

The Lumbermen s Round Table vij| 



SPECIALIZING IN KLOOHlNa 



A «n'» cuiU'iTU which was roi-i-iitlv ciitubliRhoil lor Iho iiiuiiu- 

 farture of hanlwoiHl tloorini; him iiiinuunccil that it intends to 

 Jevote itself principally to the mniuifncturi' of purquotry for ubo 

 iu show winjowii. 



This callH attt-ntion to thi- fnot that thi> proper <<(|uipinont of 

 nieri'hanti' window* i« a big field for the llooring ninn, especially 

 if he ran ofTvr nomethiug iiuusuully attractive iu the deitign and 

 installation of tbo floor. Mont retailers have learned thnt a hand- 

 some hardwood floor, inlaid with fancy woods, is a splendid sot- 

 ting for their choicest wares, and instead of covering it with 

 sonic other material, they ure quite willing to let it be seen 

 without anything to conceal its beauty. 



Considering the fact that the equipment of the stores is be- 

 coming handsomer and more expensive right along, there is little 

 room to doubt that the concern referred to above will find a 

 fertile field for its operations. Incidentally, the manufacturers 

 of built up stock have long recognized the value and importance 

 of the market which consists of figured panels for the baek- 

 jjrouDils of meroliiints' windcnvs, some of the nio(<t oxquisitt'ly 

 beautiful examples of veneered work in mahogany, Circassian 

 walnut, American walnut and other woods to be found being in 

 place in the windows of the big department stores and other 

 retail establishments. 



STOKE FIXTUBE PRICES 



As suggested above, the manufacture of store fixtures has 

 become an important part of the hardwood consuming field, great 

 factories devoting themselves exclusively to turning out equip- 

 ment for mercantile enterprises in every line. And, as suggested 

 also, nothing seems to be too good for the retailer and his cus- 

 tomers nowadays. 



However, the store fixture men, like other members of the 

 trade, seem to be badly in need of education along cost account- 

 ing lines, judging by estimates which are furnished on many 

 jobs. The manufacturers possibly have not found competitive 

 conditions sufllciently pressing to require them to figure closely, 

 but have been able to add a suflBciently liberal margin over cost 

 to take care of expenses and leave a satisfactory profit. 



Indicating that this is the case, a friend of the writer, who is 

 equipping a big retail store at a cost of about $10,000, said 

 recently that the low man quoted a price $2,000 below that of the 

 next biilder. Offering a price that was far away from those of his 

 competitors suggests either that the man who got the job will 

 lose money or that the others were trying to make a "killing" 

 on the work. A difference of twenty percent is certainly too 

 g^eat to be overlooked, and the store fixture people had better 

 use their recently formed organization for the purpose of getting 

 a line on what it costs to manufacture their goods. 



WALNUT FOE STOBE FIXTUEES 



!l<peaking of store fixtures calls attention to the fact that 

 American walnut is coming into its own in this connection. 

 While mahogany is favored by many concerns, and has been 

 widely used, as well as imitations of that splendid wood, there 

 seems to have been a revival of the demand for American walnut, 

 for it is making its appearance in many stores of class. 



William Kendrick's Sons of Louisville are one of the oldest 

 and best known retail jewelry firms in the country, and their 

 new store at Fourth and Walnut, in the Gateway City, is regarded 

 by members of that trade as being easily one of the top-notchers 

 in the entire United States. When the concern moved to this 

 store from a location further in the street some time ago great 

 care was taken with the fixtures, and after consideration of 

 mahogany, oak and other woods, it was finally decided to use 

 walnut, a Louisville concern making up the order. 



"We believe that walnut has a rich, aristocratic appearance 

 which is very desirable in a store of this kind," said a member 



Ihnt 



while It i)t not so tiashy as some other woods, it ^^ulll>l wear 

 better, both with us and our customers, than most other ninteriali. 



We are very prouil of the fixtures, and regard tliein hh o if the 



Miodt iittriK'tive features of our store." 



HABDWOOD FLOORS FOE FACTORIES 



When one speaks of a factory floor it ih ii<it often that the 

 iilea of a smooth, shining surface similar to thnt of u clrawing- 

 room occurs to the mind. Yet many factories have just such 

 floors. They are ns carefully laid and as painstakingly moin- 

 taineil ns though tliey were the pride of the housewife. 



The writer was recently in a big flour mill, the largest in the 

 South. It was noticed that the floors were all of bard maple, 

 and also that men were kept going over them all the time, remov- 

 ing the (lust constantly and keeping the floors in perfect order. 

 The manager of the plant was asked for the reason. 



"There arc two reasons for taking pains in this connection, 

 and going to the expense of putting in hardwood floors," be 

 said. "One is that they are much easier to keep clean than any 

 other kind. That is a major consideration in these days when 

 the sanitation of a factory making food products of any kiml 

 is a matter of public importance and public knowledge, almost. 



"The second factor is that of durability. We might have put 

 in a cheap pine floor, or a rough factory surface of some other 

 kind, but it would not have lasted the way these floors will last. 

 The difference in the cost is considerable, it is true, but the 

 floors are worth every cent of it." 



Another point which might be mentioned in the same connec- 

 tion is that trucks can be moved over a smooth hardwood floor 

 much more easily than under other conditions. In the mill 

 referred to it was noticed that loaded trucks were moved about 

 with apparent ease by youngsters who were not particularly 

 husky. Anything which lends efiiciency to workmen commends 

 itself to many, so that it seems that the hardwood flooring people 

 might legitimately make a play to the factory managers on this 

 ground. 



Sanitation, durability and labor-saving would certainly be a 

 good combination of arguments, even if there is no effective nrgu- 

 nient in the greater beauty of such n floor, and its educntional effect 

 on those who have occasion to use it. 



AEE YOU THBOWINO BOOMEEANOS? 



A well-known hardwood man, who has been watching trade 

 cjonditions for a good many years, said recently that the biggest 

 mistake a salesman can make is to talk hard times. 



"A salesman by temperament must be an optimist," he de- 

 clared. "The pessimist has no business trying to sell goods. The 

 buyer is bound to be a pessimist, and he can usually supply 

 pessimism enough for two. The salesman must be of the cheerful, 

 aggressive type, seeing the silver lining in everj' cloud, and able 

 and willing to show it to the disheartened consumer who is look- 

 ing only at the cloud itself. Misery loves company, but it won 't 

 give orders to the salesman who knows only how to be sym- 

 pathetic. 



"Every time a hardwood salesman talks hard times to a con- 

 sumer he is throwing a boomerang that is sure to hit him in 

 the back of the neck. That's the absolute truth. You can't 

 consistently try to sell a man lumber and at the same time tell 

 him he won't be able to dispose of the product which is to be 

 made from it. 



"The salesman must be cheerful, optimistic, aggressive, and 

 able to make the buyer see things his way. He can concede some 

 of the arguments on the other side, but he must have suflScient 

 punch to be able to put over his own proposition. Going around 

 and agreeing with everybody that business is rotten is a fine 

 way to get orders — to come back to the office." 



