North American Deck & Railing Association (NADRA)

this test, you can become certified. That gives the member a sense of pride, and people will be more apt to hire you if you have a professional certification. We also have a certification course for home inspectors to do deck inspection. When they are certified, we give them an app that allows them to record points of inspection and what needs to be addressed, so they can give that report to the home owner. “We realized that going through home inspectors, and engineers, and architects was a great way to get this accomplished because builders are so busy, they don’t have time to do inspections. That why we have people from all those sectors joining up as members.” BVM: What would you like NADRA to achieve going forward? Beaudry: “ Since we started, we’ve very successfully brought together the value chain of the industry. Now builders are constantly being contacted by local manufacturers’ reps, they’re working with their local dealers. Dealers are working with distributors to do educational events. We didn’t have that before. So from that aspect I’m proud that we do have the voice. “Now we’re working on how to bring the outdoor living communities together. I’m happy to say that this year with Deck Expo, through my management company OPN (Outdoor Professional Network), we’re combined with the Pool & Spa Association. My personal goal over the next three to five years is to bring all the outdoor living associations together so we can provide education, share expertise, and make the whole outdoor living experience much better for the consumer.”