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|f^.loMl'}osl fE5 irr)tl l.1xr11. 1 ;11'1 \-,rnrrkirrg tluirk .tritle: t, elt rll-ttoe wood as thc nratcrill of choicc lor clcckinq-and nrost clealers appctr to huvc their favoritc brancls. according to ir ncw survcy b5, 7-lte Mcrt ltuttt fuluguz.itte

Tlte Mtrclrutrl contuctccl ncarlr' 200 LBM dcalers and askcd hor.r'their cor.t.tposite and plastic salcs stackccl up next to woocl dccking. how nranv dil'ftrent brands thcy stocked. arrd holv lher those thrr:c lrllrntl:.

The ,rne e le ll i e lrlie l: c()ntIo\ite \ iLrc grou ing lt a sulprising rate. Bob Petcnnan. I)etcrntan Luntbcr, Senecu F'alls. N.Y.. lookcd into his 2(X)6 sales l-i-trtrcs uncl u'as stu nncd to discover conrposite cleckin-l less than 107 behinrl tr.catcd deckin-s b1' lbotagc solcl artd morc than tnicc tlcatccl in clollar volume "l kncw thc cortrpositc hircl tukcn ofT in salcs this vear." hc sa1 s. "however. I was unlwure o1' thc clranratic increasc ovel past vears."

At Hancock Ltrnrher'. C'asco. Mc.. salcs of compositc clecking are apploachinil that of trarlitional nlrinstav 5/-l ccclar uncl lirur tirrics that o1' lx.l harclwoocls canrbara ancl rnungaris. "Our salcs ol comlrositc ancl ccclar alc r-r,rnning vcrv closc to,'cthcl'." notes Canrillc Dubois. dilectol o1' pur'e ltlr.itt!. "l tr ill ll\' \t' r') eiri()r.r\ l() \r'c vu herc the r.rurlbers l'ull ncxt veilr irs thc price o1'ceclar cuntinLres to increuse due lo thc arailability o1'the lrroduct."

Hor"' cluicklv conrpositcs arc catchinu on appcitrs hcur ill inflLrencerl bv location. High pclccntages ol' conrposite sales \\,crc rcl)ortcd at I'ards in thc Wcst. AboLrt 95% ol'dccking sales at Buttellielcl [-r-rrnbcr. N{iclr ale. Ut.. and 907, at Strin-gham l-unrbct'. Salt Lakc (-ity. LJt.. are cornpositc. At Lcanred Lunrbcr's pro varcl in Flcrnrosa Beach. Cia., currpositcs oLrtsell 2r6 reclwood dccking two to onc. Learnecl's production lartl in El Scgunclo. Ca.. sclls nothing but conrposites-no 2x(r rcdu oocl. no halclr.r'oocl clccking.

Abirut I5lt. of dccking sales 1'or N'larson & N4arson Lunrbcr, l-eavcn-

\\ orlh. Wa.. and Ransorn Brothcls Lr.rnrber & Supplv Co.. Rarnona. Cu.. ale conrpositcs ancl- u1r until Southern Calitirrnia adoptetl ncw file rcguIlrlions l'r'r' nc\\ ('on\tt'u(ti()nRansonr's percentlrge had bccn Lrp tct 95'/c l-css than -57, of clecking sitlcs urc conrposilc or plastic at Zarskv Luntber Co.. Victolia. Tx. Zarsky sclls Fiber Cornpositcs' Portico. bccausc it is crclusivc to nrcnrbers of LMC. "Wc clon't carry nlorc or sell nrclrc simply clue to lack ol'clcnrand." sirys v.p. Cullv Frornnre.

AlrplorinuLtcl,', 7 Olr ol' clccking sales at Palr Lunrhcr. Hillsbolo. Or., arc corrllosltes.

Drustiallr' lort' cr pcrccntagcs \\'erc liluncl. on tlre u'holc. in South Central statcs. Conrpositcs nrakc up.just -57 ol' clecking sales for McCor"s Building Supply Centers. San Murcos. Tx.

Likcw'ise. cor-nltositcs antount to onlv about -5% o1' total deck sales at Okluhornl Horne Ccntcrs, (iuthric. Ok. "Our nrlrkct tirr contpositc is still very limited by the price of our treated yellow pine," explains Bill VanSant. "Because we are so close geographically to the treatment facilities, the price gap is very large."

