Leader Profile: Andrew Bish - Global Fiber Processing

LEADER PROFILE

Andrew Bish: Hemp is good for the soil and air quality

What most interests you about hemp and hemp building and hemp growing and why?

My background is in agriculture. I see hemp, good for our soil and air quality, as a strongly needed diversification tool for producers. Promoting and working with hemp as an alternative rotational crop is very rewarding, knowing that we can help people within the agriculture industry and even those who will never interact with agriculture outside of being a consumer of products. Regarding hemp building, the exciting part is finding ways to use this crop to make economic sense. If hemp were to clean our soils and air, but we couldn’t find another use for it, the crop wouldn’t become a mainstream commodity. Trying to save the world is great, but it’s economics that drives decision-making, and when we can couple those two things together, I get exceptionally excited.

What was a win for your company in the past year?

The biggest win is our existence in general. We faced some very extreme pressures over this past year from multiple angles. Yet, we were able to persevere to the point where we are building out our second operating decortication line.

What is something about hemp building/construction/processing you didn’t know a year ago?

Andrew Bish, partner at Global Fiber Processing in charge of strategy, market research, and sourcing of equipment, land, and producers.

“I design, engineer, and manufacture equipment with steel. Nevertheless, working with some of the different levels of grind and the other binding agents has been a real eye-opener after spending this past year helping develop what I believe will be some fantastic products.”

Andreew Bish, partner at Global Fiber Processing

Virtually everything in the building and construction aspects of hemp is new to me. I design, engineer, and manufacture equipment with steel. Nevertheless, working with some of the different levels of grind and the other binding agents has been a real eye-opener after spending this past year helping develop what I believe will be some fantastic products.

What challenges does the hemp building industry face that it must overcome in the next five years?

Standards. That’s the answer. We must overcome the lack of across-the-board standards from genetics to processed material to allow for market-based trading appropriately and thus commoditization to occur.

soltice eco building supply

non-toxic materials & supplies for healthy, energy-effficient water-wise buildings and landspace solstice.ecosupply@gmail.com

GREEN BUILDERS/ CONTRACTORS

CA

FEATURED

Solstice Eco Building Supply solsticeeco.com 62057 Twentynine Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree, CA 92252 Contact: Nicholas Holmes (800) 542-0728

FEATURED

HempireUSA hempire.tech/ 1420 Rosecrans Ave. Suite 200, Gardena CA 90249 Contact: Sergiy Kovalenkov CHAPTER 3: SPECIALISTS

+38 0676585350 info@hempire.tech

Ecocity Builders - Oakland Contact: Kirstin Miller ecocitybuilders.org

Hemp Building Solution - San Diego Contact: Stacy Macoubray hempbuildingsolution. com

Hayes Building Company - Arcata Contact: Ryan Hayes hayesbuildingco.com

CO

FEATURED

Hemp Building Company - Longmont Contact: Phelan Dalton 720-231-6865 hempbuildingco.com

Global Hemp Group Inc. - Hayden Contact: Curt Huber globalhempgroup.com

Healthy Hemp Homes - Denver Contact: Eric Milburn healthyhemphomes.org Living Craft Design Build - Arvada Contact: Frank Wetenkamp livingcraft.design

New Style Contracting - Denver Contact: Bruce Hanson newstylecontracting.com

Rezolana Institute - San Luis Contact: Arnie Valdez rezolana.av@gmail.com