This week's podcast guest Mattie Mead competed in a 2013 pitch competition at Hobart College in Geneva, New York.
He had just shared his vision for a company that made building materials out of hemp.
"One of the judges for the contest said, 'So let me get this straight, you're looking to build houses out of a Schedule 1 substance?'
"And I said, well, 'Yes.'
"Today it's a Schedule 1 substance, but in five or so years it's going to be federally legal," Mead said. "And I want to be on the forefront of what I believe to be an emerging industry."
Indeed, industrial hemp was legalized with the 2018 Farm Bill and today Mead is co-founder and CEO of Hempitecture, a building materials manufacturing company in Idaho.
"We're focused on what we believe are the most truly sustainable building materials on the planet," Mead said.
"And as you could probably guess by our name, our not-so-secret ingredient is hemp fiber."
Hempitecture makes several construction materials from hemp, including HempWool thermal insulation, a plant-based alternative to fiberglass insulation.
Another product line is FiberPad, a hemp-fiber-based, non-toxic carpet underlayment.
Hempitecture brought a state-of-the-art manufacturing center online in early 2023 in Jerome, Idaho. The company sources hemp fibers from Montana and Alberta, but recently a processor in Idaho — Whitefield Global — has come into operation, providing Hempitecture with fibers produced by farmers in Idaho.
"Seeing this kind of movement towards industrial hemp cultivation in the Rocky Mountain West — and seeing it move closer and closer to our manufacturing plant — is really encouraging," Mead said.
He also talks about his company's latest round of fundraising.
"We opened up our second round to the public on March 18. And within the first day of going public, we've put $740,000 of reservations in this investment round," he said.
He also speaks about expanding Hempitecture by building a second manufacturing facility in upstate New York.
"As we look towards expansion on the East Coast, we want to use our Idaho facility as a blueprint and replicate that blueprint nationally," Mead said.
Also on this podcast episode, we hear from Morris Beegle, founder of the NoCo Hemp Expo taking place in Colorado in April. We'll have a handful of news nuggets as well, including a story about kitty litter made from hemp.
Invest in Hempitecture
https://wefunder.com/hempitecture
Learn more about Hempitecture
https://www.hempitecture.com/
News Nuggets
All Walks Pet Products Hemp Litter
https://allwalkspet.com/
Get Your Tickets for Noco Hemp Expo, April 11 - 13
https://www.nocohempexpo.com/
Hemp-Lime Appendix Published in 2024 US Residential Housing Codes
https://www.hempbuildmag.com/home/irc-hemp-lime
State attorneys general urge Congress to address risks posed by intoxicating hemp products
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/20/intoxicating-hemp-products-state-attorneys-general-congress-00147819
Manufacturing skis from hemp tapes
https://www.knittingindustry.com/manufacturing-skis-from-hemp-tapes/
