®
Volume II, Issue III
The Tiger Roar
Inside this Issue:
Inc. 5000 ........................................1
Trade Shows Recaps ................. 2
Winter Deck Maintenance ...... 3
Tiger Claw Can Save
You Money ................................... 3
West Imports: International
Distributor .................................. 4
Warranty .................................... 5
Q3 Sales Meeting ....................... 6
2010 Company Outing ............. 7
Employee Birthdays ................... 7
What’s your
New Years Resolution?
Start the new year off right with
NADRA and Tiger Claw!
Become a NADRA member and
receive a Tiger Claw installation gun!
FREE!
For more information visit: nadra.org
or call 1-800-928-4437
Tiger Claw Makes Inc. 5,000 List for the Third
December 15, 2010
Year in a Row
By Susan Kohl (Public Relations)
TIGER CLAW INC. has made the Inc. 5000 list
for the third consecutive year, with a three-
year sales growth of 260%.
Tiger Claw is ranked #1,146 on the annual
ranking of the 5,000 fastest-growing private
companies in the country and ranked 69th
in the Consumer Products and Services cat-
egory.
“Tiger Claw is a great example of how hard
work combined with innovative thinking can produce significant sales
growth even during a recession,” said David Hartmann, president of Tiger
Claw. “We continue to partner with the world’s leading decking manufactur-
ers to produce private label hidden deck fasteners as well as develop our
own line of fasteners and installation tools. We have expanded our workforce
while retaining our veteran employees. We are proud to be on the Inc. 5000
list for the third consecutive year and are motivated to keep moving up the
rankings.”
The yearly Inc. 500/5000 list is the most comprehensive look at the most
important segment of the economy – America’s independent-minded entre-
preneurs. Taken as a whole, these companies represent the backbone of the
U.S. economy.
“The leaders of the companies on this year’s Inc. 5000 have figured out how
to grow their businesses during the longest recession since the Great Depres-
sion,” said Inc. President Bob LaPointe. “The 2010 Inc. 5000 showcases a par-
ticularly hardy group of entrepreneurs.”
Tiger Claw was founded in
2001 with three employ-
ees. Revenue for that year
was $15,000. Today, Tiger
Claw has 23 employees and
$9.6 million in 2009 reve-
nue, with a three-year sales
growth of 260%.
Page 2 The Tiger Roar December 15, 2010

Shows, Shows, and More Shows

Trade Shows Recaps
By John Balzano (Eastern Regional Sales Manager)

DeckExpo 2010 WPC (Wood-Plastic & Natural Fiber

IN SEPTEMBER OF 2010, Tiger Claw Inc. set up a 20x10
booth for the Deck Expo. This year’s event was held at
the Baltimore Convention Center in beautiful down-
town Baltimore City.
The Tiger Claw booth consisted of a new color of Tim-
berTech decking that will not be available until the
spring of 2011. The three day event had much to offer
for the decking industry. New products were displayed
throughout the convention center floor, along with
many live
demonstra-
tions which
benefit a vari-
ety of contrac-
tor needs.
Composites Conference)
IN SEPTEMBER 2010, Tiger Claw Inc. participated in
the Wood-Plastic & Natural Fiber Composites Confer-
ence (WPC) in Charlotte, NC. Greg Hartmann and John
Balzano made the trip to NC to show support for the
decking industry. The two day event focused on cur-
rent and future market conditions for the wood, plas-
tics and composite manufacturers. Tiger Claw was
the only fastener company at the show, showcasing a
small display table and a presentation which showed
our continual support for all our partners in the deck-
ing market. It was an excellent experience and we look
forward to attending again in 2011.

Tiger Claw
Inc. showed
off its full line
of fasteners,
which included
everything from the TC-1S to the EG 1•2•3. It doesn’t
matter what type of deck product you are using, Tiger
Claw has a hidden fastener system available for your
decking needs.

