CLMA selects new president

The Composite Lumber Manufacturers Association has a new president. Brian Lowry, senior director of decking for Tamko Building Products, will oversee general activities for CLMA, as well as lead quarterly board meetings.

The Washington, D.C.-based CLMA was formed to advance the growth of the composite deck and railing industry through proactive technical, advocacy and awareness efforts. The group dates back to 2005, when Tamko was among the founding members of CLMA.

One of the key services the CLMA provides its members, and the composite lumber industry, is the work done by its sub-committee, the Codes and Standards Committee. This committee is dedicated to monitoring and engaging in the building code process. Each CLMA member assigns technical personnel to serve on the Codes and Standards Committee.

“Early on, the Codes and Standards Committee worked with and through regulatory bodies and testing agencies to develop the composite lumber testing and product performance standards that exist today and which paved the way for the introduction of composite lumber into the model building codes,” said Lowry.

By gaining inclusion into the building codes, composite lumber was acknowledged as a decking material just as wood decking had been for decades. During his two-year term as CLMA President, Lowry’s goal is to bring a continued focus on participation in the building code process.

Lowry joined Tamko in 1996. He was involved with TAMKO’s initial entry into the composite lumber market in 2001, including the inaugural launch of the company’s EverGrain decking line.  In 2016, Lowry was promoted to Senior Director Decking, where he is responsible for all aspects of TAMKO’s decking operations, including sales, manufacturing and R&D.