made available in the future). That ease and simplicity is vitally important, Dustin says, especially in a time of skilled labor shortages. In responses to the 2020 Construction Outlook Survey, 81 per cent of construction companies reported having difficulty finding professionals to fill hourly and salaried positions. In addition, an increase in younger generations choosing careers in the tech industry means there is a high number of unskilled laborers on job sites, which typically results in more accidents, waste, and costs. That’s less of an issue working with PLAEX, however, because their products are so easy to use and there’s so much less room for error. Also, once again, PLAEX’s product takes much less time to assemble. According to Dustin, the “only competitive technology to us speed-wise would be something like 3D printing – that’s the level of speed we can assemble with.” Unlike 3D printed product, however, PLAEX is not only environmentally-sustainable, but also durable and longlasting. “The issue with plastic in the natural environment is how long it lasts,” Dustin says. “Just think about it from a return-oninvestment perspective. Your property is your asset. If you build it with materials that are going to deteriorate quickly, you’re not going to get a longterm ROI on it. But if you use products like PLAEX, you’re going to be able to get a better return on your investment no matter how much time passes.” “The science says we’re looking at a 500-to-700 lifespan on a lot of these polymers,” he explains. “With proper care and maintenance, we see a lot of our products being able to last next-to-indefinitely. They are definitely products that are going to last your lifetime. It’s an amazingly tough material.” OCTOBER 2023
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTYzNTg=