BRISTOL, Va. — Strongwell (USA), the world’s leading pultruder of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, announced today that its STRONGDEK® architectural decking system has been recognized with a 2025 Product Innovation Award (PIA) by Architectural Products magazine.
The annual PIA program honors product advancements that elevate design, performance, sustainability, and building efficiency. All submissions are evaluated by an independent panel of practicing architects, who assess products on innovation, functionality, aesthetics, and their potential to improve the built environment.
The patented, two-part decking design that pairs a pultruded FRP structural plank with a snap‑on hybrid composite top cap, STRONGDEK delivers superior strength, long-term durability, and dimensional stability while offering a clean, refined architectural appearance. The lightweight boards outperform traditional wood and premium composite decking in rigidity and load-bearing capacity, supporting wider joist spacing and heavier loads without sacrificing aesthetics.
“STRONGDEK represents a major step forward for architectural decking,” said Barry Myers, Strongwell’s corporate director of marketing and communications and co-inventor of the product. “By combining FRP structural performance with a replaceable top cap, we’re giving architects, builders, and owners a deck system that lasts longer, requires virtually no maintenance, and can be refreshed without disturbing the structure beneath. We’re honored that Architectural Products recognized the innovation behind this product.”
STRONGDEK’s replaceable cap also provides a significant advantage for long-term maintenance and design flexibility. Walking surfaces can be updated quickly and safely without removing the underlying FRP plank, reducing both material waste and lifecycle cost. The product’s closed-mold manufacturing process further supports sustainability by reducing emissions and minimizing production waste.
In addition to the Product Innovation Award, STRONGDEK was honored in October with the 2025 Manufacturing Innovations Award from the Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing (SVAM). Together, these recognitions highlight the STRONGDEK’s technical leadership, design versatility, and growing impact across both the architectural and manufacturing communities.
For more information about STRONGDEK, visit https://www.strongdek.com . For more information about Strongwell, visit https://www.strongwell.com.
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Headquartered in Bristol, Virginia, Strongwell is the world’s leading pultruder of fiber reinforced polymer composites. The company has pultrusion manufacturing facilities in Bristol, Virginia; Abingdon, Virginia; Chatfield, Minnesota; and Apodaca, Mexico. Strongwell is a financially strong, privately held company, producing products including structural shapes, grating, handrail, structural building panels, decking systems, composite armor, ladder rail, and many OEM products for its diverse customer base.
