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Supporting your local tradesmen

The Home Builders Institute (HBI) announced The Home Depot Foundation (THDF) will commit up to $500,000 to fund student training in home construction careers in high schools across the United States.

Additionally, the National Housing Endowment (NHE), the philanthropic arm of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), has pledged $200,000 in support of the effort. This combined $700,000 will provide training to thousands of students for construction trades skills.

“Education and the construction industry continue to evolve and present new challenges and opportunities for the skilled trades workforce,” said Shannon Gerber, executive director of The Home Depot Foundation. “This year is expected to hold pivotal moments for each sector, and we’re excited to help bring fresh trades opportunities to our youth, as well as be on the forefront of the positive changes to come.”

The funds will allow HBI and THDF to provide a hands-on curriculum for high school students nationwide, along with instructor training and materials. Upon completion, students will earn a preapprenticeship certification endorsed by NAHB and recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. The programs will be available at no additional cost to students and their families.

Industry data shows there are an

estimated 311,000 open jobs, like carpentry, electrical, plumbing and others in residential construction.

“Residential construction growth will continue in 2020 and thereafter, supported by low interest rates, solid economic growth and a lack of housing inventory,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “At the same time, the home building industry faces a skilled trades gap,” said Ed Brady, HBI president and CEO. “As a result, opportunities for wellpaid, rewarding careers in residential construction are tremendous.”

THDF’s $500,000 commitment is part of a $50 million partnership with HBI, launched in 2018 to train 20,000 tradespeople over 10 years.

Illustration of retailers and dealers in various stages of coming and going. For more retail news, visit HBSDealer.com News Map: Openings, Closings & Acquisitions

wisconsin Madison ABC Supply The 790-location specialty distributor ABC Supply acquired the assets of Midwest Wholesale Materials Co., based in Madison, Wis. Founded in 1960, MWM is a single-location distributor of siding, windows, doors and steep-slope roofing. With the deal, ABC now operates 18 locations in Wisconsin.

OPENING CLOSING ACQUISITION

vermont Manchester Center Allen Lumber Allen Lumber Inc. is being acquired by r.k. Miles, Inc., the Manchester Center, Vt.-based pro dealer. The move includes the acquisition of locations in Barre, Montpelier, Waitsfield, and St. Johnsbury, Vt. A third-generation family business, r.k. Miles celebrates its 80 th year in March.

iowa Sioux City Wilmes Do it Best Hardware Expected this spring, Wilmes Do it Best Hardware will open a 30,000 square foot store in a former Shopko. The store, located in Marketplace Shopping Center, will be the second for Mike and Gina Wilmes. The husband-wife team also operate a Wilmes Do it Best Hardware store in South Sioux City. They’ve been in the hardware business since 1988. tennessee Oak Ridge Downtown Hardware Downtown Hardware, a secondgeneration hardware store plans to close its doors for good at the end of February. The brother-sister team of Ann Bratton and Roger Clary are the current owners of Downtown Hardware, which stood up to Walmart, Kmart and Home Depot over its six decades of business.

Best of IBS Awards embrace comfy, smart and sustainable

Products that bring the outside in, and vice versa, were winners. And so were products that changed the way builders think about sustainability. This year’s Best of IBS Awards received more than 350 entries. Decided by a panel of 28 independent judges made up of attending reporters and building professionals, the awards were given in nine categories, plus an overall Best in Show award.

“The 2020 IBS exhibitors really brought their A-game this year,” said Fred Tobin, NAHB Conventions and Meetings Committee Chair. Among the winners:

Best Indoor Product: Marvin Skycove by Marvin Part window, part nook, the Marvin Skycove is described by Marvin as a fully constructed glass pop-out structure that expands interior space and provides a comfortable, cozy place to gather. The 2020 Best Indoor Product winner envelops the homeowner in a sturdy glass bay window. It was born in the cmopany’s new Design Lab, which used insights from professionals in the

industry, home owners and unexpected sources – sleep scientists and astronauts, included.

