National - Miller Publishing Corporation

Southwestern MembersMeet In VidaliaVidalia, La.— More than 100members and guests of the Southwestern HardwoodManufacturers Club recently met here for a meetingand dinner at the upscale Comfort Suites hotel.The annual crawfish boil was hosted by Terry andBruce Reynolds of Rives & Reynolds Lumber Co.,Louisville and Natchez, Miss.; John Jones of WardTimber Ltd., Linden, Texas; and Bobby Noland ofNoland Lumber Co., Gordo, Ala. Those attendingenjoyed eating the delicious boiled crawfish, potatoes,hush puppies and corn on the cob or steaks withall the trimmings.The round table discussion prior to the dinnerallowed club members to give their thoughts aboutcurrent business conditions and insight for the future.Attendees received plenty of information about thelumber markets in Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana,Texas, Alabama and Mississippi.One sawmill owner said flooring manufacturers andsawmills are losing money on flooring and lumberrespectively.“The information we received was not encouraging,but it was a great party,” he said. “We’re all lookingfor the Hardwood market to improve when the housingmarket gets better.”•PHOTOS BY MARK COFFEYToto Robinson, Robinson Lumber Co. Inc., New Orleans, La.; J.R. Johns, Armstrong Flooring,Jackson, Tenn.; Leigh Ann and Kirby Field, Kitchens Bros. Mfg. Co. Inc., Hazlehurst, Miss.; and RonnyCornelius, Steel City Lumber Co., Middleton, Tenn.Kim and Milton Garrett and William Browning, J.M. Jones Lumber Co. Inc., Natchez,Miss.Coby Crager, Al-Tom Forest Products Inc., Waynesboro, Miss.; Don Woodruff andRobert Taylor, Taylor Machine Works Inc., Louisville, Miss.; and Jerry Kelley, Al-TomForest Products Inc.Mike Parker, Anderson-Tully Co., Vicksburg, Miss.; Pete Johnson, Taylor MachineWorks Inc., Louisville, Miss.; and Roy James, Anderson-Tully Co.Jerry Hendrix, Ward Timber Co., Linden, Texas; Charlie Netterville, Fred NettervilleLumber Co. Inc., Woodville, Miss.; Leslie Rutland, Rutland Lumber Co. Inc., Collins,Miss.; and Jan Netterville, Fred Netterville Lumber Co. Inc.40 Hardwoods Have Resiliency