Growing the Future of Bamboo Products

Bamboo has nothing but a positive reputation when it comes to the environment. It grows quickly, it doesn’t need pesticides or much water, it pulls carbon dioxide out of the air, and it can be used in a nearly unimaginable range of products. With its well deserved, eco-friendly reputation, companies have been quick to integrate bamboo into product lines and new bamboo-based businesses continue to pop up.

There are now bamboo shirts, skirts, socks, underwear, furniture, floors, paper, plates, sheets, towels, plates, bowls, spoons, kitchen utensils, keyboards, cleaning wipes…practically enough items to outfit an entire house made with bamboo everything.

But with great demand comes the need for great supply. As more and more companies look to source products using bamboo, unsustainable harvesting methods may end up killing a resource that has so much potential.

One downside of bamboo’s popularity is that it’s at risk from over harvesting: The United Nations warns that about half of the 1,200 varieties of bamboo in the world are extinct or in danger of being eradicated.

Enter BooShoot Gardens, a plant tissue culture laboratory out of Mount Vernon, Wash., that is growing large amounts of specific types of bamboo to replenish and increase the world’s bamboo supply and meet the demand from companies like Method and Totally Bamboo.

Founded in 1998 by Jackie Heinricher, BooShoot produced 2,000 bamboo plants in 2004, the first year it released plants. This year it plans to produce more than 2 million, and has the capacity to produce 12 million.

The company sells its bamboo through wholesale growers and retailers in more than 20 states and Canada. It’s been selling bamboo to a biofuel company in the southeast U.S., projects in South Africa and throughout Southeast Asia.

What’s Driving the Bamboo Market

Bamboo has such a green reputation because it grows fast (earning it the moniker of a “rapidly renewable” resource as opposed to a plain old “renewable” resource, a title given to everything from trees to corn to chicken feathers), doesn’t require pesticides, uses little water, and pulls carbon dioxide out of the air faster and better than other plants.

Bamboo plants sequester four times as much carbon dioxide as hardwood trees (taking in 62 tons of CO2 per 2.4 acres versus 16 tons per 2.4 acres of trees) and puts out 35 percent more oxygen.

While bamboo has been recognized for quite a while as a green material, its use has shot up in the last few years along with many other green materials. Bamboo goods are proliferating at major mainstream retailers like Wal-Mart and Target, and being used in clothing both from eco-centric companies and more mainstream ones like JCPenney and Banana Republic.

The bamboo goods industry is expected to be worth $25 billion around 2012, Heinricher said, and some companies that make or are looking into making bamboo goods are encountering a supply bottleneck.

While this demand is boosting BooShoot’s business, it’s having a handful of negative effects on the global bamboo supply. As demand has increased and supply tightened, the final products have been affected. Bamboo flooring, for example, is generally much thinner these days than years ago, Heinricher said.

And then there’s the rate of harvesting: Bamboo can be harvested every 5-10 years, much faster than trees used for other forest-based products. But harvesting is starting to outpace bamboo growth and its ability to recover. Cutting down too much bamboo in one area can damage an even-wider stretch of the plant.

“If more than 30 percent (of an acre) is taken at any one time, it begins to affect the viability of the root system and begins to compromise bamboo’s ability to replenish itself,” Heinricher said.

If an area of bamboo is damaged to the point that it needs to be replanted starting from seeds (or even if farmers want to start new bamboo groves from seeds), they are limited in how many seeds they can get their hands on since it can take 60-100 years for the plants to flower.

What BooShoot Gardens is doing is cutting out that long flowering period by cloning plants – not genetically modifying them – and multiplying them, letting farmers plant them like any other crop.

(Read full article)

(Excerpt of article by Jonathan Bardelline of GreenBiz. NOT AFFILIATED WITH LAMBOO)

Mounting environmental concerns have initiated international efforts to search for and create sustainable methods in our society. It is clear that bamboo can be that renewable resource to be used in the next era of architecture and product development. Much like all natural resources bamboo must be protected and preserved as it is the most plausible solution to replace diminishing supplies of timber. Lamboo is working closely with both private and government agencies internationally to ensure that bamboo resources are managed properly so that this remarkable resource will be there for the future.

