Turning Corn Stalks Into Lumber

Turning Corn Stalks Into Lumber MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous Thanks to a new process developed by the University of Illinois a portion of the 580 billion lbs of corn stalks and cobs left in U S fields can now be made into lumber Lane Segerstrom founder and CEO of Corn Board Manufacturing Inc CBMI plans to start with an eye-catching fun product û skateboards His company s StalkIt Longboards - performance skateboards with cores of 100 percent CornBoardÖ - will hit the market soon The skateboards get CornBoard into the market in a high profile way Segerstrom says noting his goal is to brand the new type of pressed board and grow public demand Segerstrom believes consumers will choose his company s products because of their solid engineering and design We can engineer the board for the application Segerstrom explains When we press the board we can determine what type resin we put in if the product needs to be waterproof pest resistant or if it will be used in a cabinet We can determine how much flexibility the board needs or if the board needs to be stiffer CBMI has a licensing agreement with the University of Illinois to develop composite products from corn residue After extensive research the company contracted with farmers around Stratford Texas last fall to round bale over 1 million lbs of corn stover Production is underway on the high-end skateboards $485 to $585 which have already obtained publicity by setting the Guinness World Record for the fastest towed skateboard traveling 78 1 mph The next product is an Adirondack chair $200 the first in the company s Zea Home line The chair has a unique slotted design that allows it to be portable and assembled in minutes with no nails screws or adhesives CornBoard has limitless possibilities in replacing pressed wood board and will allow us to bring innovative new products to market Segerstrom says That could include modular homes in the future It takes about 2 acres of corn stover biomass 4 000 lbs /acre to supply the roof decking flooring and outer wall sheathing for a two-story home Segerstrom notes that he doesn t plan to sell CornBoard as a raw material He intends to sell it through finished products to maintain control of the CornBoard brand quality He adds that the environmental aspect of the product is a bonus Farmers can earn extra profits and with less debris in the field they may be able to switch to no-till practices Removing the stover also reduces CO2 emissions by 1 5 tons/acre As the business grows Segerstrom envisions small manufacturing plants in several locations in corn-growing areas Having grown up on a farm in Iowa I look forward to working with farmers to increase their bottom line while making a positive contribution to the rural communities where they live and work he says Go to CBMI s website to purchase products or find a dealership near you Contact: FARM SHOW Followup CornBoard P O Box 110-115 Frisco Texas 75035 ph 972 832-8099; www cornboard com

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