Once again Tiger Claw Inc. did a t-shirt promotion,

in which three lucky visitors won $100 cash just for
wearing a Tiger Claw t-shirt. A cash prize was also
given out to one lucky visitor who filled out a survey
form at the booth during the show.
Page 3 The Tiger Roar
Fall is the Time for Winter Deck
Maintenance
By Andy Langston (South East Regional Sales Manager)
MOST LIKELY THE summer has taken a toll on your
deck with sun damage, cracking, mildew and fading.
Now is the time to clean, restore, and protect your
wood from possible moisture damage during the win-
ter months ahead.
Here are some valuable tips and warnings to make sure
your deck is properly “winterized”:
1. Give your deck a thorough cleaning. Sweep away
all leaves, needles and branches and remove all de-
bris from between your deck boards. Proper venti-
lation is crucial to avoid standing water and mois-
ture build up.
2. Store pots and planters inside. If you leave pots and
planters on the deck over the winter, you risk stain-
ing the deck boards.
3. Get rid of any mildew you find with either a store
bought or homemade solution. Eliminating mold
and mildew before winter will prevent damage to
the boards during the cold months.
4. Scrape and strip old finishes. If you choose to do
this, make sure you reapply a new stain to protect
the structure of the boards.
5. The last and most important step is to seal the deck
with a water-repellent product. This keeps your
deck safe from rain, sleet and snow and prevents
moisture from seeping back into the deck’s surface.
* Remember, if you choose to shovel the snow from
your deck, do so lengthwise across the boards to
prevent scratching.
* Don’t use salt or other melting products on your
deck because they could cause staining and damage.
December 15, 2010
Using Tiger Claw Hidden Deck
Fasteners Can Save You Money
By Dave Cronin (New England Regional Sales Manager)
Hidden deck fastening systems have existed for
over 20 years, however, in the early days they were
cumbersome, expensive and difficult to use. In addi-
tion, there wasn’t a tremendous amount of variety in
the choices of decking that a consumer had to choose
from. Pressure treated decking accounted for well over
90% of the decks built just a few years ago, so the bal-
ance of other wood decking represented a very small
percentage of the overall decking activity in the mar-
ketplace.
Fast forward to 2010 and you now have a multitude
of decking surfaces in which to choose from – from
pressure treated to exotic hardwoods to composites to
PVC, the selection today is abundant. Decks have trans-
formed from a plain pressure treated, air nailed surface
to an “outdoor high end living experience” featuring
PVC decking with composite handrail systems. In addi-
tion, the deck industry has incorporated high end out-
door “living scapes” that can incorporate stainless grills
and cooking surfaces, refrigerators, fireplaces, sound
systems and a host of other luxuries.
With this transformation in decking offerings came
new hidden fastening systems because the consumer
didn’t want to see surface screws or nails. While hid-
den fastening systems are more expensive on the sur-
face than deck screws, many choose to spend the extra
money on these systems because the cost of the fasten-
ers represents a smaller percentage of the cost of the
overall project purely because the “basics” of the deck
package are more expensive than in the past.
In 2009, Tiger Claw introduced their installation gun
for grooved decking which has reduced the “overall
cost” of hidden deck fasteners in that the gun reduces
the contractor’s labor costs significantly. Labor costs
are the largest variable in the cost of a deck project and
can vary widely based on the materials used, including
the fastening system. By incorporating the installation
gun with the TC-G grooved deck fastener, a typical con-
tractor can expect to save as much as 50% or more in
the labor cost of installing the deck boards vs. the use
of conventional surface screws, screw plug systems and
plastic biscuits. The savings that the installation gun
provides for the contractor well exceeds the added cost
of the fasteners and provides for significant additional
revenue and profit.
Page 4 The Tiger Roar December 15, 2010
West Imports
By Greg Lane (Sales Specialist)
OVER THE YEARS Tiger Claw has been gaining success internationally. For near-
ly 5 years Tiger Claw has been working with Arne Franck-Petersen, owner of
West Imports, a Norwegian company who has had great international success
selling Tiger Claw fasteners.

Here Arne tells us how he teamed up with Tiger Claw.

