Procell Decking Systems - A Solid Business

South Baldwin Chamber November Business News

Procell Decking Systems are described as "solid." The word could also be used to describe the company's first year of business. Procell Decking Systems has its headquarters in Foley were it manufactures and distributes solid core, cellular, PVC decking systems.

"(Business) has been going great. We are way ahead of anticipated sales," said Kevin Sloan, co CEO and co president of Procell.

Sloan said he hoped, by 2005, to have two lines that were manufacturing decking. "We have four lines now and will have two more in December. The product has been accepted very well," he said.

Sloan described Procell Decking as a "highend product" but he said the attributes of Procell "outweigh its competitors."

Because Procell cores have no wood fillers, like saw dust or wood flour, there's no deterioration and molding. Procell's decking also comes with a life time guarantee.

"The best situation on properly treated wood (decks) is 5 to ten years," Moan said.

Procell's natural wood grain finish provides slip resistance and because of the grain embossing system that's used, the decks also have "tremendous" scratch and stain resistance.

Sloan said that, in most cases, soap and water are all that is required to clean a Procell. deck which has no splinters.

For installation, Procell decks install just like wood decks and are even a bit easier. "Every (Procell) board is perfect. They have no defects or knots. And there aren't any chemical additives," Sloan said.

The use of chemically treated wood has been a concern in recent years, making the alternative decking market an attractive one to homeowners.

The EPA cancelled the use of chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated wood in all residential uses. The EPA declared that such products could not be used after Dec. 30, 2003.

According to the EPA website www.epa.gov, CCA has been used to pressure treat lumber used for decks, playground equipment (playsets) and other outdoor uses since the 1940s. Since the 1970s, the majority of the wood used in residential settings is CCA treated wood.

"That was another reason for us to enter the deck market. Ninety percent of the market was dominated by CCA treated yellow pine," Sloan said.

Currently, a majority of Procell's decking systems are being installed in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, New York and Virginia because "most of Procell's competitors are located in those regions where the consumer market is denser and more familiar with alternative decking systems.

But Procell is installing decking systems locally and one reason for locating Procell's headquarters in Baldwin County was because "the largest potential for growth is the Southeast," said Sloan.

Then there was the attraction of living in a. place Sloan has always visited.

"My dad has had a house down here for 14 years and it was great coming down (to visit), but it was hard to leave," he said.

The South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce is proud of Procell's success and on Nov. 1st the Chamber's Junior Ambassadors visited the company where they were taken on a tour of the facilities.