Dixieline still standing after marathon contest - Dixieline Lumber and Home Centers - Brief Article

Home Channel News, Oct 8, 2001 by Brae Canlen

Looking back on the event someday, officials from Dixieline Lumber and Home Centers in San Diego may recognize their "Last Man Standing" contest as a stroke of marketing genius. But right now, this pro dealer -- along with a few local contractors -- is still trying to recover from the 96-hour ordeal it held in August.

The "Last Man Standing ... Drive Till You Drop" contest, co-sponsored by DeWalt, was a first for both retailer and manufacturer. The event kicked off on Aug. 17 when 50 contractors (some recruited by Dixieline's outside sales force) raced against the clock to drill five screws into a piece of plywood. The 10 fastest guys moved into the finalists' round, which started shortly afterward, at, 7:30 on a Friday night.

The rules were simple: Each contestant had to drill one screw every 60 seconds, standing the whole time. No sitting was allowed during breaks, which were limited to three per hour, not to exceed 30 minutes in a three-hour span. Quick restroom trips were permitted at on-site portable toilets. The event was staged in the parking lot of Dixieline's Kearny Mesa location, one of 10 stores operated by the Southern California dealer.

Participants brought their own support teams of friends, family and co-workers. Work areas were strewn with food, drink, photos from home and other personal effects to boost morale. By Sunday night, the trickle of pre-event publicity turned into a flood of media attention. Four television stations sent news crews and continually updated their viewers on the contestants' progress. Radio stations conducted live broadcasts as the mercury climbed into the 90s.

The event was officiated by Kevin Bean, a DeWalt sales representative who first approached Dixieline with the idea. Employees from both companies helped organize the event, which needed round-the-clock monitoring. (Dixieline sent a different manager each night, but Bean wound up sleeping in his car.) Participants signed medical releases, but no major injuries were reported, unless you count the guy who drove a screw into his finger, hitting bone. Witnesses claimed he had to drill in reverse to get it out.

Rules were bent by some contestants, who combined their breaks into 30-minute segments -- which they spent in the porta-potties, the only place they were allowed to sir down. This became a problem when several contestants wanted to have their "breaks" at the same time. By Monday there were six men left; one diehard dropped out after swooning on the hot black asphalt. "Someone had to walk him over and lay him on the pavement until he got his senses back," recalled Ellen Dolph, Dixieline's advertising supervisor.

As the event dragged into its 95th hour, two men remained at their plywood boards, drilling away. One hour later, one man was left standing: Dan McKay, an independent general contractor who builds custom homes. McKay won a new Chevy S10 pick-up truck for his endurance. Other prizes and raffle giveaways included assorted power tools, Dixieline gift cards and T-shirts.

"I think [McKay] psyched out the other guy," observed Dolph. "All of the [contestants] were sizing each other up from the very beginning." McKay, who brought along buckets of ice for his feet, was also attempting to set a Guinness Book record for screw drilling. Unlike the other contestants, he drilled continuously, overlapping the screw heads. The finished sheets of plywood "look like armor," said Dolph. Other participants experimented with various designs; one did a human skull with flames shooting out.

Dixieline is still evaluating the pros and cons of the event, whose cost Dolph would only describe as "substantial." Tool sales at the Kearny Mesa location rose 500 percent, compared to the same four days in 2000. The free media coverage was invaluable, especially among consumers who account for 30 percent of Dixieline's $205 million annual sales. Job sites were also abuzz, before and after the event.

Despite its success, Dixieline and DeWalt haven't committed to a repeat of Last Man Standing. "Ask us in six months," responded Dolph. If there is a next time, Dixieline will probably tie the contest into a retail event like its annual homeowners fair, Dolph said. And it'll be mote prepared for the TV newscasters who reported on the event without mentioning Dixieline or DeWalt. It was just, "The Last Man Standing ... live, from a parking lot in Kearny Mesa."

COMPANY: Dixieline Lumber

HEADQUARTERS: San Diego

ANNUAL SALES: $205 million

CUSTOMER MIX: 70 percent pro

UNITS: 10