NewBrick Hires Doug Rende as Executive Vice President

In a move designed to advance its success as an alternative to traditional clay brick, NewBrick has hired former Glen-Gery Brick president and veteran building materials executive Doug Rende as executive vice president of sales and marketing, effective immediately, the company announced.

In addition to his exterior cladding experience and insights into the traditional brick, manufactured stone and vinyl siding industries against which NewBrick competes, Rende also possesses experience elevating alternative building materials to prominence competing against entrenched building products. Rende played a leadership role in the growth of Pergo laminate flooring. While leading the Pergo brand launch, Rende took the product from its launch to a $300 million company during his tenure.

“Doug Rende is a skilled developer of building materials brands and we are thrilled to have him leading our sales and marketing operations at NewBrick,” says NewBrick President and CEO R. Michael Murphy. “Doug has taken lighter weight, innovative products that address the changing trends and labor constraints of traditional materials to the construction markets, so he knows how to break through and achieve success promoting a more energy efficient and sustainable product solution. That, and his extensive knowledge of the brick industry, makes him the ideal person to continue the growth and development of the NewBrick value proposition.”

“Doug has driven successful new business launches, developed and executed product innovation processes, and created sustainable branding strategies in the consumer durables, manufacturing, and building materials industries. Over the course of his career, he has successfully led mature businesses, (Glen-Gery), a profitable start-up (Associated Materials) as well as acquisitive growth ventures (Ply Gem),” Murphy says.

Most recently Doug served as the CEO of TerraMai, a privately held reclaimed wood flooring/cladding manufacturing and distribution company where he led strategic planning, branding and new market development.  Previously, Doug served as president of Glen-Gery, a manufacturer of brick and stone products with 10 U.S. manufacturing plants, 29 active quarries and 10 owned company distribution centers throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. These successes have contributed to his board of directors positions within the Brick Industry Association; Vinyl Siding Institute; NAHB; PRO; NAFCD and NALFA organizations.

“I come into this opportunity thoroughly convinced that NewBrick effectively addresses the many limitations of traditional brick. The ease and speed of installation; weight and freight efficiencies and related, positive impact to total building construction costs, will continue to deliver dramatic market share growth versus our competitors,” Rende says. “With increased awareness that NewBrick offers improved energy efficiency and eliminates costlier structural steel requirements, the shelves, brick ties, pans, etc. required with traditional brick; these benefits in conjunction with Dryvit and Nudura deliver an improved engineered building solution to today’s code and building requirements.”

Across all industries technological innovation is being driven by alternatives to older products. Such is also the case in the brick and masonry industry with the introduction of NewBrick.

At 1/12 the weight of traditional clay brick, NewBrick is an insulated brick veneer that matches the size and appearance of clay brick but offers engineering and technology. The weight of NewBrick gives it advantages over clay brick, including installation time and the ability to eliminate steel and concrete reinforcements required when clay brick is used. 

NewBrick is being specified and installed in a range of commercial buildings across the U.S., including hotels; office buildings; medical facilities; college dormitories; sports complexes and mixed-use residential facilities. Installations in single family homes are also on the rise.