The Micro CHP makes electricity, and heats your water.

Best in show: Enginuity Micro-CHP by Enginuity Power Systems Here’s the pitch: make your own electricity while you’re heating your water. And with that premise, the Enginuity Micro-CHP earned the rare triple crown — best in show, best home technology product and best energy efficient product. “CHP” stands for “Combined Heat and Power.” It replaces natural gas water heaters and efficiently turns gas into electricity by running it through a superquiet generator. The exhaust from that process efficiently heats the home’s water supply. The company says Micro-CHP puts the owner “on the cutting edge of sustainable comfort.”

Best Green Building Product: AeroBarrier Observant readers will remember this system earned top honors at the International Builders’ Show back in 2018. The

16 FEBRUARY 2020 HARDWARE + BUILDING SUPPLY DEALER concept still has legs. AeroBarrier is Greenguard certified, containing no harmful or toxic chemicals. The AeroBarrier application includes a solution that is sprayed into the building area, it then conjugates and seals holes as small as a hair follicle. The sealing process is controlled by computer, and shows the sealing results in real-time. That’s why it’s described as “breakthrough envelope sealing technology.”

An outdoor living space from StruXure.

Best Outdoor Product: The Outdoor Living Experience by Somfy, StruXure Outdoor and Phantom Screens StruXure Outdoor, Phantom Screens and Somfy partnered to create the Outdoor Living Experience, a 2,000 square foot life-size display. Outdoor Living Experience highlighted three unique outdoor settings, including the culinary outdoor kitchen, the open sky theater, and the four-season Smart patio, all of which showcase a one-stop-shop for state-of-the-art products and services that extend the indoors to the outside.

Sullivan Hardware & Garden

In Indianapolis, event marketing factors heavily in retail success.

By Ken Clark

“M ac ‘n Cheese is a product of communism and must be stopped. Help us save America by celebrating coleslaw.”

That’s the message promoted by Sullivan Hardware & Garden on a Facebook video last year to promote the retailer’s “Indy Slawfest.” The video included an employee smashing a plate of macaroni and cheese.

Another video on the Indianapolis retailer’s social media platform shows owner Pat Sullivan giving an inspirational speech to a room full of grills. Just Pat and the grills. No one else.

There’s a method to the madness at Sullivan Hardware, which uses this type of wildcat marketing and crazy social promotions to draw crowds to its famous customer events.

“The crazier the better, sometimes,” said Sullivan.

Sullivan Hardware & Garden is a bona fide lawn and garden destination, voted “Best Garden Center” by Indy’s A-List magazine. Operator of three Indiana locations — two in Indy, one in Cicero — President Pat Sullivan has earned a spot as a regular contributor to the local Indianapolis TV station WTHR, sharing advice on all things hardware and garden. The grounds at the family business’s main Keystone Ave. location can be described as a carefully manicured wonderland of garden, gifts and grills, among other core hardware essentials. The scenery sets the stage for the Sullivan Santa Express, a wildly successful attraction that attracts tens of thousands of visitors over

Top left: Sullivan Hardware has been family owned since 1954. Top right: The Keystone Ave. store has become a holiday destination in North Indianapolis. Bottom: Eggfest attracts a crowd in the summer.

the holidays. The attraction features a colorful, mini train that brings the young and young at heart to Santa’s lap. Family tickets are $50 and up. (Yes, the train service is profitable.)

Coming up on the hardware store’s calendar: The Sullivan’s Valentine Event. A surf-and-turf dinner, a comedy show and champagne desert are included in a $75 ticket.

Arguably the premier Sullivans event is the summertime Eggfest, now going on 12 years. In 2019, it boasted more than 75 Big Green Eggs blazing, along with craft beer and live music.

There’s a reason the retailer is a big believer in customer events. “They really connect you with the community,” said Sullivan, president of the family business. “And there’s just nothing better when they really feel like they’re part of your business.”

