Greatus Wood Products

4501 Brickell Privado, Ontario, CA91761

Contact Carl Henoch Phone: 909 974-0180

Fax: 909 974-O'181 e-mai | : creatuswood@aol.com

uv Grcftts Wood Products

Established in 1998, with over 3O years manufacturing experience in the softr,vood and hardr,rrood industry Specializing in redwood fingerjoint primed and natural finish sidings and mouldingp.

Products: CRA BevelSiding Pafterm

*40f]., t362, t363 1f2x4,1f2x6,1Dx8

$37 1, t372, 8373 314x6, 314x8, 3l4x1o

1x2 - 1x12,514x4-514x12 S4S facia

2x8 Beveled Sills, Northem and Southem Stucco Moulds, Brick Moulds, Watertable ln addition: Poplar and Basswood F.J. Mouldingp, Shutter and Louver components, primed and sanded. Hardwood Mou ldings including Handrail, Interior and Exterior Jambs, Pine F.J. Mouldings, Primed & Raw, call for quotation. iltla!l\ Ill().1 lrL,'l

We also make in Rwd F.J. all cunent profiles available in the CRA Rwd Lbr Pattern Bmlk t17, including matching older pafterns as well, by quotation.

Odrer services: Custom Fingerjointin& R.F. Edge and Face Gluing, Interior and Enterior Priming Moulder work; available by quotation.

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I{.,.k . ., llltll()llll] a!\jlirrlll\',1!r\ r .1 ll.r..ii-.. ing could have done.

After the first year, over 16 tons of chocolate had been sold from a gourmet shop of only 800 sq. ft. Sales increased and held steady into the next four years. The economy started looking better around that time as interest rates began dropping and people returned to normal buying habits.

What had caused a surge in profits at an obscure shop while other retailers were barely hanging on in the slumped economy? What were the lasting effects? How can you create a booming business when the economy slows or customers lose interest?

Adding a New Product

Is there something out there that is compatible and also an unexpected surprise? Is it vitamins at the gym? Tshirts at a restaurant? Books or greeting cards at the coffee shop? Investigate how new products and services could increase sales.

Promoting the Product

The simplest and most effective way to start is with "cross trafficking." The gourmet shop placed plates full of chocolate samples in shops in the neighborhood. A simple tent card with the name of the shop was set in the middle of the plate. In return, tent cards, coupons and flyers about events were placed in the gourmet shop. This can be done as a partnership with many types of businesses.

Connecting with a charity is another great way to "cross traffic."

Big ls Better

Show off what you are doing by making it bigger than life. Make the sign in the window as big as your city codes or mall association will allow. Look into the city codes regarding temporary signage. In some cases the rules are not overly strict and, even if you are only allowed to have a larger sign for a short amount of time, it is still an advantage. If you give samples of anything, whether it be a product or service, be generous.

Make an in-store display as large as possible. Make it say: "This is the reason you came here." "This is what you want to buy."

Go for Bulk Sales

Instead of selling just one of anything, find ways to sell dozens at a time. Promote yourself to clubs and organizations and invite them to have an outing or meeting program, which you can provide for them, at your place of business. Now that you have a group, you can sell one or more widgets to each one of them. If they don't come to you, go to them. Pack up your widgets, samples and free hand-outs and be the program at their club meeting. Word will spread and you will gain more customers and more opportunities to show offyour products.

Participate in the Community

Many cities have festivals, events and youth sports leagues that you can be a part of as a sponsor or vendor. You can connect with a charity to donate for their auction or give prizes of your product or service to contest winners. Even a small donation gains a listing in a program booklet or your name on a flyer.

The lasting effects of what you did to get through the dry season will be just that-lasting. You gain respect in the community for your participation and for your success in managing your business in a difficult time. You create a desire for people to want to work at your store since it's so successful. You establish a brand for your company. You learn that by adapting to change and bringing in customers despite a dry spell, your business is better prepared for any challenge ahead.

- Jean Becker is a speaker, trainer and author of An Orphan's Song. She can be reached at (941) 758-7206 or via www. j e anbec ke rspe aks.c om.

Contact Expands Prefinishing

Beginning in 2O07, Contact Lumber, Portland, Or.. will add significantly enhanced prefinishing options to its growing list of manufacturing and custom product capabilities. By the end of the first quarter, a new fully automated paint line will be installed at the company's Prineville, Or., manufacturing facility, enabling Contact to stain and top- coat all products more efficiently and with the higher quality finishes required for commercial and residential architectural projects.

Soon after, Contact will add a UV line, offering environmentally superior coating and curing for their products. The company has had factory-finishing capability for years. but not on a larse scale or with UV curins.