E.

Difford, Managing Director of Douglas Fir Plywood Association, Resigns

W. E. Difford, managing director of Douglas Fir Plyurood Association for the past eight yearsduring rvhich period aggressive promotion established plywood as a basic building material and the Pacific Northwest panel manufacturing industry tripled in size to supply the expanded marketleft .f the trade-promotion organization July 1.

This was announced by E. W. Daniels, president of Harbor Plywood Corp. of Hoquiam, Wash., and chairW. E. Dilford man of the industry management committee. "It is with deep and sincere regret over his departure and great appreciation for his invaluable services for the past eight years that Mr. Difford's resignation is reluctantly accepted by the committee," Mr. Daniels saida prepared statement.

At the same time, the management committee named llarrison Clark of Tacoma, assistant to N{r. Difford, as acting managing director under tl-re direct and immediate supervision of the management committee pending the selection of a managing director b1' the members of the industry.

Signal honor was paid to Mr. Difford's effective sales promotion methods in 1940 when the American Trade Association Executives Arn'ard was presented to Douglas Fir Plywood Association for "outstanding service to its industty."

When he became head of the plyu'ood industry trade association early in 1938, the 23 Oregori and Washington factories were producing at about 500 million square feet a year. Nor'v, the volume is more than tr,vice as great and, were current log shortages relieved, would equal or surpass the record output of a billion eight hundred million square feet established in 1942. The industry employs 10,000 lvorkers at-an average hourly u,age of $1.23.

Prior to 1938, in most areas plywood was considered only a building specialty; now (though currently supply is critically short) it is recognized as a basic commodity for construction of homes, farm buildings, boats, railroad cars, furniture and concrete forms. It is sold through 22,0W retail lumber dealers in every corner of the nation.

Throughout the war, the entire production of the ply'ivood industry went directly to the military or to firms supplying the Army and Navy. The panels gained wide publicity because of their use in tl.rpedo boats, portable hutments and shipping containers. Actually, however, the industry was reared to its present stature prior to Pearl Harbor. Now, plywood is again under government allocation because it is vitally needed to activate the national housing program for veterans.

Crux of Mr. Difford's plywood promotion was the enlisting of all panel distributors, lumber dealers and building materials specifiers as salesmen for the product. This involved, first, the establishment of rigid performance standards for the various grades of panels and industry inspection to assure uniform high quality of plywood from ar-ry and all manuJacturers. Grade marks, established through the U. S. Department of Commerce, wer€ inaugurated and all panels marked for ready identification.

Then, an aggressive national advertising and promotion campaign, telling hort to use plywood for better construction, was undertaken. It was directed squarely at lumber dealers, architects and builders-those who sell or recomnrend the material to ultimate customers.

His immediate objective upon becoming steward of the pl1'rvood association was the creation of an all-year demand for plywood in contrast to the seasonal sales spurts and slumps which had previously harassed manufacturers. A "full order file" 'ir,'as realized early in 1939, with production already increased 50 per cent, and since then supply has never fully caught up rvith demand.

Recognized as a "doctor of sick businesses," Mr. Difiord had "cured" the economic ills of several large firms in the southeast part of the nation before being hired by the plyu'ood manufacturers. Included among these companies were both manufacturers and distributors of building materials. Lle 'ivas born in Illinois, educated at the lJniversity of Chicago and admitted to the bar in Texas.

He has not announced his future business plans, but he and his family, nou'residing at Tacoma, rvill remain in the Pacific North'rn'est.