Planning and promoting a high quality events, according to the Sullivans playbook, includes a lot of radio and a lot of social media. The retailer leverages data from its rewards program “Best Rewards,” which has about 15,000 e-mail addresses.

“I think it’s important to have all of your staff on board,” Sullivan told fellow Do it Best members during a “Celebration of Excellence” presentation in Indianapolis. “For a top notch event, you want to go above customer expectations.”

And if you’re just starting out, it’s important to come out with a bang, he said.

“So many times, a store will say, ‘we’ll try this, and maybe we’ll use five [grills]. And next year if it works, we’ll make it bigger.’ But you really need to go big and have that quality right there from the beginning. Because then your customers start to trust that you are putting on a top-notch event.”

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Outdoor exhibit: a combination of Deckorators Voyage Sierra and Tundra with a black pergola and lattice panels.

DEALING WITH A FULL DECK The decking industry continues to grow with the help of strong demand and new products.

By Andy Carlo

here’s little doubt that the decking industry remains as solid as the board and products it’s built upon. The North American Deck & Railing Association (NADRA) estimates that the total decking industry has continued its growth to an anticipated $8 billion in 2020 sales. This expansion is expected to continue over the next three years with the potential to hit the $10 billion mark, and then to drive on further. The volume of residential decks currently in use has been calculated at just under 50 million with a replacement value of $427.8 billion.

According to Mike Beaudry, executive vice president of NADRA, timber remains the dominant material. Composites, meanwhile, are set to pass the 20% annual market share and are also projected to take up much of the future growth in decking due to their enhanced aesthetics and lower maintenance demands.

“Longer-term, there is 50% of the current deck stock now beyond its life expectancy and in need of replacement, Beaudry says. “Both the premium

20 FEBRUARY 2020 HARDWARE + BUILDING SUPPLY DEALER contractor and self-build sectors should see solid volume growth.”

Deck disruptors are on the horizon, too. Direct-to-consumer sales via e-commerce are expected to develop more aggressively as logistics becomes viable for larger collated material packages. This dynamic shift could put the general contractor under increasing pressure to remain competitive and reassess how they trade and interact with their customers.

When it comes to the aesthetics of decking, the experts say the exterior of a home is becoming as important

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as the interior. “Homeowners now view their living area as something that extends beyond the four walls of their home,” says Jase DeBoer, senior category marketing manager for Deckorators. “They want to make the very most of that exterior space — especially if the area is in an urban setting or modest in size. So, while overall beauty is important, getting the most of the space is on-trend.”

Pairing multiple colors on a composite deck is becoming more common, according to DeBoer.

Builders are also using complementary colors to add accents and contrast to a space. The field of the deck is often one color paired with an accent color for breaker boards, perimeter boards, stairs and even innovative designs for deck skirting. With this, a muted or matte finish to the decking really adds to the look of natural hardwood as opposed to a finish with more gloss.

“Just as color is providing opportunities for creativity, so is multiwidth decking,” DeBoer notes.

Continuing the trend of interior design flowing outdoors, decking in various widths allows for beautiful, trend-forward designs. Wide boards make for great picture frame options while narrow boards make for simple accents — like a double border, or for use in a custom bench.

The scope, performance, and quality of materials available within the deck construction environment continue to evolve giving the consumer addedvalue options both aesthetically and commercially.

“The decking market as the central part of the wider outdoor living environment looks to be set for strong short-to-medium-term growth supported by longer-term replacement demand that will be the foundation that ensures the future of the market,” Beaudry says.

Despite many innovative features — a popular innovation that’s gaining attention is slip-resistance — homeowners still start with aesthetics. There is an expectation that decking will be durable and have great performance, but it starts with beauty. “For homeowners, it comes down to beauty, performance and peace of mind,” DeBoer explains. “Contractors prefer these materials because they are easier to work with, have warranties to support them, and in some cases, differentiate them from

“The decking market as the central part of the wider outdoor living environment looks to be set for strong short-tomedium-term growth supported by longerterm replacement demand that will be the foundation that ensures the future of the market.” —Mike Beaudry, EVP, North American Deck & Railing Association (NADRA)

competition. These materials are also transitioning from ‘new’ and ‘highend’ to more traditional and common for homeowners.”