For questions regarding Lamboo or our products please visit our

website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Blog by: Dustin Dennison

Project Innovation award winners announced

The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce Lamboo, Inc. as the 2012 recipient of the Project Innovation Award. The award was presented on Thursday, May 17, 2012 in the Studio Theater at University of Illinois Springfield. The annual competition provides seed funds for entrepreneurs to start or expand businesses.

(From left to right: Luke Schuette, Founder/CEO; Debby Richardson,

Director of Marketing; Jeran Hammann, V.P. Operations)

Project Innovation is a prestigious entrepreneurial competition where individuals and businesses have their unique ideas recognized and rewarded through this innovative contest.

(Lamboo door system integrated into Pier 1 Imports retail location)

Lamboo, Inc. is a technology company that specializes in the manufacturing of engineered bamboo for structural, architectural, and industrial applications worldwide. As a leader in the sustainable design technology industry, Lamboo, Inc. is an environmentally responsible company that loves giving back to the community. Lamboo has global headquarter offices located in Springfield, Illinois as well as Geneva, Switzerland and is expanding it’s operations nationwide. Within Illinois Lamboo has fabrication and distribution hubs in Peoria, Galesburg, and Litchfield and maintains partnerships throughout the US and Europe.

Radio Interview:
http://wtax.com/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=5851527
News source:
http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x2138761392/Project-Innovation-award-winners-announced

Please contact Debby Richardson for any questions regarding this
award or to schedule an interview. debby@lamboo.us

Lamboo® Elite™ Series

Lamboo, Inc. is pleased to announce that they will be showcasing the Lamboo® Elite™ Series of Products specific to the Aviation Industry within one of the most prestigious shows in the world for the elite business Jet industry, The Farnborough International Airshow July 9th-15th. Lamboo is currently collaborating and supplying premium products into the custom interior jet industry and will be available to discuss supply agreements with current and new players in the market.

Products:
Premium Engineered Bamboo Veneer – For Jet Interiors
Premium Engineered Bamboo Components – For Jet Interiors
Premium Engineered Bamboo Panels – For Jet Interiors

*All of our Elite™ products meet the most stringent of Aviation Standards and Certifications Required for the industry.

Lamboo, Inc. and their premium products will be located at booth #H2/B17 and will be represented by Peter Illig, the Managing Director of Lamboo International, based in Switzerland, and our Director of R&D Luke D. Schuette, from the Lamboo, Inc. USA office.

Please contact Debby Richardson for any questions regarding this
show or Lamboo® Elite™ for Jet Interiors. debby@lamboo.us

In Africa’s Vanishing Forests, the Benefits of Bamboo

Posted: 3/13/12

In the district of Asosa, the land is thick with bamboo. People plant it and manage the forests. They rely on its soil-grabbing roots to stabilize steep slopes and riverbanks, cutting erosion. They harvest it to burn for fuel, to make into charcoal sticks to sell to city dwellers and to build furniture.

Asosa is not in China, not even in Asia. It is a district in the west of Ethiopia, on the Sudanese border. To many people, bamboo means China. But it’s not just panda food — mountain gorillas in Rwanda also live on bamboo. About 4 percent of Africa’s forest cover is bamboo.

Soon it may be much more. Bamboo may provide a solution to a very serious problem: deforestation. In sub-Saharan Africa, 70 percent of the people cook their meals over wood fires. The very poorest cut down trees for cooking fuel; those slightly less poor buy charcoal made from wood in those same forests. Every year Africa loses forest cover equal to the size of Switzerland. Terence Sunderland, a senior scientist at the Indonesia-based Center for International Forestry Research, said that in southern Africa, even trees that can be used for fine carving, such as ebony and rosewood, are being cut down and made into charcoal.

Deforestation starts a vicious circle of drought and environmental decline. Burning wood releases the carbon stored inside. And deforestation accounts for at least a fifth of all carbon emissions globally. As tree cover vanishes, the land dries out and the soil erodes and becomes barren — a major reason for Ethiopia’s periodic famines.

