Alcohol-treated decking renews focus on u.s.

D ugo es R sustainable alternative l)to tropical hardwoods, Kebony decking and cladding is gaining recognition in North America.

"Everybody would like to use tropical wood," says Christian Jebsen, chief executive of the Norway-based company. "The problem is it's not sustainable, and most people understand that. What we do is take softwood and give it the properties of the hardwood we would like to use."

The science behind this transfor- mation is Kebonization, a process in which sustainable softwood is treated with furfuryl alcohol-a natural waste product of certain crops. When the wood is then heated, a chemical reaction permanently changes the wood cells and imparts the look, color, and properties of tropical hardwoods.

Jebsen believes that the time is right for a treated wood such as Kebony. As of March 20 13, new European Union legislation requires importers of tropical wood to prove that the wood comes from sustainable sources.

In the U.S., municipalities have turned away from tropical hardwood and chosen sustainable alternatives such as Kebony. A good example is New York City, where Mayor Michael Bloomberg ruled that the city would stop using tropical hardwoods.

Last fall, Kebony was recognized for the third time as one of the world's most promising private, clean technology companies in the presti- gious Global Cleantech 100. This award honors companies that provide solutions to some of the world's most pressing environmental problems.

At Greenbuild 2013 -November 20-22 in Philadelphia, Pa.-Kebony was re-launched into the North American market and a distributor was announced: Pine River Group, St. Clair, Mi. The company offers the important sales, marketing, inventory, and logistical support necessary to develop the North American market through multiple channels.

Currently, southern yellow pine from the U.S. is shipped to Kebony's plant in Skien, Norway, and then shipped back to the states. Other Kebony species include Scots pine from Scandanavia and radiata pine from New Zealand.

"Kebony and Pine River Group are exploring various opportunities to justify the establishment of the first treatment plant in the U.S.," says Andy

Hehl, Pine River Group sales manager. "Kebony's research and development team is continuously evaluating new wood species for treatment, with the goal of establishing production nearest raw material sources."

To help get the word out, Pine River Group partnered with Matthew Hodjera, Hodjera Architectural Products, Seattle, Wa. His firm promotes Kebony directly to the architectural, design, and landscape architecture communities. It also develops strategic national accounts, provides expertise in new product launches, support on certain PR initiatives, and overall market strategies and approaches.

"This is a truly remarkable product for the North American architecture and design market," says Hodjera. "It provides all the warmth, beauty, and durability of tropical hardwoods with none of the negative environmental impact."

In the U.S., most recently completed projects are municipal. New boardwalks were constructed of Kebony clear southern yellow pine at Hunter's Park South Waterfront Park in Long Island City, Queens, N.Y.; the Nelson Park lakefront enhancement project in Decatur. Il.. and the Dallas Arboretum in Dallas, Tx.

At Princeton University, Princeton, N.J., Kebony cladding faces a recently completed apartment building for visiting faculty members. A mixture of studios and one-bedrooms, the three-story, ll ,'779 sq. ft. structure occupies a small residential area of the campus.

Kebony will also be an important part of several U.S. projects currently under construction, with completion expected this spring: as rain screening and decking at Martial Cottle Park, San Jose, Ca.; as dock planking at the Harbor Village Marina, St. Joseph, Mi., and as decking and flooring at a boutique hotel on Isla de Vieques, Puerto Rico.

"We believe this product has a place in a number of prominent areas in the building products industry, such as manufacturing of custom windows and doors, roof deck tiles, exterior architectural beams, flotation docks, and park benches, to name a few," says Hehl. "We see this product as exceptional for waterfront docks and piers and high-end residential decking, cladding. and rain screening. Kebony can be used anywhere the warmth and beauty of real wood are desired, and the stability and durability are demanded."

By Huck DeVenzio