After exceeding 100% growth per year in Europe, Norwegian manufacturer Kebony is bringing its non-toxic, sustainably treated wood products to the North American market. Pine River Group is handling North American sales and distribution, and Hodjera Architectural Products will serve as support in the design community.
Engineered for use as cladding, roofing, flooring, and other interior and exterior applications, Kebony enhances non-durable wood species to improve their durability and performance. Southern yellow pine, radiata pine, Nordic pine, and maple are impregnated with a bio-waste liquid derived from agricultural crop byproducts. Heat treatments permanently alter the infused wood's cell structure to give it the performance characteristics of tropical hardwood.
"This is truly a remarkable product for the North American architecture and design market," says Hodjera Products president Matthew Hodjera in a press release. "It provides all the warmth, beauty, and durability of tropical hardwoods with none of the negative environmental impact." He adds that architects, builders, and developers may see Kebony as a "paradigm shift," particularly as it pertains to the durable, aesthetic, and non-toxic benefits the product brings to cladding applications.
Originally developed in Norway in cooperation with international universities and research institutes, Kebony was named for the third time to the Global Cleantech 100, a list of the world's most promising private clean technology companies. The list highlights companies that provide solutions to some of the world's most pressing environmental problems, and manufacturers most likely to make the most significant market impacts in the next five to 10 years.
"Kebony has a long-term strategy for sales and distribution with licensing opportunities for production in the U.S.,” says Kebony international sales director Adrian Pye in the statement.
Current U.S. installations are in Hunters Point in Queens, New York; Bethany Beach, Del.; and Princeton University.