Reliance on hardwood fuel poses more present dangers as well. It’s a woman’s job to collect firewood, and when trees are scarce, women must walk farther and farther to find it, an often dangerous journey.

Much cooking, moreover, is done indoors. The resulting air pollution kills some two million people a year. Almost half the deaths are from pneumonia in children under 5. Bamboo and charcoal made from bamboo burn more efficiently and cleanly than wood and wood charcoal

Sunderland is talking to several southern African governments about bamboo. Farther north, the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan, a membership organization of 38 countries based in Beijing, is providing technical support for growing and using bamboo in Ghana and Ethiopia.

How does bamboo improve on hardwood? Cut down a hardwood tree and it’s gone. It will take several decades for another to grow in its place; it can take a century for a forest to grow back after cutting. But bamboo is a grass, not a tree. Under the right conditions, it can grow a full meter a day — you can literally watch it grow. It is also fast maturing. A new bamboo plant is mature enough to harvest after three to six years, depending on the species. Most important, bamboo is renewable. Unlike hardwood trees, bamboo regrows after harvesting, just as grass regrows after cutting. After it is mature, bamboo can be harvested every single year for the life of the plant.

Bamboo has other advantages. Its roots grab onto soil and hold it fast. Plant bamboo on a steep slope or riverbank and it prevents mudslides and erosion. And bamboo is parsimonious with Africa’s most precious resource: water.

“In Africa you want everything,” said Dr. Chin Ong, a retired professor of environmental science at the University of Nottingham in England, who was formerly a senior scientist at the World Agroforestry Center in Nairobi. “You want firewood, you want to reduce erosion, to maintain the water supply, generate cash and employment. Bamboo comes the closest — it gives you the most things.”

Because bamboo requires few nutrients, it can grow in soil inhospitable to other plants — not only does it thrive there, it can reclaim the land so other plants can thrive, too. Its roots leach heavy metals from the soil, hold the soil together and draw water closer to the surface. One example is a project in Allahabad, India, to reclaim land whose topsoil had been depleted by the brick industry. In 1996, an INBAR project planted the land with bamboo. Five years later, villagers could farm the land again. Dust storms — a local scourge — were greatly reduced. The bamboo also helped raise the water table by seven meters. In 2007, the project won the global Alcan Prize for Sustainability.

(Read full article)

(Excerpt of article by Tina Rosenberg of the New York Times. NOT AFFILIATED WITH LAMBOO)

For questions regarding Lamboo or our products please visit our

website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Lamboo, Inc. launches the latest innovation in engineered bamboo for tabletops and countertops market!

Lamboo® Technologies latest innovation in engineered bamboo now offers Lamboo® Surface™ to its Design™ Series product line. Lamboo® Surface™ is focused on integrating performance, sustainability, and aesthetics to the tabletop and countertop markets.  Lamboo® Surface™ products will be the perfect solution to visionary architects and designers wanting to replace traditional hardwoods, petroleum based, and synthetic materials with innovation and sustainable solutions.

Lamboo® Surface™ material is a naturally anti-microbial product which makes this products ideal for tabletop and countertop applications. “We would like to provide an innovative solution to the common products used in the tabletop and component industries. We believe that this product line is the solution for designers and architects willing to promote sustainability and innovation.” Says V.P. of Operations, Jeran Hammann. The very nature of Lamboo® Surface™ products exemplify our values to be a force for positive change and our commitment to long term environmental, social, and economic benefits for all of our communities.

The Lamboo® Surface™ collection reaches both commercial and residential applications. Some of the applications are as follows:

• Tabletops
• Countertops
• Reception desks
• Shelving
• Tables and desks
• Conference tables

In addition to our commitment to innovation in sustainable design practices Lamboo is focused on operations that surpass ethical standards in the industry.  Lamboo, Inc. meets BBB accreditation standards, and strives to maintain good faith both with stakeholders and consumers.

…
For questions regarding Lamboo or our products please visit our

website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Blog by: Dustin Dennison

Congressman gets a close look at ‘green’ entrepreneurs

Posted: 04/06/2012 6:30 AM

Congressman Bobby Schilling, R-Colona, toured the Sustainable Business Center, in Galesburg Illinois, Thursday and voiced his support for the concept of “green companies” operated by entrepreneurs.

