The Polymeric Exterior Products Association (PEPA) team is gearing up for a busy fall filled with industry events where we’ll connect, learn, advocate and support our members. Here’s a look at where PEPA will be hitting the road this season:
Onsite Member Support – Sharing Technical Learning
Alex Fernandez, PEPA’s Vice President, Government Affairs and Advocacy, will team up with Sara Krompholz, PEPA’s Senior Director, Technical and Certification, to present on a variety of relatable topics for the technical audience of PEPA member Brava Roof Tile at its third annual TARGET event.
TARGET is Brava’s acronym for Technical Advancement of Resources, Guidance, E-learning (and) Training. This event will take place at the Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, MO, October 6-8.
The Code, The Code, The Code… with One on the Road
Matt Dobson, PEPA’s Senior Vice President, will be participating in three key meetings of the association’s Code Development Work Group (CDWG):
- September 30 – a virtual meeting focused on roofing
- October 21 – a virtual meeting focused on cladding
- November 17 & 18 – an in-person meeting at the Maumee Bay Lodge & Conference Center in Toledo, OH. This meeting will be a review of developed code proposals, as well as continuing discussions on roofing and cladding.
Proactively influencing building code developments remains a top priority for PEPA, and Matt will be promoting the work of the CDWG at the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) 2026 Fall Leadership Meeting in Detroit on October 6-8. The focus of this year’s meeting is Codes, Standards and Climate Risk.
Explaining PEPA Product Usage at the ASTM D20 Plastics Committee Week
At this Jacksonville, FL, event, Sara will participate in one of the more active subcommittees: D20.24 Plastic Building Products, November 2-4.
“This is where many of the ASTM standards used by PEPA reside,” Sara explained. “It is here at this subcommittee meeting that PEPA will share how it intends to use ASTM D8655 for polymeric cladding.”
ASTM D8655 was first published in June 2026. It is a standardized classification system that helps the industry consistently characterize and communicate the properties of recycled rigid PVC and CPVC materials while leaving product-performance requirements to the applicable product standards. D8655 does not establish minimum recycled-content requirements or address other aspects that consumers of recycled rigid PVC content may need. The efforts of PEPA’s Recycled Properties Work Group (RPWG) are intended to help fill those gaps within the applicable product standards for polymeric cladding.
Promoting Workforce Development and Sustainability
Matt will be in Charlotte, NC, from November 10-12 for a VSI Certified Installer Training Pilot Project with the Building Talent Foundation (BTF) and the local Goodwill. He will return to Charlotte December 7-9 for the annual Vinyl Sustainability Summit.
These two events demonstrate how PEPA “walks the walk” with partnerships, putting boots on the ground with BTF to enhance the building trades workforce at the local level, and building greater equity with the Vinyl Institute’s Vinyl Sustainability Council, to promote the organizations’ combined efforts in improving vinyl sustainability – especially with regard to the Revinylize Recycling Collaborative – and to learn about the latest best practices from other subject matter experts in this space.
Where the Polymeric Meets the Road
Connecting with members and partners face-to-face, representing PEPA at industry functions and advocating PEPA’s interests are essential parts of the job descriptions for the lean-but-mean team that “punches above its weight” (as President/CEO Kate Offringa proudly describes them).
“It’s helpful for our members and the home building sector to know how and where we are reaching out at industry functions and mission-driven events, and to know how hard their association is working for them. Keeping them informed also allows them to participate, collaborate and even recommend other venues for PEPA to plant our flag,” Kate said.
For more information about PEPA’s event participation, contact Matt at mdobson@polymericexteriors.org.