The faculty here at Virginia Tech has been involved in a research to determine the best marketing strategies to increase the market share of Thermally Modified Wood (TMW), allowing the producers to understand the potential of the market. Also, TMW manufacturers are still looking for the most efficient practices to produce TMW, since every schedule used to modify wood provides a different mechanical performance.

The literature shows that when products have standards, the market is more likely to accept them. The lack of information regarding the properties of TMW produced by different companies is a problem for producers. Architects are currently the primary market driver of TMW use. Ensuring they know about TMW would increase the market share.

The goal of this project was to increase the market awareness of TMW produced from low-value hardwood species, by increasing the primary customer’s knowledge and acceptance of the material, while increasing the efficiency of producers.

TMW manufacturers in the US:

Cambia Wood

  • Location: Troy, OR
  • Species use: Yellow Poplar, White Ash, Red Oak, and Soft Maple

Americana

  • Locations: Kreamer, PA
  • Species use: Ash, Soft Maple, Red Oak, and Yellow Poplar.

EcoVantage

  • Locations: St. Joe, IN 
  • Species use: Southern Yellow Pine.

ThermoryUSA

  • Locations: Clackamas, OR 
  • Species use: Scots Pine, Spruce, Ash, Pine.

Arbor Wood

  • Locations: Duluth, MN 
  • Species use: Ash, Pine, Cedar

TMW research funded projects at Virginia Tech:

  • Part II of Expanding Markets for Thermally-modified Wood Products Produced from Low-value Hardwood Species. PI Brian Bond, Co-PI Henry Quesada. $95,846 Period 2020-2023. Funding source: USDA Forest Service (20-DG-11083150-009).
  • U.S. Forest Service Wood Innovations. Expanding Markets for Thermally-modified Wood Products Produced from Low-value Hardwood Species. PI Henry Quesada, Co-PI Brian Bond. $184,868. Period: 2018-2021. Funding source: USDA Forest Service (18-DG-11083150-005).

Organized workshops and seminars:

  • Gonzalez, J. Bond, B., and Quesada, H.  (2019, October). Short Course on Thermally Modified Basics and Lean Practices. United States Forest Service, Charlottesville, United States.

Conference and Industry meeting presentations:

  • Gonzalez, J., Bond, B., and Quesada, H. (2019, June). Variability of Commercially Available Thermally Modified Lumber. Presentation at Forest Products Society, Atlanta, United States.
  • Gonzalez, J., Bond, B., and Quesada, H. (2020, July). Lean Process Strategy in the Production of Thermally Modified Wood. Presentation at Forest Products Society, United States.

Technical notes and working papers:

Personnel:

  • Brian Bond, Professor. Department of Sustainable Biomaterials.
  • Juan Gonzalez, Master Student. Department of Sustainable Biomaterials.