“Green to me is red, white and blue,” the congressman said. “It is not a Republican or a Democrat issue, it’s an American issue.”

While not an official celebration of the anniversary, the SBC is just more than a year old. Schilling not only was impressed by the facility and the entrepreneurs whose companies are beginning to fill it, he had kind words for the Galesburg area and its workforce.

“With all the hardships that happened here in Galesburg over a period of years, Galesburg has prepared to bounce back quite readily,” he said.

Lamboo founder and CEO Luke Schuette added. “We’re going to be doubling our capacity here”

The founder of the Springfield-based company specializing in the manufacture of engineered bamboo for structural, architectural and industrial applications said four more people will be hired here for distribution and fabrication work. Schuette said Lamboo also is launching its bamboo Surface™ table tops and countertops in conjunction with Redbud Ridge Custom Shop in Bartonville.

“Redbud is going to be hiring two people,” he said.

In addition, Schuette said bamboo has been added as a certified product to the International Building Code, something the company has been working on since 2007 and seen as a key to further expansion. He said Lamboo is completing distributorship agreements in Australia, Switzerland and Germany, as well continuing development of the Lamboo series of Fender guitars. Other expansions into Vietnam and possibly Panama in the future to acquire bamboo are part of the growing company’s many projects.

“Galesburg is a very important piece of the puzzle,” Schuette said.

(Excerpt of article by John Pulliam of House of Register-Mail. NOT AFFILIATED WITH LAMBOO INC.)

For questions regarding Lamboo or our products please visit our
website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

 

Blog by: Dustin Dennison

Booming bamboo: The next super-material?

Bamboo is being hailed as a new super material, with uses ranging from textiles to construction. It also has the potential to absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide, the biggest greenhouse gas, and provide some of the world’s poorest people with cash.

Bamboo’s image is undergoing a transformation. Some now call it “the timber of the 21st Century”. Today you can buy a pair of bamboo socks or use it as a fully load-bearing structural beam in your house – and it is said that there are some 1,500 uses for it in between.

There is a rapidly growing recognition of the ways in which bamboo can serve us as consumers and also help to save the planet from the effects of climate change because of its unrivaled capacity to capture carbon. “From the field and the forest to the factory and the merchant, from the design studio to the laboratory, from the universities to those in political power, people are more and more aware of this potentially renewable resource,” says Michael Abadie, who took up the presidency of the World Bamboo Organization last year.

“In the last decade, bamboo has become a major economic crop,” Abadie continues.

New technologies and ways of industrially processing bamboo have made a big difference, enabling it to begin to compete effectively with wood products for Western markets.

It is estimated that the world bamboo market stands at around $10bn (£6.24bn) today, and the World Bamboo Organization says it could double in five years.

The developing world is now embracing this potential growth.

In eastern Nicaragua, bamboo was until recently regarded by most of the local population as valueless – more as a nuisance to be cleared than a boon to them and their region. But on land that was once under dense forest cover, then turned over to slash-and-burn agriculture and ranching, new bamboo plantations are rising.

This is the world’s fastest growing plant, ready to be harvested annually and sustainably after four to five years in contrast to the typical tropical hardwood that takes many years longer to mature and can be harvested only once.

The investment in bamboo is having a positive effect on local plantation workers, providing paid employment for people, including women, many of whom were previously jobless, or for men who once had to travel to Costa Rica to find work.

There is long way to go before the grasses now being nurtured in Nicaragua – for technically bamboo is a member of the grass family – can safely be described as the timber of the 21st Century – and the key plant in a more sustainable future for forestry and therefore for the world.

But, for now at least, bamboo is definitely booming.

Read More

(Excerpt of article by Mike Wooldridge of BBC News. NOT AFFILIATED WITH LAMBOO INC.)

For questions regarding Lamboo or our products please visit our website at www.lamboo.us or
contact us at info@lamboo.us“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Blog by: Dustin Dennison

Energy Efficiency Bill Would Encourage Vendors to Bid on Projects

Lawmakers are trying to craft fixes to a program to help local and state governments save taxpayer money by reducing how much energy they use. But whether the changes go far enough is a matter of dispute — even among the proposal’s proponents.

