ONLINE EXTRA: DIA poised for success

If Deck Industry Association Administrator Mike Owens had his way, everyone in the world would have at least their own hammock and a darned-rugged standard 12-foot-by-30-foot redwood plank on which to enjoy it under the stars.

In its first year, the Plano, Texas-based DIA has amassed a database of 23,000 builders, designers and manufacturers in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. And at a global $4.2 billion per year, according to Owens, the decking industry all but promises to woo increasing numbers of affiliates for the organization.

“I’ve been in (the landscaping) business for 28 years, and I’m amazed no one else has started a trade association dedicated to deck building,” Owens said. “I did it out of frustration, and I’ve been overwhelmed at the response. The demand has been very high for information in this market.”

Under its mission statement, the DIA calls for ever-increasing education, customer service and technological innovation among the decking community in hopes to bolster the industry to even higher proportions. To that end, the organization is set up as a multitasking clearinghouse of information, offering referrals to videos, print publications, seminars, conventions and a network of DIA-affiliated professionals.

With its official publication, Professional Deck Builder, on the heels of a well-received first year, Owens said, just some of the organization’s plans for this year include:

The author is Associate Editor for Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at ewilson@lawnandlandscape.com.