CAMO Specialist of the Year

Green Shield Deck Builders

Q. How did you get your start in construction?

A. Green Shield started in 2019 as a safety products builder (Radon mitigation and water quality). Green Shield offered free radon testing in homes in west Michigan as a goodwill gift to the community. After the appointment, we would offer services to customers who may or may not have been interested in mitigation services. We offered many services including siding, roofing, windows, HVAC and more.

Q. How did you first begin using CAMO?

A. Green Shield started using CAMO after a few months of testing other products and not being able to find an easily repeatable deck fastener for growing crews. We found the CAMO clip and never looked back. The CAMO edge clip is the reason we use all CAMO products, and we cannot stress enough that it is the best clip for the professional deck builder.

Q. Do you ever work directly with CAMO?

A. Green Shield is located in Grand Rapids, MI., which so happens to be the home of CAMO (National Nail). We have worked with CAMO on marketing projects in the west Michigan area and have a strong relationship with the company.

Q. How has business changed in the last year?

A. Green Shield has had the good fortune of partnering with a composite deck manufacturer in the last year to stock our own composite boards and

Owner: Adam Rought

Location: Grand Rapids, MI.

Year Founded: 2019

Website: greenshielddecks.com

Instagram: @greenshielddecks

Facebook.com: GreenshieldHome

Specialty: CAMO clips handle our own logistics. We have truly a white glove experience from the sale to the cleanup of the job that the customers have come to expect. Green Shield has also expanded its dumpster business to provide more dumpsters to our crews. Our dumpsters have a built-in porta-potty to keep crews on the job site. Lastly, we have launched the offering of Northern Crossarm brand KDAT framing products to make our framing better in every way versus standard treated lumber.

Q. Tell us about your team.

A. Green Shield has an elite team of in-house crews. We hire and train all employees in house with the same training materials and testing to ensure a consistent quality outcome. We have an in-house drafting department and full-time permit specialists. We use CAD, drones, and the latest tools to elevate our process. We currently have 22 crews building decks full time, even in the winter—over 100 employees strong.

Q. What’s next for Green Shield?

A. Next steps for Green Shield is to continue to grow in west Michigan and continue to refine our process. Green Shield will eventually seek new markets once ready, likely in 2024 and beyond. Secondly, to continue to strengthen partnerships with manufacturers to retain our best-in-Michigan pricing and unrivaled quality outcomes.

Product Description

American Pro Porch Flooring is a new product in the outdoor living space market. The product is designed to enhance the porch experience with its exceptional features, attractive colors, and high durability.

WHY CHOOSE AMERICAN PRO?

American Pro Porch Flooring is known for its quality and durability, produced from premium PVC materials. This ensures it can withstand various elements and provide long-lasting durability. It is also resistant to moisture, fading, and staining, preserving its appearance over time. It’s scratch-resistant surface is another significant advantage, especially in high-traffic areas such as a porch.

BENEFITS:

• High-Quality Materials: Made with premium materials domestically sourced.

• Low-maintenance Solution: It does not need to be painted or sealed. as the everlasting colors and woodgrain is backed by our 25-year fade and stain warranty.

• Scratch-Resistant Surface: Whether it’s outdoor furniture, pet’s running in and out of the house, our scratch-resistant feature can preserve the porch look.

• Multiple Colors Selection: With 6 different colors to choose from, the ability to customize your porch has never been easier.

ACCESSORY PRODUCTS:

Matching Decking for Stairs

Matching Finish Trim Nosing

Fascia Board for Skirting

All colors match each other for a picture-perfect porch.

High-quality PVC Material

Long-lasting durability. No installation issues due to slitting or cracking.

Moisture Resistant

Suitable for any climate. Resistant to mold or mildew.

Low Maintenance

Easy to clean and maintain. Provides the beauty of wood without the maintenance.

Slip-resistant Surface

Safe option for families with children and pets.

Manufacturer’s Reserve Supply is now distributing American Pro Porch Flooring exclusively in New Jersey, Eastern PA, lower New York (including Long Island), Connecticut, Northern Delaware, and Northern Maryland. Visit them at MRSLumber.com or Scan Code:

Deckorators Specialist of the Year

All Decked Out

Q. How did you begin using Deckorators?

A. We started using Deckorators after seeing a booth at a trade show in Chicago. Prior to that time, I was only familiar with Deckorators aluminum balusters, but had not heard of the decking until I saw the display and was blown away! I saw its durability first and that started my research to then discover just how different it is from other brands because of the unique technology to its unheard-of warranty. As with any new product, I was hesitant to recommend it to our client’s at first, but I am glad I decided to take the risk, and after just a few installations, I then advocated for our lumberyard to bring it in. I never looked back! I moved on immediately to become a certified installer, and to this day, it is the number one product I recommend and install.

Q. Take us to the beginning of your company.

A. While serving in the Navy, I also worked for a deck and fence company as a second job at the time when we were not out at sea. It was much better being outside working than being cooped up on a ship while in port. A superior officer gave me a chance and took time to train and mentor me—truly he was my starting point. I owe a lot to him and am still grateful he gave me an opportunity.

Owner: Joe Hagan

Location: Cincinnati, OH.