The bill (S-1753) aims to overhaul the Energy Savings Improvement Program, which advocates say could save hundreds of millions of dollars for governments if impediments discouraging energy companies from participating in the effort were removed.

Without giving these companies more flexibility in deciding who actually performs the energy efficiency work, they will never invest in long-term contracts that guarantee energy savings, according to some who have followed the bill through the legislature.

The original law, approved more than three years ago, was designed to allow government entities to enter into performance-based contracts with energy service companies, enabling them to cut energy use without any capital expenditures. The agencies pay off the projects over a 15- to 20-year period through the energy savings they capture, which can run as much as 25 percent.

Among other things, the bill moving through the legislature, would eliminate a requirement that state contracts be awarded to the lowest bidder. Instead, it would allow contracts to be awarded on a basis of best value, a standard that would allow New Jersey to award deals based on which bids provide the greatest energy savings.

“There are literally hundreds of millions of dollars of projects that can be done,’’ said Steve Goldenberg, an energy lawyer who has been pushing for changes in the law.

According to studies the typical U.S. family spends about $1,900 a year on utility bills, a large portion of which is waste. Homeowners lose an estimated $40 of every $100 spent on heating and cooling to leakage alone.

Read More

(Excerpt of article posted by Tom Johnson, March 27, 2012 in  the Energy & Environment news section of NJ Spotlight. NOT AFFILIATED WITH LAMBOO INC.)

Economic and environmental concerns are forcing dramatic changes in regulation in governments all across the world in how resources are used and managed. Weaknesses in the current system are being exposed leading to debate on how to build a sustainable future for our society. Rising energy costs combined with decreasing resources and devastating climate changes are creating a need for more efficient processes. Through the rapidly renewable resource of bamboo, Lamboo is creating energy efficient systems and products to meet future demand. Every aspect of bamboo makes it ideal for a future where sustainability and performance must both be maintained.

For questions regarding Lamboo or our products please visit our

website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Blog by: Dustin Dennison

International Interest Grows in Green-Building Certification

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Last month, the new U.S. Embassy compound in Madagascar, which includes high-efficiency windows and low-flow toilets, received certification as a green building. Taipei 101, one of the world’s tallest skyscrapers, also earned a green stamp of approval recently, as did the Seoul Finance Center in South Korea.

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As companies and governments look to burnish their environmental credentials around the world, many are devoting extra time and money to certifying their buildings as green. The buildings in Madagascar, Taipei and Seoul are among those that have turned to a U.S.-based process called LEED, short for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which offers third-party verification. Other green-building standards, like the British-based BREEAM and DGNB in Germany, are also spreading outside their home countries.

Green-building certification is “becoming accepted as a badge of genuine quality,” said Raphael Sperry, a senior consultant with Simon & Associates Green Building Consultants in San Francisco, who is LEED-accredited in his profession. International tenants in particular, he noted, may seek out buildings with recognized green stamps, which should mean low bills for energy and water and a pleasant working environment.

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Scot Horst, the senior vice president for LEED at the U.S. Green Building Council, the Washington-based group that administers the certification program, cited a “dramatic uptick” in international interest.

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      Read entire article

 (Excerpt taken from The New York Times Green Column Author Kate Galbraith  March 2012)

Reports are published everyday that reinforce the importance of sustainable development and how critical of an era we live in today. In order to build a better future there must be better practices put in to place that will benefit society while limiting environmental impact. Lamboo technologies is answering this call with engineered laminated bamboo materials, a product that is rapidly renewable and incredibly strong and durable. Lamboo strives to be a leading innovator in sustainable products with certifications like LEED credits to meet future design needs.

…

For questions regarding Lamboo or our products please visit our

website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

 

Lamboo Incorporated

Our Company

Lamboo Inc. is a technology, and manufacturing company founded from the combined experience of seasoned architects, structural engineers, material scientist, and biotechnology specialist on the forefront of cutting edge, sustainable design technology for the residential and commercial construction industries worldwide.                            