With the housing market looking at another positive year in 2020, deck and deck replacements represent a steady revenue stream.

“Adding a deck to an existing home continues to be a common investment and offers one of the best returns on investment for home projects,”DeBoer says.

Along those lines, here are some of the latest products from the decking industry for 2020.

Deckorators Voyage Khaya decking Deckorators has expanded its Voyage composite decking line to include a fifth color — Khaya, a true brown —and varied-plank decking. Khaya joins four other trend-forward color options in the Deckorators Voyage decking offering: Sierra (dark gray), Tundra (gray), Costa (golden brown), and Mesa (red brown). The new color meets deck contractor and homeowner demand for a darker brown composite decking with the unique Voyage benefits of enhanced slip resistance and bold vertical grain variegation. Khaya is available in 12-, 16- and 20-foot grooved and solid-edge profiles, as well as 12-foot fascia. New Deckorators Voyage varied-plank decking is available in all five colors and widths of 3½ inches, 5½ inches and 7¼ inches, bringing the interior design trend of mixing widths of hardwood flooring to outdoor living. Deckorators.com.

MoistureShield Elevate decking MoistureShield has unveiled new Elevate decking, featuring advanced protection and beauty within an entry-level budget. Elevate capped wood composite decking features a strong, protective cap, which shields each board from impact, corrosion and harsh weather. Elevate is available in Lake Fog, a soft gray shade, and Canoe, which is a forest brown. Elevate also features the Solid Core Difference offering protection against moisture absorption, warping, rotting, and damage from insects right at the core of each board. Elevate 5/4 deck boards are available in 12 and 16- ft. lengths in grooved profiles (for hidden fasteners) and 20-foot lengths with a solid edge for deck stairs and picture framing, as well as fascia boards in 12-foot lengths. MoistureShield.com.

Zuri Premium by Royal Zuri Premium Decking combines the natural beauty of exotic hardwood with durability and low maintenance requirements to create a one-of-a-kind outdoor living environment. Zuri is available in square boards and in grooved boards, which offer a truly hidden fastener application with prethreaded screws for fast installation. Zuri grooved boards are offered with a 3/32” spacing or a 3/16” gap. All of the Zuri products are available in Chestnut, Walnut, Pecan, Brazilia and Weathered Gray, and are backed by a 25-year Color Fastness Warranty against color shifting. RoyalBuildingProducts.com.

Envision Ridge Premium Envision Building Products expands its decking offering with Ridge Premium — a capped composite decking line with a fluted profile. Crafted with Compress Technology to physically bond the high-density cap to its fluted EverGrain Core, Ridge Premium is lighter-weight, low-maintenance, and long-lasting decking with the budget-friendly nature of wood. Inspired by the hues found in popular natural woods, Ridge Premium is available in three beautiful, softly blended colors that bring the wow-factor to any outdoor space. The dark brown Black Walnut, light brown Vintage Oak, or cool grey Gunstock are sure to complement the design style of any home. Envisiondecking.com.

Trex/Danver outdoor kitchens Trex Company has teamed with the manufacturers of category pioneer and leader Danver Stainless Outdoor Kitchens to offer a new selection of luxurious cabinetry and components in its revamped Trex Outdoor Kitchens collection. The new lineup offers stainless steel cabinetry solutions for today’s outdoor kitchens with style, durability and easy maintenance. It includes seven distinctive door styles comprised of Danver’s top-five sellers and two designs exclusive to Trex. Trex.com.

NewTechWood Striving to be the No. 1 choice for composite decking.

NewTechWood is a pioneer in the development and manufacture of composite decking, siding, deck tiles, railing, and other outdoor products. Since its inception in 2004, NewTechWood (NTW) has been on the cutting edge in wood plastic composite technology—earning a well-deserved reputation for innovative, dependable products that bring beauty and practicality to spaces worldwide.