The dealer currently stocks one brand in two colors and sells a second brand out of distribution. LP's WeatherBest was chosen, VanSant says, "because of its ability to hold up to the harsh UV climate in Oklahoma."

The mix at Star Lumber & Supply Co., Wichita, Ks., is 357o composites and rising. "We're slower than most, but the trend here is going towards composite," says Randy Chippeaux.

For Mountain Lumber Co.. Boone. N.C., "we are a second-home resort market, and still sell primarily wood siding and wood decking," says Dwight Simmons. "Additionally, most of our delivery area is above 4900-ft. altitude and subject to cold temperatures during the winter months. Composite decking can be difficult to install at colder temperatures since it is a vinyl-based product. Therefore, most builders only install composite decking if the homeowner insists."

Lovell Hardware & Building Supply, Lovell, Me., is also located in a vacation-home recreation area and sells far more western red cedar, pressure treated, and spruce decking than composites.

How ma4f do you scodd

More than 4l%o of dealers surveyed stock a single brand of composite decking. Nearly 30Vo of dealers carry just one brand. Humphreys Building Supply, Tiverton, R.I., limits itself to LMC's exclusive line, Portico. "With all the composites out on the market, we carry only one to eliminate any headaches with inventory and in hopes to make it an easier sell," says buyer Terry Hall. "meaning, we can focus on just one line, rather than six or 10."

Though it operates 84 locations in five states, McCoy's stocks and promotes only Trex. "We have found that selling competing brands confuses customers," explains Tom Hastings. "The primary reason is that the brand we carry has excellent marketing support by the manufacturer."

Thriftway, Inc., Owensboro, Ky., stocks just one brand, says Teresa Tipton, because "we don't sell enough to commit to more than one."

Denver Lumber Co., Denver, Co., stocks one brand and will specialorder six others based on customer preference, price, quality and availability.

B&B Lumber Co., Wichita, Ks., carries a single brand with lots of choices. "We stock one brand of decking, which consists of three colors and both T&G and rounded-edge product," Harold Baalmann says. "This means six product lines. The expense is why we don't carry any more. However, we do sell other brands that are available from various distributors on a special-order basis."

Jay-K Independent Lumber Corp., New Hartford, N.Y., began stocking composite decking 12 years ago. About a year later, Jay-K added a second brand, but experienced problems with product failure. They quickly ditched the second brand and have yet to add another.

"We started on the first brand," explains Jonas Kelly, "because at the time they were a clear-cut market leader. They also had product that did not require the installer to utilize significantly different installation techniques, meaning it installed with similiar techniques to wood. We are looking closely at adding another brand, and keep these principles in mind as we screen the brands [for a] strong underlying owner company, simple product line, not too many SKU's, simple railing assembly and installation."

Poulin Lumber Inc., Derby, Vt., makes available four composite brands, but stocks only one. o'We try to focus our attention on our preferred line," says Cory Poulin. "We feel it offers the best quality and aesthetics in the composite market, along with a reputable company that strongly supports any warranty issues or customer concerns. We also feel that by focusing on one product line, our staff will continually be educated and informed on the entire product line, its strengths and weaknesses, application, warranty, etc. In short, a more knowledgeable staff is a staff more capable of selling a single product line."

And why their choice of brand and vendor? "We do not have to buy in full truckloads, we can buy units at a time," Tipton replies. "Good quality. No one else in town offers this product. Good website with leads that come off of this."

The nation's largest pro dealer chain, Pro-Build Holdings, leaves it up to the individual division to determine which decking products to carry. "We sell many brands of composite decking, probably all the major brands, with Trex and LP as the two largest," says Paul Hylbet. "We do this both to spread our risk among more than one supplier and because we are decentralized by division, particularly on specialty products like decking."

Considerations include product availability, marketing support, product quality, breadth of assortment, and price.

Most Pro-Build yards "stock primarily one brand, unless a significant size builder specs another brand," says Darin Hildreth, v.p. of purchasing for Pro-Build's Lumbermen's division. "We have tried and are trying to limit the number of brands we carry, based on a strategic plan to try to do business with our preferred vendors."

A handful of dealers don't have any inventory on hand. Jones-Berry Lumber Co., Amboy, Il., offers six to 10 brands of composites, all by special order. "Customers at this level have researched the product and aren't necessarily interested in stock positions or saving 70Vo because of the stock position," Dan Welty says. "They know what they want."

Choice of brand is primarily customer-driven, but also influenced by a reliable source of distribution, historical performance of the product, and overall quality.

Wtty more than one?