Lamboo, Inc. produces engineered structural bamboo for architectural applications. Bamboo, as a building product, offers enhanced performance over traditional forms of construction material. Integrating bamboo’s natural attributes into the Lamboo laminated process has created a superior structural building material that offers benefits to the environment, the construction industry, and architects/engineers throughout the world.

Our Mission

Our mission here at Lamboo Inc. is to develop and supply the most efficient, renewable resources available for structural and architectural applications within the construction and manufacturing industries. Lamboo Inc. and its partners envision a world where engineered structural bamboo is easily integrated into existing architecture and design. By reducing the construction industries’ devastation of countless forests and by promoting “green” building within our global communities, we are committed to making a positive impact on our world.

Through research and proprietary technology, our innovative group of material scientists, architects, and engineers are focused on developing specific and new trend-setting processes that will aid in the recovery of our natural ecosystems. Through streamlined logistics, multiple source locations, and manufacturing facilities throughout Africa, Central and South America, China, & Vietnam, we are able to efficiently supply any market wishing to utilize these innovative materials and supply any design professional, contractor, or manufacturer and their facilities worldwide.

Lamboo is an engineered, high performance bamboo product for both interior and exterior design applications. There are five product lines that we offer to the market currently as sustainable alternatives to standard building materials and composites currently used in today’s building industry. Our product lines vary in application from structural members to high grade veneer, from luxury yacht interiors to curtain wall systems and everywhere in between.

Our manufacturing processes uses 15% less embodied energy than that of engineered wood and 300% less embodied energy than aluminum and steel. Lamboo on average is 20% more stable than wood in moisture and temperature changes, 10 times stronger than wood in tension and 3 times stronger mechanically.  We have isolated 4 out of the 1600 species of bamboo to be used for all of its architectural and structural applications. Lamboo is produced from only mature plants, anywhere from their 4th to 6th year of life to allow for optimal hardness and strength. The growth rate and potential offered by bamboo make it a great resource for the construction industry.

Bamboo is a plant that’s origin dates back to prehistoric times. Many years and many uses later, bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants in the world. It is technically a grass found on nearly every continent; it can grow in the mountains, the tropics and even in the Southern United States. There are nearly 1600 different species of bamboo. Although at times bamboo resembles trees, it differs from them in growth patterns and plant structure. Bamboo has two growth patterns; clumping and running root systems. These root systems create a natural bio filter for storm water runoff; while staying in natural clumped balls prevents soil erosion.

Bamboo also produces 30% more oxygen than a like sized timber forest area and sequesters 35% more carbon than its tree counter parts. These differences allow bamboo to grow faster and straighter than any known tree species.

At Lamboo Inc., we pride ourselves on sustainability, strength, and innovation.

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD”  – Lamboo Incorporated

Pier 1 Imports taking advantage of Lamboo’s high performance products

Pier 1 Imports in a mission of building high quality sustainable facilities has chosen Lamboo for refits and new construction of U.S. stores using Lamboo awning and door systems. With the highly renewable resource of bamboo, Pier 1 is staying environmentally responsible through the use of Lamboo products while ensuring that their stores will not only have long lasting stable systems, but will also stay aesthetically pleasing for their customers.

ImageOne Industries is utilizing the LAMBOO® ELEMENTS™ series in the Pier 1 awnings systems. These exterior grade components and panels feature proprietary manufacturing processes & bonding agents to resist moisture and last throughout harsh environments. These components are on average 20% more stable than hardwoods and up to 40% more stable than softwoods such as pine or douglas fir. Lamboo products attain all low V.O.C. guidelines by LEED (USGBC)  and do not produce off-gassing in production or application.

Kolbe Windows & Doors is using the LAMBOO® VUE™ series to develop and install long lasting door systems for Pier 1. Lamboo Inc. as the leader in the technologies and manufacturing of performance based engineered bamboo, will be providing these components designed specifically for the window and door systems of Pier 1. LAMBOO® VUE™ components have great thermal properties, strength, durability, and contain water resistant attributes that make it ideal for this project’s requirements of high performance with superior aesthetics.