“It all started in 2004 when my family was living in Atlanta, GA due to my wife’s
job. Since there was not much for me to do, I spent a lot of time in Home Depot.
It was there I saw the Tiger Claw fastener for the first time. On that day I took one
fastener with me and kept it in my pocket for weeks.

After my family and I returned to Norway in 2006, I tried to contact the manu-
facturer of the fastener. I was first sent to a dealer in Ireland where I bought the
dealer’s entire stock of Tiger Claw fasteners. After buying out the dealer I worked with Tiger Claw and soon was
able to purchase my stock directly from them.

However, I still had a long way to go. When I started in the fall of 2006, nobody in the Norwegian stores had heard
about or seen hidden deck fasteners. The product was just too new for the market. To create hidden fastener
awareness, I built a small deck 1x2 meter that I put on the top of my car as a sample to show. After a lot of miles
and trade shows around Norway I received my first written delivery agreement in 2008.

In the fall of 2009, I started my own company, TerrasseSpesialisten AS, to bring the product to the market. In the
spring of 2010, I had my first contract with a chain distributor. Presently completing my second contract and am
in negotiations with a third. When these are settled, I will have distribution agreements with over 50 percent of
the Norwegian market, totaling over 340 stores.

It is not done yet, but I am off to a very good start.”

RETAILERS & DISTRIBUTORS!

Did you know Tiger Claw does FREE retailer demonstrations?

Tiger Claw will come to your location, set up products and tools and give product knowledge sessions
to your staff and all attending contractors.

Want to make it EXTRA SPECIAL to attract even more contractors to your location?

Our marketing department is always available to help promote and create an exciting event for your
customers and staff. From event flyers to refreshments and a BBQ. We are here to help you!

Ask your Tiger Claw Representative or call our office (800) 928-4437 to learn how
you can make your demonstration a huge success!
 Page 5 The Tiger Roar
Maintaining Your Warranty
By Greg Hartmann (Director of Sales)
“Don’t do that or you will void your warranty”.
A phrase everyone has heard at one time or another.
However, in most cases that statement and others
about voiding your warranty are false. While it is a fact
that not changing your oil at certain intervals will prob-
ably limit any manufacturer responsibility to repair en-
gine damage, not changing your engine oil will not void
your vehicles paint warranty. Having your engine oil
changed somewhere other than a dealer will not void
your engine warranty provided it is done correctly and
timely with the correct specification products. Not us-
ing Ford brand oil on your new Ford will not affect your
warranty.
At one time some manufacturers in an effort to guide
maintenance business back to themselves were pro-
moting the idea that in order to maintain a warranty
you must use their products and services. In 1975 this
practice was put to an end by the Federal Trade Com-
mission in the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. The Mag-
nusson-Moss Warranty Act states that three things are
prohibited in a warranty:
1. Implied warranties
2. Tie-in sales
3. Deceptive warranty terms.
“Generally, tie-in sales provisions are not
allowed. Such a provision would require
a purchaser of the warranted product to
buy an item or service from a particu-
lar company to use with the warranted
product in order to be eligible to receive
a remedy under the warranty.”
- Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act
Just as the Magnuson-Moss Act protects you from war-
ranty abuses by automobile manufacturers the law
protects you from abuses by any manufacturer provid-
ing a warranty. The manufacturer of your circular saw
cannot say they are not going to warranty your failed
saw because you used an Irwin saw blade. The manu-
facturer of your pneumatic nailer cannot say they will
not warranty your broken nailer because you conected
December 15, 2010
it to a different brand compressor. It is the same with
decking. A decking manufacturer cannot say they are
not going to warranty failed deck boards because you
used the wrong brand screw, nail or fastener.
Example:
Illegal Warranty Statements:
1. “Installations using hidden fasteners not branded by
XYZ company are not warranted.”
2. “Use of hidden fasteners other than those branded or
approved by XYZ company are not covered by the XYZ
company warranty. For best results and full warranty
coverage, only use XYZ company branded fasteners or
fasteners approved on our website.”
Most composite and pvc decking manufacturers have
their own brand of fasteners available. If those fasten-
ers suit your needs use them. You may want to use oth-
er manufacturer’s fasteners because they are a better
fit for you due to:
Availability
n
Price
n
n Ease of use
n Labor savings
n Type of material
Warranty
n
n Tool compatibility
n Use the fastener you want that is appropriate
for the board being used.
Don’t worry about the board warranty being affected.
The board manufacturer will warranty the board if
there is a problem just as the fastener manufacturer
will warranty the fastener.
Tiger Claw Stainless Steel Hidden Deck Fasteners are
warranted for 25 years.
* Visit the Federal Trade Commision website (www.ftd.gov) for more infor-
mation on the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act
Page 6 The Tiger Roar December 15, 2010

