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WORLD FENCE NEWS • JULY 2011 • 77 Principia announces 8th annual conference on decking and railing EXTON, Penn. — Principia Part- ners will hold its 8th annual executive conference WPC (Wood Plastic Com- posite) 2011 – Decking and Outdoor Living Products at the Charlotte Mar- riott City Center in Charlotte, N.C. on Oct. 3-4, 2011. The Principia conference has be- come a premier industry event for WPCs and other decking and railing materials. The conference has grown on its informative commercial and market developments, interactive panel discussions on industry trends, technical advances, and in-depth per- spectives and discussions with the major players from every point in the supply chain from raw material com- panies, to decking and railing manu- facturers, to wholesalers, pro dealers, retailers and contractors. Steve Van Kouteren, chairing the conference, noted that “This year’s themes are growing the decking and railing category, new decking and rail- ing products, and developments in the distribution channel.” Recovery in the demand for deck- ing and railing has been minimal, yet demand has been very dynamic in re- gards to product mix, he said. “Changes in consumer attitudes and tastes have affected both wood and synthetic decking and railing products. For example, a large shift to ultra-low maintenance composite and cellular PVC decking as well as increased de- mand for the darker, variegated colors that mimic the look of exotic hard- woods have increased demand for these products by over 40%, while the demand for traditional WPCs has de- creased by more than 25%,” Van Kouteren said. Carolinas Chapter slates monthly meeting and By the Sea event The Carolinas Chapter AFA has scheduled its next monthly meeting for August 9 in Raleigh, N.C. The location is to be an- nounced. Contact Barbara Coving- ton at barbcovington@gmail.com for further details. Also coming up Sept. 22-25 is the chapter’s fun By the Sea outing. It will be held at the Wilmington Hilton Riverside hotel in Wilming- ton, N.C. Barbara is also the contact for this event. “The entire decking and railing category needs a boost in demand and one catalyst could be increasing con- sumer awareness about deck safety and the need to replace over 10 million old decks in North America,” he stated. WPC 2011 will also examine crit- ical issues affecting product manage- ment in the supply chain, how companies can maximize economic value via supply chain partnerships, and business strategies to leverage brands and distribution channels to di- versify outdoor living product portfo- lios. Hot topic sessions and interactive panel discussions will include: • Driving decking demand in the R&R market. ences. • Trends in deck material prefer- • Synthetic decking performance vs. value. • Creating economic value through partnerships in the supply chain. • Expansion of outdoor living; Growing your business. • Voice of the customer: Interac- tive pro dealer and contractor panel. Principia Conferences is a part of Principia Partners, a leading boutique strategy consulting firm that serves the broad building products and construc- tion materials industry as well as other materials-related industries. For information, visit www.Prin- cipiaConsulting.com or contact Van Kouteren at 610-400-1073 or at SteveVK@PrincipiaConsulting.com. E/Z SLIDE™ HEAVY DUTY NYLON CANTILEVER ROLLER SQUARE Frame: 2x2 SQUARE Posts: 4” x 6” Send For Free Brochure Also Available For Round Frames And Posts INTERNATIONAL GATE DEVICES, INC. IGD slidegate.net 1-800-557-4283 (GATE) Fax 610-534-9682 Celebrating Our 29th Anniversary Perimeter Access Control Anywhere the sun shines Do you need a proven perimeter locking system for a location that’s off the power grid? No problem. Securitron offers perimeter access control for most any vehicle or pedestrian gate using 100% sustainable solar power. Forget trenching and wiring. This proven set of products will protect your gated assets - no matter where they are located. DK-26 Digital Keypad System GL1 2,000 lbs. Holding Force Gate Lock BPSS Boxed Power Supply Solar - 10W or 20W Call 1-800-MAGLOCK www.securitron.com ISO 9001: 2008 World Quality Standard Scan this Microsoft Tag for an Electrified Gate & Fence Brochure