

 after bids are taken. In the case of panels for the build- 

 ing, there is danger that this feature may be entirely 

 eliminated; that some other treatment for the walls may 

 be decided upon, and hence that nobody will handle the 

 work. While this makes the immediate competition less 

 evident, the competitive element is still there, but the 

 competition is with other materials instead of other 

 manufacturers in the same field. 



The panel concern may perhaps feel that it is better 

 for the veneer company not to appear in the matter, and 

 that it can take care of the business without difficulty. 

 This feature can be solved by a definite arrangement 

 between the veneer and the panel concern, whereby it 

 is understood that the product of the former will be 

 used in case the latter gets the contract. They can both 

 then work to the one end of having wood panels in- 

 cluded, and of having the contract awarded to the con- 

 cern w^hich has demonstrated its ability to furnish the 

 right kind of material for the job which is being 

 figured on. 



This is in line with the methods followed by manu- 

 facturers in other fields. For instance, if a heating equip- 

 ment concern is interested in a particular building, it 

 arranges for a certain contractor to submit a bid, based 

 on the use of its product. In other words, it ties up its 

 interests with a particular contractor who will handle the 

 work, and helps him to influence the architect in favor 

 of this product. This plan is generally found to be 

 satisfactory, and the efforts of the two concerns involved 

 are then directed to the same end. 



The veneer or panel concern which is interested in 

 the development of building work may not be in a posi- 

 tion to go far afield in its efforts along this line. But it 

 is always possible to undertake work in the local field. 

 Every concern which is in a position to supply material 

 suitable for important building jobs ought to cultivate 

 at least the architects in its immediate vicinity, occa- 

 sionally sending them samples of fine veneers, having 

 a sales representative call to supply information in the 

 event that an important building which may include 

 wood panels is to be erected, and, in short, showing the 

 architect that the facilities of the concern are at his dis- 



posal. 



This is likely to lead to some interesting and valuable 



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