Fir Plywood Association Hofds Annual Meeting

Out of the recent annual meeting of fir plywood manufacturers at Tacoma, Wash." came stark evidence that 'the industry is girding itself for peace-time markets even though war needs continue to consume their entire output.

Here are four.signifi'cant developments disclosed during the brief May 23 business session of Douglas Fir Plywood Association, the industry-wide trade association: rectetcry cnd preaidenl of Northweet Door Co., Tccomc, Wcsh. J. P. Sinpson (circle) is ctssociqlion lrecsurer cnd genercl tnctroger ol Buffelen Lurnber d MlS. Co., Tcrcomq.

1. Plywood manufacturers have acquired sizable stands of timber as sources of raw is Thoncrg B. Mqlqrkey oI Porh materials.

2. They have established a research foundation to develop new wood products separate and apart from lumber, plywood and pulp. (The existing plywood association resear,ch laboratory continues to operate on an enlarged scale.)

3. Plywood adventising has been expanded in trade journals as promotion of the industry is intended to tell specifiers now that the material again will serve private builders once military demands lessen.

4. For the first time, the industry promotional organi-. zation now is supported by every manufacturer in the 30plant fir plywood industry. Thus the plywood makers present a "solid front" for the marketing of their product.

Plywood Research Foundation is the name of the new experimental institute financed by the industry to bring greater utilization of Northwest timber through development of additional products. The laboratory will be located at Tacoma; an initial fund of $100,000 has been established, and the subscribers have pledged themselves to continued support of the project. It is a long-term undertaking, and a separate corporation has been formed.

Both E. W. Daniels,,chairman of the management committee of the plywood association and president of Harbor Plywood Co'rp. of Hoquiam, Wash., and W. E. Difford, managing director of the promotional association, discussed the resear,ch bureau in their annual reports to the industry, the only talks of the one-hour meeting. Activities of the association during the year w,ere presented in a printed report.

. "What new products might be developed by foundation scientists and what forms these items may take is unknown. Finding the answers ,to su'ch questions constitute the taskto be assigned to the technologisrts," Mr. Difford declared.' Increased advertising in the publi'cations reaching lumber dealers, architects and builders is intended to reach the specifiers rvho prior to the war had established fir plywood as a building,commodity and who again will rely upon the material once it is available for civilian applications. Other promotion is being directed at the far,m and boat markets' to be served by the lumber dealers.