“Our expansion into the industry is not simply to make a name for ourselves; it’s to help our industry and industry partners build better, build safer and build cleaner for the future.”– Andrew Dingman, executive vice president, TechWood
TechWood’s 16,000 square foot headquarters, located in Fort Pierce, FL, is shown here.
Approaching their fifth year in the wood treatment industry, TechWood, a product of Chemical Technologies Holding, Inc., headquartered in Fort Pierce, FL, is continuing to redefine the way lumber and engineered wood components alike, are protected from threats like mold, rot, decay and fire that cause damage to lumber materials during construction and in regular service.
With game-changing and innovative processes centered around “pressure-less” treatment, the company offers four flagship products: TechWood 2200, 2200EX, 3300, and 4400 for various levels of protection for both residential and commercial construction. Each treatment solution offers builders, engineers, contractors and wood component manufacturers complete protection solutions, including warrantied defense against mold, rot, termites and decay, while additionally providing Class A fire protection ratings across its 3300 and 4400 product lines. As a greater benefit, the pressure-less treatments deliver a solution that eliminates the use of toxic chemicals (making it 100 percent eco-friendly and non-hazardous), and results in lumber that is proven to be significantly lighter and almost 70 percent more stable than regular wood and even greater stability than standard pressure-treated materials.
TechWood offers Class A fire protection, reducing both jobsite and post-construction fire damage.
Applicable to multi-use applications, TechWood treated lumber can be utilized for entire framing packages, wall assemblies, I-joists, trusses and glulams, as well as for panels, corral boards, and outdoor structures such as sheds and prefabricated home components.
According to TechWood CEO Irv Minnaker, it’s the disruptive technology and innovation that has been steadily gaining ground in the market. “We are seeing about 20 percent revenue growth per year within our industry but it is our innovation of creating better lumber that is resonating with builders because of long-term cost reductions in loss, waste, damage and mitigation. There is no product out there that delivers the benefits TechWood does to both builder and owners long-term,” Minnaker added.
“From sill plate to truss,” as noted by Andrew Dingman, executive vice president, “TechWood provides complete lumber protection.”
Even though the company is relatively new, Minnaker is very ambitious, stating that they are continuing to grow throughout the United States by expanding an already-established network of licensed applicators across the country. “We currently have a network of national applicators that specialize in providing our treatments in multiple regions, and we are continually looking for and adding to that network to make TechWood accessible to every builder and contractor who looks to build better and safer homes.”
Andrew Dingman, executive vice president for TechWood and a 40-year lumber industry veteran, is focused on the specifics of what makes TechWood stand out in the marketplace, and more importantly why the company is so passionate about changing the standard of lumber protection. “I have been saying it for decades now: wood is good!
It’s good for construction and good for the world, but TechWood makes it better. We are trying to help make healthy homes. By adding our chemistry to a home, it will last hundreds of years, whether that be through the protection of our 2200 and 2200 EX solutions for mold, rot and termite protection or the added benefit of our fire-resistant 3300 and 4400 which are an approved alternative material to traditional pressure treated Fire Retardant Treated.”
TechWood’s 3300 and 4400 (depicted here) have a Class A fire rating, indicating excellent performance against severe fire exposure and flame spread.
These claims are not just talk because the value of TechWood is supported by a wealth of third-party testing and accreditations, as well as through TechWood’s internal science and development lab onsite in Ft. Pierce, FL. Headed up by Dr. Jinxue Jiang, chief science officer, TechWood has tested “everything” such as Southern Yellow Pine and OSB since the inception of the pressure-less process. The result? The treatments worked on every species and every building material it was applied to and provided levels of protection without the pitfalls of toxicity, corrosivity, strength degradation or instability of the lumber. All evaluations, data and safety information are available on their website for anyone looking to learn more.
Further strengthening the value and claims of TechWood’s performance, is the company’s commitment to providing warrantied protection, as explained by Minnaker. “The warranty for our products is unmatched and works for mold, rot and termites for four months horizontally on a jobsite and six months vertically before they enclose the project. Then, we have a five-year warranty for mold and a 10-year warranty for termites and rot.” Dingman jumped in to note how their transferable warranty works for both builders and homeowners, stating, “once the house is complete and it meets building codes, which means no leaks or mold, from that moment on, it could be transferable.”
A TechWood spokesperson explained that “after 34 months of exposure, TechWood (left) maintains lumber’s natural beauty, while increasing stability.”
This full-scope approach to making lumber has also become the battle cry for TechWood’s brand communications over the past year, with targeted messaging, newly developed brand materials and a messaging strategy that captures and delivers the core benefits of the TechWood products.
Paul Schmidt, the chief marketing officer, explained their desire to clearly communicate the benefits of TechWood to help a variety of builders, homeowners and industry professionals understand that cost-effective, recyclable solutions, increased performance and longevity, are essentially “no-brainers” for better building. “From a marketing aspect, this is the perfect product to communicate. For builders, our treatments provide protection of lumber during the construction phase with reduction in transportation costs, construction costs, material loss or need for costly mitigation. From the homeowner side, we deliver piece of mind, long-lasting performance, protection for their greatest asset and a reduction of long-term homeownership costs.” Schmidt goes on to sum up the result: “We are protecting homes, while protecting families. We’re building cleaner while saving both builders and homeowners money. I’m not sure there is a better value proposition out there to communicate.” Minnaker strengthened that point with one addition: “Why would you build anything that’s not protected?”
“TechWood is ideal for the building industry and can be used in both residential and commercial construction,” according to Irv Minnaker, CEO.
Schmidt then launched into the company’s goal to align themselves with the right business partners, creating an international network of people to make their brand more recognizable. With the help of these partners, Schmidt hopes that their objectives, which include “bringing benefits to consumers and giving them a better category to make lumber better,” are clearly understood.
That partnership alignment circles back to the continued expansion of the applicator network and ensuring that TechWood be presented by the right industry partners. Minnaker explained who those partners are and who they are looking for in the future, getting more specific about their goals. “The applicators are our partners, so we want to develop new relationships in industries that we are already in and in other verticals that we are not in, such as shed manufacturers or prefab home manufacturers. We are dealing with truss component manufacturers right now and lumber dealers that sell finished products to other lumber dealers, but our sights are on multiple industry developers and innovators.”
In this image, TechWood trusses are awaiting assembly.
TechWood is currently aligned with multiple organizations within the industry, including the North American Wholesale Lumber Association (NAWLA), the National Association of Homebuilders, the Treasure Coast Builders Association, and offer continuing education courses through the American Institute of Architects. They are currently participating in global industry events such as the NAWLA Traders Market, Southeast Builders Conference, the Montreal Wood Expo and Building Component Manufacturers Conference, with expansion this year into the Shed Builders Expo.
“As I mentioned before, wood is good,” reiterated Dingman. “Our expansion into the industry is not simply to make a name for ourselves; it’s to help our industry and industry partners build better, build safer and build cleaner for the future.”
TechWood can be applied to plywood, OSB, framing lumber, fencing and panels.
TechWood provides treatment services to builders, engineers, architects, and contractors nationally through their network of licensed applicators, as well as through their 16,000 square foot treatment facility.