Next most commonly, 3l%o of dealers surveyed stock two brands of composite decking. Foxworth-Galbraith Lumber Co.'s Colorado yards carry two brands of composites. "We offer two brands to allow a greater selection of colors and styles," explains Derek Byington, regional accounts sales manager in Colorado Springs, Co. "Between the two, most color preferences and designs can be met."

Washington's Marson & Marson has been content with a single brand, but is considering taking on a second that offers a better profit margin.

Kansas' Star Lumber offers two brands. Randy Chippeaux says there are "tons of options out there, but space mainly is what keeps us from carrying more lines. We have carried Trex for a few years and choose it mainly because of brand recognition. We recently added the Elk product (CrossTimbers), because it is a blind nail product."

Kelly Bros. Lumber Co., Covington, Ky., offers two brands "to offer variety and a different look," says president Steve Kelly. The choices were based on "availability through distribution for backup between trucks, name brand recognition, and reputation."

George Kellett & Sons, Inc., Metairie, La., carries two brands-one their sales force finds more attractive and the other preferred by their largest decking customer.

Williamson Building Supply, Williamson, N.Y., chose two brands, based on quality and availability. "We offer two types mainly because one offers a 'hollow' product with addi- tional colors and railing styles," says Richard Mallory.

Rutland LaValley Building Supply, Rutland. Vt.. carries two brands of composites to sell off of each other. Ron Ryan says, "We offer more than one mainly as a selling price pointTrex the less expensive and Correct Deck the higher-end in the groove/ groove series and CX series."

Pricing, availablility, quality and offering of different styles determined their choice.

Parr Lumber's 24 lumberyards stock Trex and TimberTech, but special order any product. "We see it being similar to offering both Ford and Chevy," Matt Jeffries says. "We believe that these two brands provide a broad selection of options for our customersdifferent grain patterns, color options, different manufacturing processes, etc. It is important that you give consumers a choice as they do not want just one option."

Parr does not take product selection lightly. Says Jeffries: "Consumers rely on us to provide products that have proven performance and manufacturer stability. They want to know that the manufacturer will be around to handle any future issues." Criteria include: "Quality, brand recognition, brand leader, manufacturing capacity, product warranty, service, advertising penetration, consumer feedback, and commitment to research and development-a key factor in this product classification."

Tnrce? Four? Five?

Arnold Lumber, West Kingston, R.I., stocks three brands, but will special order about two dozen others. Jim Berger notes that each brand has a different selling point"Trex, due to we've had it since its release to the market; WeatherBest, due to salesman preference, and Procell, as a new and different alternative."

P.J. Currier Lumber Co., Amherst, N.H., carries three brands plus special orders, says Charles Desmarais, "because of new technology or design. We try to pick something we can get good supply of and make some money."

Lapointe Lumber Co., Augusta, Me., currently carries three different types of composite decking, but is trying to cut back to one. "Most likely we will end up with two," admits Dick Tarr. "It is hard to 'cover all the bases' with only one line. It is, however, a big commitment, financial and otherwise, for a smaller yard like ours to carry more than one or two types of composite decking."

In selecting which to keep, Tarr says, "we have to examine many things, including quality, looks, performance, breadth of line, 'name' value, availability, stocking commitment, ease of fill-in sales out of warehouse, competition, distributor commitment, service relating to problems, marketing and price."

By focusing on four brands-Trex, Evergrain, Fiberon and TimberTech-Utah's Stringham Lumber can provide a wide representation of the options available and has been able to increase composites to 9OVo of its decking sales.

"A lot of it is so we can cater to the customer," says Bryan Berry. "Not all brands have the same styles, designs and things the customer wants. Some products won't be able to prove themselves in the customer's eyes or in a market. It may do well a couple hundred miles away, but it doesn't do well here. So we have to change up the colors or designs."

Stocking criteria included price, value, minimal callbacks, ease of installation, stainability, weatherability, and vendor support.

In addition to limitless special orders, Northern Lumber Co., Suttons Bay, Mi., stocks five brands-Trex, Procell, CrossTimbers, Monarch Exotic, and Fiberon Tropics, grooved and ungrooved. "We wanted some to look similar to wood," Edward Beuerle says. "We also looked for some with a hidden fastener system associated with that particular brand. We felt these products gave us a good mix of different composite decking materials that consumers were looking for."

