TimberHP, the first company in North America to offer wood fiber insulation, celebrated the start of production with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its headquarters in Madison Friday.
The company hopes to support Maine's forest products industry by producing a sustainable product. In the past, paper mills used wood chips from manufacturing to create paper. But as mills have gone out of business, there is no longer a market for the wood waste. TimberHP says it can fill that gap in the industry.
It also touts wood fiber insulation as more effective than other current options to insulate buildings.
Sen. Susan Collins says the company's launch is a win-win-win for the former mill town.
"But how wonderful it is that we're going to be sustaining and creating Maine jobs, saving consumers money on their heating bills, reducing emissions and sequestering carbon to combat climate change, all with one product," Collins said.
The company will eventually make three forms of the insulation. Right now, renovations at the mill are complete for production of the loose-fill insulation. The company has started production, but is still in it's testing phase and has not begun distribution.
TimberHP expects to begin producing the other two products later this year.
Congressman Jared Golden says the landmark moment is a success for all of Maine.
"What I see here is so much more than a business making a new kind of insulation," Golden said. "It's a mill that was once shuttered and empty, now back in production. A business headquartered in Maine, majority owned by Mainers, 100 percent American owned. Using Maine wood cut by Maine loggers hauled by Maine drivers to make a product in Maine by Mainers for Mainers."