The company’s trajectory turned in 2010 when it began a project to design and formulate a composite deck board that would meet several criteria: durability, attractiveness, and fade and scratch resistance. The objective was to create the most reliable composite deck board in the industry. After years of engineering and hours of field testing, the company launched UltraShield, a decking product of unmatched performance and beauty. The company has been blazing a path ever since.

Below, Richard Lam, CEO of NewTechWood, discusses the company’s origins, growth and market successes.

How did NTW get its start? Richard Lam: We originated from an international recycling organization that saw an opportunity in making innovative construction materials using recycled plastic. NewTechWood has existed in some form or another for almost 20 years, much of that time operating in the United States as well.

What kind of feedback do you get from customers that helped shape your strategy? RL: Customers love our products. They note that it is easy to install and has a great look, being applicable to both natural and modern aesthetics. They also love our fantastic customer service.

What trends do you see in the decking industry? RL: Decking is moving towards being environmentally friendly, with maintenancefree products. For these trends, NTW is a perfect fit because those values drive our innovative products.

NewTechWood deck board installations can be found throughout the world, including this hotel rooftop in Bangkok.

What’s new about how people buy your products? RL: NewTechWood is rapidly expanding our business in the U.S., and it seems like every day we offer new lumberyards, distributors, and retailer options to purchase our products.

How does it help the business to be involved in so many different facets? Railing, siding, decking, lawn and garden? RL: Being part of the whole ecosystem of great outdoor spaces allows NewTechWood to be a one-stop shop for those interested in creating such beautiful environments. In addition to all the advantages of NewTechWood’s high quality material, our variety of products also allows for color matching, which is an excellent way to ensure these outdoor spaces look beautiful and clean.

Ultrashield seems to be a selling point. How would you describe how that works, and what makes it special? RL: Speaking of a selling point — UltraShield Naturale is our trademark for the quality material in our deck boards, siding, deck tiles, and garden products. We start with a maintenance-free core of recycled plastic and wood fiber, which allows our product to be solid and easy to cut — but also strong. We then cover it with the UltraShield, a plastic coat that can be embossed with a variety of patterns to match any look while still having a wonderful quality, and look natural. Or as we say, “Naturale.”

How do you make it easy for dealers to sell your products? RL: We offer reliable and friendly customer service, competitive pricing, quick turnarounds and a variety of products. Plus, we are flexible to work with. All of this allows our dealers to feel like they’re part of the NewTechWood family.

Have you seen the most amount of growth in, say, the last 5 years? RL: Yes, through our keen strategy, through our retail and distributor channels, and through our continual development of new products, NewTechWood has only been rising faster and faster these last few years. Additionally, our innovations extend beyond our products. We have upgraded the technology that works behind the scenes to ensure proper order processing, warehouse management, shipping and logistics.

What are your challenges and opportunities? RL: As a growing company, we have to stay innovative and offer new products, profiles, and colors through an ever-growing list of purchasing channels. We’re not the biggest player, nor the smallest. But we are nimble, and must remain vigilant towards our competitors. We see this as opportunity — to continue our decade-long trajectory of year-upon-year growth, and continue to be the name for the best composite decking, siding, deck tiles, and garden products in the market.

Fiberon Concordia decking Create a tranquil outdoor retreat with Fiberon Concordia decking. From peaceful mornings to warm summer nights, Concordia is the perfect fit for a casual lifestyle. Concordia combines two popular Fiberon decking lines – Symmetry and Horizon – under one product name featuring two collections of multi-tonal hues. The dramatic colors and streaking emulate exotic hardwoods, and the low-gloss formula and microtexturing create a unique finish. Concordia decking is also tested and approved for use in rainscreen or cladding applications. The Concordia Symmetry and Horizon Collections are backed by a lifetime performance warranty and a 50-year stain and fade warranty. Fiberon.com.