Of the five composites offered by California's Ransom Brothers, including three in stock, Jimmy Gilchriest says, "We have products with slight grain to deep grain to give the customer an option of different looks. We carry Trex because that is the nationally recognized composite decking. Other than that, we go with a combination of sticking with quality vendors and the look of the material."

Yet even dealers stocking multiple brands often have their favorite. Campbell's Town & Country Building Supply, Aberdeen, S.D., concentrates on "one major line," but carries three others for comparisons. Stuart Campbell selected his stock based on name/brand, supplier, and availability of daily delivery.

Jefferson Lumber & Industrial Supply, Louisville, Ky., now carries three composite brands, but has made WeatherBest its number one seller due it its mold-resistant properties, according to Ben S. Wimsatt.

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In selecting its composite decking, Siewers Lumber & Millwork, Richmond, Va., tried to find brands with competitive advantages and selling features beyondjust the fact that they were composites. "We chose both brands because of their defense systems against mold and because of the features of the product, the quality of the product, and the reliability/support of the manufacturers and suppliers," says Michael Siewers.

Siewers took on WeatherBest due to its two-sided nature and complementary handrail kit. They also added Procell, because of its unique formulation that results in lighter weight and resistance to mold, scratching and staining.

Similarly, Tindell's, Knoxville, Tn., stocks AERT's ProDeck and LP's WeatherBest to provide variety and multiple price points. Pro Deck was chosen, according to Gene McKinney, "because it was a good, high quality 'builder' product with a good pricepoint. We took WeatherBest on last year after negotiating a program through Bluelinx. We looked extensively at several brands before settling on LP Weatherbest because their program and product line were the best fit for Tindell's."

Crenshaw Lumber Co., Gardena, Ca., chose the two brands it carries, says James Cederholm, based on "name brand recognition, as well as vendor support-next day delivery, full-line inventories, pull-through marketing activities, etc."

Limeberry Lumber Co., Corydon, In., markets Alcoa's Oasis and accessorires as a standard composite system and

Correct Deck for its hidden fastener system with accessories. "We have stocked many different brands, but the industry changes with technology and I believe that right now, we are selling the best two varieties of composite on the market," Scott Limeberry notes. "Based on appearance, density, warranty and price, we have researched the different brands out there, met with various manufacturers, and feel confident that our selection of composite is ahead of the industry."

Chace Building Supply, Woodstock, Ct., selects its brands based on quality. Ron Tetrault says, "Procell is the best PVC bullnose S4S. Latitudes is the best composite/clip system. Portico is a very good quality composite bullnose s4s."

North Carolina's Mountain Lumber carries only TimberTech, Dwight Simmons says, because it uses virgin plastic rather than recycled material, resulting in more stability, and offers a complete handrail system, a product resembling ip6, and a grooved/grooved product, said to work better with hidden fasteners.

New York's Peterman Lumber promotes solely Elk's CrossTimbers. Previously, the dealer had carried two other brands, but dropped one after the manufacturer signed a distribution deal with a big box chain and abandoned the second after the wholesaler couldn't maintain a reliable inventory. "After two failures in the composite field, we decided to take our time and find a product we could embrace for many years to come," Bob Peterman says.

He chose CrossTimbers, most importantly, for territory protection. Other factors included the wholesaler's commitment to be in stock and stock the entire line, variety of col- ors, hidden fastener system, extensive warranty, and sales support, including breakfast meetings for their builders, a certified installer program, and local sales support for their outside salesmen.

Among its 36 lumberyards in five states, Lamperts, St. Paul, Mn., stocks six different brands of composites-some stores inventorying none, others one or two. "The largest contributing factor as to which composite decking a store will stock is contractor preference," says c.e.o. Dan Fesler. "Some parts of the country are partial to a particular brand for some reason, and in other cases the contractor specializes in deck building and requests that the store carry the brand they like."

Hancock Lumber selected two lines. Camille Dubois says, "Trex, being the nationally known and advertised brand, is often asked for by name by many customers. Correct Deck is manufactured and distributed locally in Maine. Correct Deck has shown tremendous growth in market recognition and sales over the last few years. We feel that with the colors and styles these two brands offer we can service our customers' needs."

Our survey's most commonly named brand, Trex, owes much of its vast distibution to being the first on the scene. Allen Lumber, Barre, Vt., has stocked Trex since its inception and, since the product is well received, has never seen reason to change. Four other brands are offered via special order.

Forslund Building Supply, Ironwood, Mi., began stocking Trex when it was first introduced and is content stick(Please turn to page 70)