SPAX: fasteners, product breadth, and the EPD gap
SPAX is a go‑to name for wood construction screws and structural fasteners. The portfolio is deep, the retail footprint is everywhere, and the brand equity is real. What many specifiers still look for, though, are product‑specific EPDs that unlock low‑carbon specs without drama. Here’s how SPAX stacks up, where competitors have a head start, and the fastest path to close the gap.
Who SPAX is
SPAX is the fastening flagship of the ALTENLOH, BRINCK & CO group, with production anchored in Ennepetal, Germany, and additional U.S. manufacturing under ABC US in Ohio. The brand focuses on engineered screws for construction and cabinetry, plus accessories and wood connectors.
What they sell, at a glance
SPAX covers universal and wood‑construction screws, decking screws, concrete screws, drywall screws, window‑installation screws, and a growing line of wood connectors. Across diameters, lengths, heads, coatings, and stainless grades, the SKU count sits well into the hundreds across regions. Translation for sales teams: plenty of families to prioritize when a project starts asking for paperwork.
Sustainability signals on their site
SPAX publishes a sustainability program with ISO 14001, energy efficiency projects, and an EcoVadis Bronze recognition. See the company’s page for details and downloads (SPAX we care).
EPD coverage today
As of December 20, 2025, we didn’t find current, product‑specific EPDs for SPAX screws in major public registers checked. That absence doesn’t diminish product quality, but it does affect specability on jobs that tally materials credits or set embodied‑carbon guardrails.
Why EPDs still move specs
LEED v4.1’s BPDO EPD credit counts at least 20 qualifying products from five manufacturers, and a product‑specific Type III EPD with external verification counts as 1.5 products toward that target (USGBC Credit Library, 2024) (USGBC, 2024). LEED v5, ratified March 28, 2025, keeps disclosure in play while shifting more attention to embodied‑carbon outcomes across the bill of materials (USGBC, 2025) (USGBC, 2025). If a screw has a verified EPD, it makes the submittal math easier.
Where rivals are publishing
Hilti lists product‑specific EPDs for structural timber screw portfolios in a recognized program, valid into 2029, which helps on mass timber and heavy wood packages (EPD Hub, 2024) (EPD Hub, 2024). EJOT also publishes EPDs for self‑tapping screws and façade fastening systems, which show up in specification toolkits for envelopes and ETICS (EJOT, 2025).
A likely best‑seller example
SPAX PowerLags are positioned for exterior structural wood‑to‑wood connections and ledger installations at scale. On projects where the team needs EPD‑eligible fasteners to complete materials credits or embodied‑carbon tracking, competitors with an EPD in the same application class can become the default pick. That can shift a cart full of screws before price even enters the chat. It happens alot on LEED‑chasing commercial work.
Competitive set to expect on bids
- Hilti for structural screws, drywall, and sheathing fasteners, with EPD coverage in timber screws.
- EJOT and other façade‑system fastener specialists that bring EPDs for envelope components.
- Regional timber‑construction brands with portfolio EPDs targeting CLT and glulam packages.
Fast path for SPAX to close the EPD gap
Start with the highest‑velocity families that show up in professional submittals: structural timber screws, decking screws in stainless and coated variants, and multi‑material exterior screws. Pick a widely accepted Part A core rule plus an appropriate Part B PCR, mirroring what competing screw EPDs use, so specifiers can compare apples to apples. A smart plan phases by family, reuses shared process data, and locks a predictable update cadence so renewals do not interrupt selling.
What teams value in an EPD partner
Speed without chaos, credible third‑party review, and white‑glove data wrangling across plants. The heavy lift is upstream: utility pulls, heat‑treat and coating data, alloy mixes, packaging, and yield scraps. The best partners anticipate which PCR to choose by scanning competitor precedents, then structure data collection so future families slot in with minimal new work.
Bottom line for sales and product
SPAX already wins on engineering, breadth, and distribution. Adding product‑specific, externally verified EPDs to the screw families that drive revenue turns that brand strength into specification strength. On LEED v4.1 jobs, it helps teams hit the 20‑product threshold faster, and in LEED v5 it supports embodied‑carbon deliverables without rework (USGBC Credit Library, 2024) (USGBC, 2024). When paperwork stops being a hurdle, fasteners stop getting swapped late in the submittal cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which SPAX product families should be first in line for EPDs to maximize bid impact?
Structural timber screws, exterior multi‑material screws with HCR‑type coatings, stainless decking screws, and common drywall or sheathing screws used in large counts. These show up across commercial, education, and office projects, so one EPD can pull through many line items.
Do portfolio EPDs work for screws or is it one EPD per SKU?
Program operators often allow a portfolio EPD that represents a coherent family with common materials and processes. This keeps maintenance manageable while staying comparable to competitor declarations.
Will LEED v5 make our existing EPDs obsolete?
No. LEED v5 keeps product disclosure and shifts more focus to embodied‑carbon performance across assemblies. Verified Type III, product‑specific EPDs remain useful for materials credits and owner requirements (USGBC, 2025).
About the Author
Eric works at the intersection of sustainability, regulation, and business strategy, helping manufacturers navigate the evolving landscape of EPDs and LCAs. Having spoken with hundreds of teams across North America, brings a deep understanding of what drives ROI, what regulators are asking for, and how companies can stay ahead with smart, scalable approaches to environmental reporting.
