That's what Eva-Last Distributors recently discovered after making Decorex history by taking home two of the most highly coveted awards at the expo, the Award for Greenest Product and the Award for Excellence.

"We worked hard and hoped to do well here," commented Eva-Last director, Nathan Chapman, "But this is even more than we hoped for."

"It's a great feeling to be recognized in our industry as a quality green product," added fellow Eva-Last director, Cameron McLean.

Eva-Last Distributors specializes in wood plastic composite material, or WPC. WPC is outdoor material that can take the place of natural timber for decks, walkways, balustrade, pergolas, furniture...just about anything normally made out of wood. WPC is quickly gaining popularity in the South African market due to two of its hyphenated characteristics: low-maintenance and eco-conscious. Eva-Last products require virtually no maintenance other than an occasional sweeping to maintain their look and durability, yet have a life span of well over 30 years. They come backed with a ten-year warranty against splintering, warping, and significant colour fading. While composition of composite (say that three times fast) will vary slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer, in Eva-Last's case it is a combination of reclaimed wood fibres and high density polyetholene plastic; sawdust and recycled plastic bottles in laymen's terms.

When asked how Eva-Last first became involved in the composite market, director Marc Minnie answered, "South Africa is the most naturally beautiful place in the world. We wanted to bring in a product that would help preserve it and also encourage people to enjoy what's around them. There's no better way to appreciate South Africa than to relax on your deck at home in your garden."

Decorex seems to have agreed. Decorex in Johannesburg this year had over 50,000 attendees and 700 exhibitors from home industries ranging from cookware to hot tubs. The Excellence Award signifies that the winning stands are among the most highly regarded by the judging panel, this year consisting of Zola Kgaka (SAIA - SA Institute of Architects); Ryan Ilgner, President of the South Africa Institute of Interior Design Professions (IID); decor stylist Sherri Chipps and interior designer Dorothy Van't Riet.

Even more important to Eva-Last was winning the Greenest Product Award. This award recognizes one product above all 699 others featured in the expo for being the most practical and eco-friendly. The Greenest Product Award, sponsored by Property Magazine, is a new award for Decorex, added just this year. Angela Chatfield, Decorex General Manager Sales, explained that the judges were looking for a product that was wholly South African and benefitted the South African environment. Chatfield called Eva-Last "outstanding" and described the judges as being "very excited about the product." Eva-Last and its products are "so slick" and "brilliantly portrayed," according to Chatfield.

Winning both awards is an unprecedented accomplishment in Decorex history.

"This took a lot of work," said Chapman. "Not just building the stand – we were up until 4am three nights in a row working on it - but really everything that went on behind the scenes to get ready for today, all the researching and planning. But this is nice," he said holding up one award. "And this," he pointed to the second award, "is twice as nice."