TIME names RENCO, a faster, Category 5 hurricane-proof, near-zero-waste structural building system, one of the Best Inventions of 2026.
MIAMI, FL, UNITED STATES, October 16, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Housing costs keep climbing and builders are running out of ways to bring costs down. A Florida company says the answer is an entirely new way to build. RENCO, a complete composite structural building system that’s faster to assemble, rated to withstand Category 5 hurricanes and produces almost no waste, has been named to TIME’s list of the Best Inventions of 2026.
Today, TIME reveals its annual list of the Best Inventions, which features 300 extraordinary innovations changing our lives. RENCO earned its spot as builders nationwide search for stronger, greener and more affordable ways to put a roof over people’s heads.
Now comes another breakthrough: RENCO has opened its fully automated stateside manufacturing facility in Jupiter, Florida. Compression molding machines with robotic arms and pultrusion lines manufacture every component of the RENCO system, producing enough components to build the equivalent of 6,000 apartment units a year.
“This is one of the biggest changes in the construction industry in a century,” said RENCO President Ken Smuts. “As a cost and time saving alternative to conventional wood, steel and concrete structures, RENCO manufactures a complete line of fully composite structural building components which are assembled in the field creating hurricane resistant structures. Being recognized by TIME shows us the world is ready for our innovation.”
How the RENCO system works:
• Precision-molded structural components interlock and bond with adhesives into one solid, monolithic structure
• Everything is made from RENCO’s proprietary mix, short for “renewable composite,” which combines glass fibers, resin and naturally occurring minerals
• Pound for pound, the system is more durable than concrete systems at one-fifth the weight
• It’s rated to withstand Category 5 hurricanes and resists fire, water, mold and pests
• Color-coded plans guide on-site assembly, with no cutting, no scraps and very little waste
The speed is what turns heads. At RENCO’s first U.S. development, a 96-unit apartment complex in Palm Springs, Florida, a crew of 11 unskilled workers built each of four three-story structural shells in about eight weeks.
“We are simplifying construction with a complete system that arrives on site ready to assemble,” said RENCO managing director Patrick Murphy. “You won’t need big dumpsters seen on a typical construction site. With robotic manufacturing and a system any crew can learn quickly, we can build stronger homes faster and for less, exactly what America needs in a housing crisis.”
The TIME honor builds on a string of global recognition, including first place for building innovations at the JEC Composites Innovation Awards in Paris and Best Construction Product Design at the BLT Built Design Awards in Switzerland.
To compile this year’s list, TIME solicited nominations from TIME editors and correspondents around the world, and through an online application process. TIME then evaluated each contender on a number of key factors, including originality, efficacy, ambition and impact. See the full list here: https://time.com/collection/best-inventions/2026/
CLICK HERE FOR HIGH RES IMAGES OF RENCO
*** Media members are invited to tour RENCO’s fully robotic factory in Jupiter, Florida, and see the blocks, joists, lintels, decking, etc being made. Contact Karen Pinkston at Karen@CatalystCG.com to coordinate coverage and interviews. ***
About RENCO
Florida-based RENCO manufactures and distributes a fully patented structural building system made from renewable composites. Its state-of-the-art building system is composed of interlocking composite pieces that are all adhesively joined into monolithic structures. It includes the entire structure of a building, from the walls (structural building blocks), to the floor and roof joists and decking (pultruded). Simply put, it’s an alternative way to build—utilizing proven, new materials that are more sustainable, affordable and easier to install. RENCO’s patented building system, blocks, joists, lintels, decking, adhesives, etc have been evaluated in ANSI certified laboratories for structural performance, physical characteristics and fire resistance. After thorough evaluation, IAPMO approved RENCO’s Evaluation Criteria and issued its Evaluation Report to permit the use of the RENCO building system under the International Building Code, including High Velocity Hurricane Zones.
Karen Pinkston
Catalyst Communications Group
+1 757-802-6222
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