TimberTech TimberTech continues to expand its multi-width decking offerings with two new 7.25” wide width boards in the Harvest Collection; Brownstone and Slate Gray. This enables faster installation and complements the existing Vintage Collection Multi-Width Decking portfolio, which includes 3.5”, 5.5” and 7.25” width boards in six Vintage colors. MAX boards are also new to TimberTech, offering a 1.5’’ thickness, ideal for boardwalks, docks, and more. Additionally, the TimberTech PRO Decking line is evolving with the addition of the new Reserve collection which features four bold colors and a natural, matte finish. The on-trend colors — including two grays and two browns — emulate natural, reclaimed hardwood and provide a significant level of color variation. Newthingsondeck.com.

Fortress Building Products Apex decking Fortress Building Products has launched its new Apex decking line, which boasts the latest in premium capping technology. Forged by composite engineering, the line consists of a lightweight bamboo and cellular PVC core, capped by the highest grade of acrylic polymer for ultimate protection, allowing the deck boards to withstand even the harshest of climates. Backed by a 25-Year Warranty, the product is also fade-, stain-, scratch-, slip-, moisture- and fire-resistant, resulting in a deck that will last the test of time, while requiring minimal maintenance. What’s more, Apex comes in a variety of profiles and dual tone colors, for a personalized, natural look that will make a statement no matter the outdoor space. FortressBP.com.

Feeney DesignRail Feeney has unveiled new Wood Grain finishes for its DesignRail Top Rail. Available as a DesignRail custom option, the powder coat finishes come in three realistic wood grains – Weathered Gray, Walnut and Cherry. Well-suited for both interior and exterior applications, the durable, fade-resistant finishes offer the organic look of wood without the ongoing maintenance requirements. Like all of Feeney’s powder coat finishes, the Wood Grain finishes adhere to AAMA 2604 coating specifications for superior impact and weather resistance, and color retention. The Wood Grain Top Rail can be mixed with any DesignRail frame color, including a range of standard or custom colors, and matched to the wood used on a deck to create a seamless look. Feeneyinc.com.

Regal Ideas Light up the outdoors with Regal Ideas LED Lighting System. Users can create that perfect outdoor living sanctuary and make your deck come alive with Regal ideas LED lighting System, with energy-efficient LED technology. The system is compatible with Regal Ideas pickets and tempered glass systems and does not require splicing of wires, or hard wiring — simply “plug-n-play.” With 3 colors and brightness settings, the system is perfect to set the right mood. Regal ideas also offers Crystal Rail, which provides the ultimate view with a crystal-clear unobstructed view. No Posts, no rails, just the view. Crystal rail brings nature closer to you and gives you the sense of freedom by eliminating posts and those rails that always seem to be in the sight line. RegalIdeas.com.

AZEK Classic Composite Series AZEK’s popular composite RadianceRail, Premier Rail, and Trademark Rail are transitioning to a universal common bottom rail and will be classified as the Classic Composite Series. Included in that series is the new composite Drink Rail top rail option which allows homeowners to use a deck board as the top rail. This gives homeowners a universal system with four distinctive top rail options. Azek.com.

NewTechWood NewTechWood siding has just been introduced in a European-style castellation profile. Available in both slim (UH46) and wide (UH58) shapes, NewTechWood siding is an environmentally-friendly product, made of recycled plastic and wood. NewTechWood siding is available in a standard mix of browns and grays, as well as several special order colors. Easy to install, long-lasting, beautiful, and competitively priced, NewTechWood siding is a great option for any project’s interior or exterior wall. NewTechWood.com.

HBSDealer.com Armadillo from Avon Plastics Avon Plastics has introduced a new profile of Armadillo composite solid decking. Now available in 20’ 6”, sizes Armadillo Solid Deck Boards can accommodate the advantage of longer spans. Still the same great products, now with more to offer. Designed for beauty, made for life, Armadillo decking is a solid choice for contractors and homeowners. ArmadilloDeck.com.