Tiger Claw Quarter 3 Sales Meeting

By David Ondich (North East Regional Manager)
WHEN I WAS asked to write about Tiger Claw’s quarterly sales meetings I initially thought, what is there to write
about? I thought why can’t I write about something exciting like my annual vacation to the Outer Banks or about
one of my kids or grand kids? However, after some thought it came to me.

I started working for Tiger Claw in February of 2009

after being in the building supply industry for over 25
years. As you can imagine, I had been to quite a few
sales meetings in my career, but the sales meetings at
Tiger Claw were different. It’s difficult to explain all of
the differences, but every time Tiger Claw brings sales
together we experience something completely different
and learn something new.

Yes, we go over profits and losses, sales programs, trade

shows, and customer service like every other company
but at our sales meetings Tiger Claw always takes it
to the next level. One example is the hands on experi-
ence from co-owner Don Martel and extensive product
knowledge training on new and existing products. We
Hands on training with Don Martel (above)
are constantly finding new ways to be the best sales Lunch break at Director of Sales, Greg Hartmann’s house (below)
force in the industry.

Even before I started working for Tiger Claw I noticed

that there was something different about the company.
In my opinion, Tiger Claw was an industry leader (with
3 consecutive years of making the Inc. 5000 list of fast-
est growing companies in America) and I wanted to be
a part of it. At the time I had no idea what made Tiger
Claw such an extraodinary company, but I had my theo-
ries:

1. Maybe it’s because the Director of Sales, Greg Hart-

mann, has put together one of the most professional group of sales people I have ever worked with. Our sales
team now represents every region in the United States and Canda. We also have a specialist who works with Tiger
Claw’s international clients.

2. Maybe it’s Don Martel in the way he trains every employee who works for Tiger Claw. Making sure everyone is
well informed and everyone of us are now experts in the decking industry.

3. Maybe it’s the passion that every employee has in taking ownership of whatever they do. It is not uncommon for
anyone to step up and take new responsibilities.

4. Maybe it’s the way the President David Hartmann and the Vice President Dave Martel invite us all over to their
homes for a family home cooked meal during our stay in Bristol.

5. Or maybe it’s the fun bonding experiences we have when we all get together. At our last sales meeting, to cel-
ebrate our 10th year in business, the entire company enjoyed a day in the trees zip lining. I never thought I would
do that at a sales meeting. Now that’s not boring! My heart is still racing.
Page 7 The Tiger Roar December 15, 2010

Tiger Claw Company Outing

By Monica Machon (Marketing Programs Manager)
EVERY YEAR ALL Tiger Claw employees gather to cel-
ebrate Tiger Claw’s birthday and participate in some
fun team bonding.

This year Tiger Claw celebrated its 10th year in busi-

ness with a day in the trees at Empower Line and Can-
opy Tours.

A HUGE kudos goes out to our Order Management Spe-

cialist for conquering her fears and taking part of this
exciting adventure!

The tour included 5 exciting zip lines and 2 different

tree to tree obstacles. Overall it was a great day with
fun had by all.

Zip On!

Happy Birthday Greg Lane Sales Specialist Nov. 10th

to the following Tiger Claw employees! David Hartmann President Dec. 3rd

Order Management
Tangie Lewis Oct. 20th Brent Fournier Director
of Dec. 12th
Specialist Operations

Marketing Programs
Monica Machon Nov. 3rd Terrence Bacchus Warehouse Dec. 24th
Manager Manager