by Freedonia Industry Studies
January 21, 2021
After a year of uncertainty brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Trex – the largest decking supply is the US – is ready to capitalize on rising demand for decks in the coming year. The company’s $200 million investment in increasing production capacity, announced back in November 2019, was completed on January 12. Trex’s investment included the construction of a new manufacturing facility in Virginia and the expansion of an existing plant in Nevada.
While COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on a wide variety of US industries, the lifestyle changes brought about by widespread working at home and consumers spending increased leisure time at home have provided opportunities for major decking suppliers. Many homeowners have undertaken renovation projects in order to make time spent at home more enjoyable. This includes investment in outdoor spaces in light of growing interest in outdoor living, the desire to have a safe place to entertain guests, and the foregoing of traditional vacations. Key elements of these investments included outdoor dining areas, pools, and other projects that often involve the construction, expansion, or improvement of decks.
Another side-effect of the pandemic is that many homeowners have found themselves with an abundance of free time. This has spurred interest in a variety of DIY projects. Trex positioned itself to benefit from quarantine-related decking interest and DIY trends by marketing its decks as simple for homeowners to install themselves, and thus distinguishing its composite decks from those using competing materials or from other manufacturers. The company’s website includes guides and videos that walk homeowners through the entire construction process. And, should the task proved to be too daunting for ambitious amateur deck builders, Trex will also connect homeowners with approved contractors trained specifically with the company’s decking products.
For more information and discussion of opportunities, see The Freedonia Group’s extensive collection of off-the-shelf research, including Wood & Competitive Decking, Outdoor Furniture & Grills, Outdoor Kitchens, Fencing, Residential Fencing, and Plastic Fencing. Freedonia Custom Research is also available for questions requiring tailored market intelligence.