Lamar, Mo.-based composite deck maker Epoch Composite Products Inc. acquired certain assets of Tri-Ex Composites Corp. in Newnan, Ga., in an effort to gain a greater foothold in the railing market.
Officials would not disclose the purchase price.
Epoch, a subsidiary of privately held Tamko Roofing Products Inc. in Joplin, Mo., extrudes Elements-brand composite decking and compression molds EverGrain composite decking. Epoch will be relocating its newly acquired triple-layer railing extrusion from Georgia to its relatively new, and gargantuan, plant in Chilhowie, Va. The 550,000-square-foot plant leaves ample room for growth for its new railing production as well as its new Elements deck board extrusion.
``Railing is going to grow faster than decking, actually, in the composite marketplace,'' said Mick Whelan, Tamko's marketing director. ``We want to be the leader in railing as well.''
According to Tri-Ex officials, the railing comprises an ABS and wood-fiber core and impact PVC for the exterior. The railing core is more rigid than PVC and more cost effective than steel stiffeners, they said.
Epoch had two of its new railing products on display at Fencetech, held Feb. 1-3 in Las Vegas.
In addition to the trilayer line, Epoch displayed an even newer railing product at Fencetech. Whelan was mum on details of the product, saying only that it is a non-PVC composite and that the railing will be available in multiple colors.
Whelan declined to say what percentage Epoch's extrusion capacity will increase at the Chilhowie facility. He did say some new jobs will be added, but not how many.
The Tri-Ex deal is going to help Tamko expand its railing and composite portfolio down the road, Whelan said.
``This patented trilayer technology is going to give us some future product opportunities that we're excited about,'' he said.