Year Founded: 2010

Website: alldeckedout513.com

Instagram: @alldeckedout513

Facebook.com: AllDeckedOut513

Specialty: Premier decks and outdoor living

I moved back home to Cincinnati after my enlistment and had setbacks that ultimately led to me having the drive and determination needed to take the risk and start my own business. I built the business literally from the ground up from nothing but the support of my wife and some great opportunities from great clients. No bank loans or investors to help us, just hard work, day in and day out, one deck or fence at a time. I set aside money after each project to put back into the business. I built up enough tools, and purchased another vehicle and hired another crew. We just kept growing and saw a doubling in sales each year for the first five to six years! It mainly came from excellent customer care in an industry where it was lacking, and simple respect of our clients led to them spreading the word for us!

Q. Where do you get your ideas from?

A. Short answer: from listening, education, transparency and building trust. First, we listen to our clients’ needs, wants and dreams for their backyard space. Next, we educate them and share suggestions on design and materials that will help cater to them, but sometimes that may mean that we share a better alternative then their original selection or vision. It is very important to our company to ensure that what- ever is designed will be the best value for them and not just what vision that designer has that day. We believe that education helps each client to make their best decisions that result in the best outcomes on our projects.

Next, we act as consultants, not salesmen who are trying to hit our sales goals, which we believe will help to continue to build their comfort with us, and ultimately trust. We always hope that a client wants our creative spins so that I can then pull from all the ideas in my head from years of dreaming up spaces, and then my team of installers and I will make them come alive! In our local market, most homeowners don’t have unlimited funds, but are willing to invest for a quality project and experience.

Q. Any projects for which Deckorators was beneficial?

A. I do not have just one in mind because honestly any projects using Deckorators is beneficial to us! We want to only use products that we can trust to perform, and longer term be covered under an amazing warranty. Our reputation is on the line with each project we build and using quality products means we have one less item to be concerned about each day.

Q. Tell me about your team.

A. Our business would be nothing without our people and we invest in them to ensure they know how important they are! As my role changed from being out in the field building to now more focused on design and ownership, it’s been critical to have a team that I can trust and count on. We have amazing builders that want to learn and grow with us each day. We believe that a person must have some core values innate to be successful long term and know that the carpentry skills can always be trained. Positivity, ethics, determination and the desire to be great is something I can’t teach so that is what we look for first!

We have crews made up of employees and some as subcontracting crews, but we always ensure that everyone is connected as one team with the common goals to take care of our clients and continue to grow. We always strive to give our clients the best contractor experience. It’s hard when all of us build outdoor spaces, but for a homeowner, this might be one of their largest purchases besides their home, and we always have to be mindful of that. Because of the client, we as a team exist!

Q. What’s next for All Decked Out?

A. I was focused on growth, growth, growth for many years. Now we are focusing on getting better processes in place, building into our teams to ensure a long-term “family” business approach, and focusing on improvements in every area we can. We are also looking for ways to stand out from competition in all the ways we do business each day. Our goals are efficiency and mastery of our systems. Excellence is better than growth in size at this moment, and that’s what we are striving for.

Precast concrete deck posts and FootingPad® composite footings are the fastest way to build deck foundations. Eliminate the hassles of mixing and pouring concrete, then waiting for it to cure. ICC-ES certified for code compliance, you can begin building on the same day.

permacolumn.com/build-decks-faster

DeckWise Specialist of the Year

Sweeting Property Group

Q. How did you become interested in DeckWise?

A. I was drawn to their hidden deck fasteners because of the varied clip sizing they offered. The ability to design board spacing as needed, based on expansion and contraction of the material, as well as the benefits provided regarding pull-through strength, saved time and eliminated waste, and spoke to our individualized approach to each project. Once I began using DeckWise products, I realized that the build quality of DeckWise’s hardwood wrench is second to none. It helps us at job sites of every size, allowing us to have a non-slip “third hand” as we straighten deck boards and ensure that every project is on time, on budget, and on point.

Q. How do you integrate your exterior and interior living spaces?

A. We see this in a variety of ways. Sometimes clients want to bring elements of their exterior hardscape to a high-traffic interior location. The best example of that would be hardwood v-groove ceilings or accent walls in a main living space or great room. Many times, our clients will ask for a deck with ipé, garapa, or cumaru, and then will ask to use the same

Owner: Bobby Sweeting

Location: Sarasota, FL.

Year Founded: 2014

Website: sweetingpropertygroup.com

Instagram: @sweetingpropertygroup

Facebook.com: SweetingPropertyGroup

Specialty: Hidden deck fasteners material for a hearth, a mantle, or recessed ceiling. We’ll also see a desire for design callbacks with indoor and outdoor showers—using hardwood in a bathroom and then using the same or similar wood in an outdoor shower or other living space. We see requests for poured concrete counters in an outdoor kitchen, and an interior kitchen or other interior space.

Q. How has business been in the past few years?

A. Business has been incredibly busy in the past few years. We noticed a serious uptick in renovation interest in mid-2020, and things truly haven’t slowed since then. Between individuals spending more time in their homes—realizing there were things they absolutely wanted to update—and a pretty big migration to this area in 2021-22, we’ve been really pleased with the consistent interest in all that Sweeting Property Group has to offer clients.

In the past few years, I’ve been working solo with a focus on customization and quality. As a result, I’ve been especially busy, so clients occasionally have to wait a bit to begin their project.

Once we start, however, we see the entirety of their quoted concept through from start to finish.