Bobby Parks and the Evolution of the Steel Industry

Bobby Parks, founder and former owner of Peachtree Decks and Porches LLC is a nationally recognized outdoor living and remodeling contractor who has designed and delivered over $40 million of residential and commercial outdoor living projects. With over three decades of experience as a deck, porch, patio, and remodeling contractor, Bobby continues to influence the industry by leading building and business courses, serving on numerous manufacturer advisory committees, and contributor to Deck Specialist with past contributions to Professional Deck Builder, Fine Home Building, Remodeling, and JLC Live magazines. 

How did you get started in the deck building and outdoor living space? 

My career just naturally evolved. I started as a residential homebuilder and transitioned to the outdoor living industry over 30 years ago. I forged a path in the higher-end market, focusing on designing different and unique spaces and using products that would perform. Excelling in that niche allowed us to float to the top. 

As my career has pivoted once again, my goals are to mentor contractors to grow their businesses and work with suppliers in ways that make a meaningful difference. I did that for Trex for three years as a consultant for Contractor Development, and now I'm all in with the Versatex Road Show. We have a custom trailer that we take to stocking dealers to support their customers and do live-action demonstrations. 

How do speaking, writing, and hosting roadshows compare to building? Do you miss it? 

I don't miss the building aspect of it, but I do miss designing and seeing my visions come to life. I won several National Design Awards and had projects featured in "Creative Homeowners' Ultimate Guide to Porches" and "This Old House Magazine." I built so much in my career and felt like I accomplished what I wanted to achieve. Now, I’m given new opportunities to be involved in the industry differently. 

You recently completed your own deck project with Jason and the New Castle Building crew. Was it fun to watch that come to fruition? 

I bought my place in North Carolina because of the property. It's so quiet and peaceful, but it needed a deck. I'm used to designing and overseeing jobs, but this was even more exciting because it was mine. I wanted to make a dramatic change from the existing deck that was over 20 years old. 

As a contractor, when you’re not familiar or comfortable with something, you tend to shy away from it and stick to what's comfortable. But when I saw how simple it is to work with steel and understood that the learning curve was not as dramatic as I thought it would be, it was clear that you could never have the same results with wood. Your finished projects can only be as good as the materials incorporated into them. 

Wood was so much better decades ago. It's all changed now. When you're building, you have to deal with varying sizes of framing that are not all cut the same, you have to treat the ends, you have to tape it, and you have to hope that after you do all this that you don't have joists that sag after the job. But building with steel doesn’t take much longer, and you don't have to worry about that. People need to know that. 

There will always be a market for wood, but if you're investing in composite decking and alternative railings that are built to last, why would you build it on a wood frame that can be questionable? It's worth investing in your frame too. I would absolutely recommend steel to my customers if I were still in the business. 

Why did you choose New Castle Steel for your project? 

When I think of steel framing, New Castle and Jason are some of the first names that come to mind. Jason has been doing steel frames for a long, long time. I have a ton of confidence in him and what he's doing. I chose him because he's one of the best out there. He leads in this space and understands what you can do with steel. For me to have him come up and build my deck shows just how much I trust him.

He's also an excellent teacher with a great team who never had to redo anything. Jason is a perfectionist--he won't settle. That's what has gotten him to where he is now. 

How is steel changing the deck-building industry?

I've expected steel to get more traction in this industry for years. In this day and age, with the decking and railing options out there and the longevity clients expect from those products, steel should be an obvious choice. If it continues to be used more, it will make for a positive change in terms of more reliable and longer-lasting projects. 

Of course, it depends on market demographics, but in my experience, contractors are more likely to get hung up on the “price” than homeowners. There are potential customers in most markets who, if educated about their options, would spend more to complete a “good investment” for a project. But to sell something means you have to believe in it. Whether you believe and have confidence shows thru when presenting to a customer. How you sound will influence decisions. 

If you lay out the benefits for the homeowner, they will believe in it. But if you don't believe in it, neither will they. With wood, you can only hope you won't have a problem. With steel, I believe problems are less likely. 

What advice do you have for current or upcoming building professionals?

Build and protect your reputation. Think long-term when it comes to the products you recommend and provide. Establish your building philosophy. What do you want to build, and what kind of jobs do you want to be known for? Have a strategy for everything you do, and use products that meet your standards. You and your customers are partners, so treat them that way. Leverage marketing tools, learn how to sell, and become less of an order taker. Margins and profit can still be made from working with higher-end clients. Don't settle. 

If you don't have it all in place, the wheels could come off. Think about everything. It's not just building and delivering. Surround yourself with people who can help you. Create a website and ask for reviews that allow leads and opportunities. Do things that allow you to grow through margin instead of production. Strive to obtain business balance.

What's next for Bobby Parks?

I enjoy my role with Versatex and other projects I’m currently involved in. I want to keep doing it as long as I feel I'm making a difference. I get to be around great people. One of the things that I'd like to do more of is to get vocational schools more involved. It's great to work with students and mentor them and encourage them to design, create, and build.