I have to admit that it kind of baffled me why someone would ask why we make our products in the US; but his follow up clarified the reason he asked. You see throughout his 60 years of life, this dealer has personally seen the shift from U.S. manufacturing go to China and other parts of the world. He has also been in this industry for a while; so he is familiar with competing products that are made overseas. The reason he asked me why was actually his sarcastic way of being impressed. After we got past the why question the conversation shifted to more of an interrogation. He was really curious just how much of the manufacturing we did in house and how we could compete with products manufactured off shore.

It actually gave me a deep sense of pride in my company and the products we manufacture as I told him that we do it all in house. You can walk through our 70,000 square foot facility and see every aspect of our manufacturing process. We have a team of in house engineers, product development specialists, quality control directors and an army of the finest workers the country of Florida has to offer. Even though I have seen every aspect of the manufacturing process a thousand times it’s still amazing to walk through our plant and see it happen all under one roof.

As to the question of how do we compete, well the answer is simple. Prior to coming to Ipe Clip®, the company I worked for did 80% of its manufacturing overseas and I can tell you first hand, it was a rough battle. Sure the initial products that companies receive and initial production runs are of decent quality. However, the over all quality often declines as the overseas manufacturers move less experienced operators into the work. In addition to this you are often dealing with an unmotivated and poorly paid workforce. A workforce that will not be conducive to producing the best quality work. Then, as time passes, the initial savings begin to erode, in some cases to the point where the savings have morphed into additional costs! The delivery and quality issues add to your costs as well as a number of other factors. Also, as seen in China, wages will inevitably start to rise as the demand for labor increases and the labors demand for consumer items rises also. We even see workers in places like China striking for more money.

The bottom line is we, as a company, are trying to fix what has been broken in the US mind set for years. We not only want to manufacture U.S .made products, we also want to lead the manufacturing system back one fastener and one worker at a time.

The ideas for our products come from years of working knowledge in the construction industry and the close relationships we have with our dealers and distributors. With those ideas, the Ipe Clip® Team will continue to grow and manufacture products in the U.S. I personally look forward to having many more conversations as I did with this customer. Sure we are just one company out of the millions in the US; but hopefully our conviction and pride will serve as a role model for others.
Christopher Shope
National Sales Manager
cshope@ipeclip.com

After…

The boardwalk overlooks the Sampit River Harbor and is lined with restaurants, antique shops, galleries, and specialty stores. The Harborwalk, in its existing condition, was showing signs of wear. More importantly, it was slowly becoming a hazard to visitors. The boardwalk was originally constructed with pressure treated pine. Although this was acceptable in the distant past, we now know that pine doesn’t hold up over time. The existing pine boards had been found to have rotted in places. In other places the boards were splintering and many had nail pops. As the concern for the safety of the guests increased, the idea to renovate this historic boardwalk took shape.

An engineering firm was hired by the city of Georgetown to make recommendations on the most appropriate way to repair the boardwalk. This firm suggested that Ipe, a Brazilian hardwood, be used to replace the existing pine boards. Ipe is naturally rot and decay resistant, is extremely dense, and has a class A fire rating.One of the major improvements to the Harborwalk was the addition of Ipe Clip® brand hidden deck fasteners. One of the main areas of concern with the original boardwalk was nail popping. Ipe Clip® hidden deck fasteners eliminates this danger altogether. “It’s gratifying to know that our product was used in such a historic project and that it was chosen with safety concerns in mind,” said Dan Schiefer, General Manager of the Ipe Clip© Company. “Ipe Clip® has worked for years to design and manufacture hidden deck fasteners that not only blend in with every environment, but will also keep guests safe.”

• DeckWise™ stainless steel screws are ideal for vertical installation of hardwood deck boards among other uses. The self-tapping point ensures minimal grain tear out while also speeding up installation. Our DeckWise™ heads are available in stainless, or in Colormatch black & brown to match any number of species. Sizes include 1-1/2”, 2”, 2-1/2”, and 3-1/8”.

• DeckWise™ Drill&Drive is a 4-in-1 tool which allows builders to pre-drill, countersink or counterbore, then flip the countersink insert and drive the screw. This process speeds up the deck board installation process and is up to 4 times faster than standard drilling and driving operations.
• DeckWise™ hardwood plugs are available in Ipe, Cumaru, Tigerwood, Garapa, & Massaranduba. These plugs are carefully milled to ensure a tight fit into even the hardest deck boards.

• DeckWise™ Deck Spacers – There are five different sizes available, each a different color for easy recognition. The available sizes include 1/8”, 5/32”, 13/64”,1/4”, & 5/16” and are ideal for any type of decking installation.
Chris Shope, International Sales Manager adds, “We had a number of builders try out our products and were excited to see that each application was very successful. With DeckWise™, we’re certain that builders and homeowners will be able to construct stronger, more reliable hardwood decks.”

Although hardwood decking tops the list as the most used decking material, recently there has been a burst of interest shown in PVC decking. Although we, at Ipe Clip®, still prefer a beautiful hardwood Ipe deck, the interest shown in PVC decking is certainly cause for review.
PVC decking is installed quite similar to hardwood decking. You want to start with a ground clearance of at least 12” to allow for adequate air flow. We recommend that joist spacing not exceed 16” on center when perpendicular to joists and no more than 12” when deck boards are positioned at a 45 degree angle.

