TAMKO’s Lowry Is Selected President of Composite Lumber Manufacturers Association

Brian Lowry, senior director decking for TAMKO Building Products Inc., has been selected as president of the Composite Lumber Manufacturers Association (CLMA). As president, Lowry leads quarterly board meetings and oversees general activities of the organization.

Lowry says, “This is a role that I take with great pride knowing that TAMKO helped form the CLMA over a decade ago and that it continues to thrive today.”

TAMKO was a founding member of the CLMA, which was formed in 2005 and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. Along with other founding members, TAMKO assisted with organizing the first meeting of manufacturers to discuss the association’s formal operation. The initial mission developed in 2005 remains today: To advance the growth of the composite deck and railing industry through proactive technical, advocacy and awareness efforts.

One of the key services the CLMA provides its members and the composite lumber industry is the work done by its subcommittee, the Codes and Standards Committee. This committee is dedicated to monitoring and engaging in the building code process. Each CLMA member assigns technical personnel to serve on the Codes and Standards Committee.

“Early on, the Codes and Standards Committee worked with and through regulatory bodies and testing agencies to develop the composite lumber testing and product performance standards that exist today and which paved the way for the introduction of composite lumber into the model building codes,” Lowry notes.

By gaining inclusion into the building codes, composite lumber was acknowledged as a decking material just as wood decking had been for decades. During his two-year term as CLMA president, Lowry’s goal is to bring a continued focus on participation in the building code process.

Lowry joined TAMKO in 1996. He was involved with TAMKO’s initial entry into the composite lumber market in 2001, including the inaugural launch of the company’s EverGrain decking line. In 2016, Lowry was promoted to senior director decking, where he is responsible for all aspects of TAMKO’s decking operations, including sales, manufacturing and R&D.

TAMKO’s Executive Vice President Tim Whelan adds, “I know that Brian will bring great leadership and continued focus to the CLMA.”