Know Your Own Bone
By NADRA Member, Brendan Casey, Casey Fence and Deck
Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “…..know your own bone, gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it, gnaw it still.”
In the deck industry that means learn what you do best and strive to be better than anyone else in your area at what makes you unique. If that is composite decking or wood, ten, twenty, thirty, forty thousand dollar category or more, find your niche and consistently be the best.
That’s what the NADRA National+ Deck Competition is all about. We have all seen the otherworldly works of Jason Russell – Dr. Decks who has been delivering insane projects, Sean McAleer at DeckRemodelers.com (the most awarded company in NADRA history) or Bob Kiefer of Decks by Kiefer who has been putting his masterpieces on display and in magazines for decades, and Andy Henley of Hen-House Decks who wowed the world last year with his Fender Stratocaster inspired deck. Chances are, most of us can’t compete in those categories, they are the Mt. Rushmore of deck building. First of all, not many of us have clientele willing to spend the money to create such masterpieces and I for one applaud those guys for their creative genius.
In an effort to recognize the work being created by the rest of us mere mortals, NADRA has about 20 other categories. That way those of us that have gnawed our own bones to the point of becoming the most recognized companies in our neighborhoods, towns, or communities, have an arena in which to compete. It doesn’t require us to have projects with $50,000.00 and more just on railings and another twenty grand on lights. Or a shop with a department that specializes in curving staircases. We can compete with wood decks; treated, cedar, redwood, ipe, teak, garapa, bamboo, or whatever you specialize in. It can be a composite with a unique twist, something that just really enhances the living space of our clients. Like I said, 20, 30 40 grand. NADRA has a category for resurfaced/ redesigned decks. So enter your best work and see what happens.
Casey Fence And Deck has won 5 NADRA Awards as just a small hometown family company. No national following, barely on social media. None of our projects have been for more than fifty thousand dollars. Two of them were wood decks, another two were resurfaced projects. Never in a million years did I dream we would win an award, but I felt I owed it to my team and myself to put my money where my mouth is and at least compete.
We didn’t win the first few times we entered, and the guys that did win deserved it. However, we kept trying because that’s what scrappers do. When we finally won it was like being drafted to the pros. My 37 years of hard work, determination, and experience were finally validated by my professional industry and my peers. It was the single most humbling experience of my career to have Bobby Parks call my name and tell me I earned it.
So do me a favor, join NADRA, enter the competition, and take a chance on winning because when I won my awards the validation, the ability to put it on our work trailer, letterhead, website, business cards, etc. allowed us to more than double our sales the following year.
I have seen some of the fantastic work being put out by companies all over the world and honestly want to see you guys receive the same validation. You deserve it, you owe it to yourself and your teams to at least give it a shot. NADRA welcomes members and entries from all over the world, not just the U.S.A. and Canada. I’ve seen some incredible work coming out of Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, you guys need to compete.
By the way, NADRA wanted me to pass along that the deadline has been extended until December 7th, 2020 at 11:59pm EST. For my U.S.A. friends, this means you don’t have to rush. You can now enjoy your time with your family over Thanksgiving and give yourself a little break. But after that… Bring it on.
Brendan Casey
Casey Fence And Deck
Setting The Standard In Excellence With Our Pride In Craftsmanship
38 Years of Experience
Nationally Recognized Multi-Award Winning Custom Deck Specialist.
