A super-strong engineered wood product popular in Europe, known as cross-laminated timber (CLT), is coming to America under a joint venture involving a Coeur d’Alene-based lumber producer.
The Austrian Johann Offner Group and Idaho Forest Group, which operates five mills in North Idaho, US, will sign a partnership to produce cross-laminated timber (CLT) to be distributed in the American market.
'The family-owned companies together will market and distribute CLT building systems in the U.S. as soon as this year', said Marc Brinkmeyer, chairman of Idaho Forest Group. 'Idaho Forest Group, which distributes lumber all over the U.S. and also exports to Asia, will be the first company to sell CLT in this country', Brinkmeyer added.
Mr. Brinkmeyer, quoted by spokesman.com, also says that he has monitored the development of engineered wood for five years now and has seen 'very cost-effective, attractive buildings' made from CLT components. The US company will firstly import CLT, hoping that in 24-36 months will start producing it.
CLT was invented in 1996 by the Austrian company KLH, which now is a subsidiary of Johan Offner Group. CLT is presented as an alternative to traditional building components, such as concrete, masonry and steel. CLT consists of layers of lumber oriented at right angles to one another and glued together to form rigid panels with exceptional strength and stability. Those panels then are made into building components such as walls and floors.
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