There are major differences between hardwood deck boards and PVC deck boards:

1.     The movement each makes over time is different. While hardwood decking will naturally move on its width, PVC decking will naturally move on its length.

2.    Hardwood deck board’s movement is primarily dependent upon moisture content while PVC deck boards are primarily dependent upon temperature changes.

3.    Ipe Clip® hidden deck fasteners are installed with the screw at a 45 degree angle, through half of the deck board, and then down into the joist. PVC decking will be installed using the very same Ipe Clip® hidden deck fasteners except the screw will be driven straight down through the fastener and into the joist allowing for the natural movement on its length.

Don’t be intimidated by all the choices that are now available for your decking needs. PVC decking can be installed just as easily as hardwood decking. There are no additional tools or equipment required. Ipe Clip® makes a hidden deck fastener for each decking project no matter the type of decking. Just give us a call and we’ll be happy to help you choose the right products for your decking needs.

No, you are not reading a typo. How would you like to be the lucky winner? It’s easy; just enter the Ipe Clip® Deck Picture Contest. The contest is open to all customers who have utilized Ipe Clip® Hidden Deck Fasteners in their projects. The projects can include hardwood, composite, or pvc decking, as well as projects using the fasteners as siding, fencing, or any other use you may have thought of. Winners will be chosen based on how well Ipe Clip® brand fasteners were used and the overall quality of the photograph of that project. The winner will be chosen by our staff and notified after the contest has closed, at the end of the calendar year.

• Projects MUST use Ipe Clip® brand fasteners
• Multiple projects and entries are allowed
• Limit of 6 photos per project

A $100 prize will be awarded to any entry that is used in the Ipe Clip® Fastener Company “Deck of the Month Showcase” feature. Now might be the best time to call and order Ipe Oil™ to help get your deck in prime photograph condition.

So what are you waiting for? Upload your deck photos today.

Thanks for entering and we look forward to seeing your photographs!

Introducing the latest deck fastener from the Ipe Clip® Fastener Co., The Extreme4™.

Finally, a hidden deck fastener for everyone!

I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have attempted to take an order from a customer that had no idea what type of decking they were using. Sure, it’s easy enough to know if it’s hardwood, composite, or pvc; but when it comes to hardwoods, many customers don’t know if they have air-dried or kiln-dried decking.

I am more than capable of helping our customers choose which hidden deck fastener is best to use when they know exactly what they have. How then, can we help them choose when they don’t know? There lies the challenge. Should we recommend the Ipe Clip® Extreme™ for air-dried decking that will contract after installation? Or should we recommend the Ipe Clip® ExtremeKD™ for kiln-dried decking that will expand after installation. See the dilemma? What most customers do not realize is that depending on the moisture content of the wood, it can either expand or contract after installation.

The Ipe Clip® Fastener Company has just released the answer with the new Ipe Clip Extreme4™! This new deck fastener works with all types of decking and automatically spaces deck boards at a 4mm (5/32”) gap spacing. The Ipe Clip® Extreme4™ is made of the same quality and workmanship as the Ipe Clip® Extreme™ and the Ipe Clip® ExtremeKD™ including the stainless steel insert for reinforcement. By combining elements used to create our previous Extreme™ line of fasteners with this unique gap spacing, we can now offer a single fastener that can allow for the proper expansion and contraction associated with all hardwoods. The Ipe Clip® Extreme4™ can be used with the following types of decking:

• Air-Dried – allows contraction on the width of air-dried hardwoods
• Kiln-Dried – allows expansion on the width of kiln-dried hardwoods
• Composite – allows expansion/contraction along the length of composite decking
• PVC – allows expansion/contraction along the length of PVC decking

The Ipe Clip® Extreme4™ will help to solve some of these major issues by working with all 4 types of decking. So if you or your customer choose to build your deck with kiln-dried hardwood and you wish to have tighter gap spacing than typical or you choose to build a deck with air-dried hardwood and wish to have a larger gap space, then the new Extreme4™ is the perfect option for you.

It truly is the best of both worlds!

We believe that by investing our money into American workers who take pride in their craftsmanship, we will continue to create better products and therefore become a greater company.

The excuse that profits are greater than people leads to inferior products. There’s a reason why cheap tools and parts that are made in China break down, the lack of quality.

At the the Ipe Clip® Fastener Co. designing and creating high-quality and long-lasting products that are, above all else, useful, is what sets us apart.

This fact is also what has made us the fastest growing and increasingly recognized deck fastener company in the United States, and now the world.

If you’d like to learn more, or would like to offer our United States-made products to your customers, sign our dealer info form or contact the Ipe Clip Fastener Co. directly today.

We’re also pleased to announce that we are adding new distributors each and every day! We’re ecstatic over adding distributors in Canada & Chile.

That’s right! you can now buy our top-of-the-line deck fasteners and other deck accessory products as far south as Chile!

If you’d like to get on board and start selling the best deck tools on the market today, you can inquire on becoming a dealer/distributor today.

From fastening to finishing, we’ve got deck building covered like no other company in the market.

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