Launch Big Sales Promotion Campaign on Craw-Fir-Dor

The launching of a $50,000 advertising and promotional campaign on the Craw-Fir-Dor was announced September lst by W. E. Difford, managing director of the Fir Door Institute, joint sponsors of the program with the Crawford Door Company of Detroit, Michigan.

"The rapid acceptance of the Craw-Fir-Dor by builders in every state in the Union has made possible the greatly expanded promotional work," Mr. Difford declared, "and I feel sure that lumber dealers and distributors will immediately recognize this new merchandising plan as one of the finest ever worked out for the sale of any overhead garage door."

Magazine and trade paper advertising will form the keystone of the enlarged program, according to Mr. Difford. A wide list of trade papers and dealer magazines will carry news of Craw-Fir-Dor developments to specifiers, while each month advertisements will also be placed before the 2,000,000 readers of American Home or Better Homes and Gardens.

Mr. Difford pointed out that a well-rounded sales prornotional plan had been worked out to correlate with the media advertising. This would include, he said, the issuance of complete sales kits to distribtrtors' salesmen, direct sales efforts of trained overhead door sales engineers and the making available of many new dealer helps, including counter displays, window streamers, advertising mats, mailing pieces and similar sales aids.

Discussing Craw-Fir-Dor potentials, Mr. Difford analyzed estimated total garage doors sold in 1939 as approximately 235,000, of which 7 per cent were Craw-Fir-Dor sales. Since this result was obtained in the first year of Craw-Fir-Dor operations, and since sales so far in l94O are currently running 30 per cent higher. Mr. Difford declared that potentials for the next 12 months have been raised to at least 50,000 units.

"The present upswing in building materially increases the total garage door market for lumber dealers," Mr. Difford said in justifying his sales estimate, "and since the

Craw-Fir-Dor has made it possible for a dealer to participate in the rapidly growing demand for overhead-type garage doors, it is now logical to assume that the important volume of dealer-controlled business will go to the CrawFir-Dor. To this should be added the huge possibilities in the replacement rrtarket where easy-to-operate overhead doors will supplant old swinging doors and it's even possible that with aggressive dealer support, more than 100,000 Craw-Fir-Dor units may be installed before September, 1941."

Typical of the volume possibilities in the sale of CrawFir-Dors for large-scale housing projects, according to Mr. Difford, is the recent installation of 84 units in a double row in a single alley (see cut) at the Country Club Gardens Apartment in Denver, one of the largest single installations on record.

Coincidental with the announcement of the new program,

Mr. Difford reported that the Crawford Door Company of Detroit, Michigan, holders of the patents on the Craw-FirDor and manufacturers of the hardware unit, had approved a new design which is to be known as Design 41.

"Design 41 is offered to meet the demand for a flush door without complicating distributors' stocks with just another design model," Mr. Difford declared. "This new door is a dual purpose door since it is reversible. The face of the door is flush type, while the back is the original 8-panel Craw-Fir-Dor layout known as Design 38. In this way, a dealer or distributor can satisfy customers' demands for two designs by stocking only one door."

"A special feature of this new door is that a bundle of moulding will be included without charge," Mr. Difford said, "and this gives the builder or home owner the opportunity to personalize the appearance of his garage door by applying the moulding in any one of many design possibilities."

Tom Branson Heads East Bay Club

Tom T. Branson of Melrose Lumber & Supply Co., Oakland, was elected president of East Bay Hoo-Ho,o Club No. 39 at the meeting of this organization held at Hotel Learmington, Oakland, September 16, L94o.

Lewis A. Godard of Hobbs Wall Lumber Co., San Francisco, was elected vice-president and Carl R. Moore was reelected secretary-treasurer. D. Normen Cords, WendlingNathan Co., San Francisco, was appointed sergeant-at-arms.

The new directors are: 'Wrm. Chatham, Jr., Loop Lumber & Mill Co., Alameda; Victor J. Herrman, Tilden Lumber Co., Berkeley; George' Clayberg, Boorman Lumber Co., Oakland; If. "Abe" Lincoln, Lincoln Lurnber, Inc., Oakland, and Ed La Franchi, Hill & Morton, Inc., Oakland.

Kenneth Smith, executive vice-president of the California Redwood Association, was the speaker of the evening.

Jas. B. Overcast, retiring president, was presented by the Club with a very fine overcoat.

Carl R. Moore got a big hand when it was announced that he was starting his 14th ye'ar as secretary-treasurer.

HARRY McGAHEY IN THE EAST

Harry McGahey, manager of the San Diego Lumbe: Company, San Diego, is vacationing in the East. Harry will take in some of the World's Series baseball games. He will be awav about a month.

Keels and Stems-Frcmes

Plcrnking crnd Cabin Trim

Decking-Mcsts cnrd Spcrs

Gucrd Rcdls, Shoes, Etc.

Pcnels-Bearings,