Lamboo is happy to work with Pier 1 Imports as well as collaborating with other major retailers and

companiesthat have initiatives to establish strong and environmentally friendly systems.

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD”  — Lamboo Incorporated

New partnership with Splinakis Ship Design

Lamboo Inc. has partnered with Splinakis Ship Design within the nautical industry for mega-yacht designs and interiors reaching for sustainability. Andrea Splinakis, in below picture, is the owner of Splinakis Ship Design that is based out of Italy with other locations in Nigeria and Korea. With this partnership in place, ships and yachts can reach a greater potential by implementing products like LAMBOO® ELITE™ nautical grade bamboo within projects to achieve a “green”, modernly designed yacht or ship.

LAMBOO® ELITE™ Series consists of our engineered bamboo panels, components, & veneer designed specifically for the aviation and nautical industry. LAMBOO® ELITE™ material is a premium, higher performing product for custom applications in nautical and aviation interiors and includes proprietary adhesives that resist moisture as well as embedded flame retardants. LAMBOO® ELITE™ Panels & Veneer are able to be stained or dyed to match most colors, and can accept high gloss finishes specific to project requirements. LAMBOO® ELITE™ grade panels are up to 30% more stable in moisture and temperature changes, have a similar density to other exotic hardwoods, and can be fabricated using conventional woodworking equipment.

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” — Lamboo Incorporated

NanaWall & Lamboo Inc. AIA 2011

New product line – Renewall™ series

LAMBOO® is pleased to announce the launch of a new product line the RENEWALL™ series to meet the market demands of superior curtain wall members and storefront system components. Integration of LAMBOO® RENEWALL™ curtain wall products within projects match high performance with modern aesthetics and stability. Lamboo curtain wall and storefront systems are ideal for both commercial and residential applications bringing warmth and longevity to all buildings. Our components can be custom fabricated to meet the requirements for your project. This product line offers true strength and sustainability through innovation.

The LAMBOO® RENEWALL™ can meet Passive House standards with the implementation of higher performance glass, unlike aluminum systems that cannot meet these standards. RENEWALL™ products can attain up to 5 LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) credits as well.

LAMBOO® RENEWALL™ – Dover Curtain Wall

For additional information feel free to contact us or visit our main website at www.lamboo.us

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD”  — Lamboo Incorporated

Lamboo and the 2012 NAMM Show

NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), commonly called NAMM in reference to the organization’s popular trade shows, is the not-for-profit association that unifies, leads and strengthens the $17 billion global music products industry. NAMM trade shows serve as a hub for people wanting to seek out the newest innovations in musical products, recording technology, sound and lighting. NAMM’s activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages.

Lamboo representatives will be attending the 2012 NAMM Show in Anaheim California to represent the acoustical product applications made possible within the Lamboo® Design™ Series. Lamboo can be used in guitar necks, bodies, drums, or any other application that wood is normally used for.

(Above is an example of the integration of Lamboo within a guitar body.)

Utilizing Lamboo products fulfills the market demand of innovation in terms of both sustainability and quality. In today’s market place demands on natural resources and raw materials are progressively evolving and changing due to environmental conditions. The diminishing supply of Ebony and exotic hardwoods that are traditionally used within guitars, basses, and other musical instruments create a big issue within the music industry. While Ebony timber is near extinction with a harvest rate of 60-200 years and a yield of only 30% there becomes a question of what the alternatives will be in the future. Lamboo products with a 97% yield and rapid replenishment every 4-6 years provides a ideal alternative for the industry.

Our manufacturing processes use 15% less embodied energy than that of engineered wood and 300% less embodied energy than aluminum and steel. Bamboo also produces 30% more oxygen than a like sized timber forest area. These differences allow bamboo to grow faster and straighter than any known tree species.

Lamboo Telecaster featuring Horizontal-Natural finish

In addition to the environmental benefits Lamboo materials are available in a variety of grain and color schemes to provide for a unbelievable aesthetic appeal. As with all Lamboo products the Design™ series features unmatched quality with 20% higher stability than wood in moisture and temperature changes, 10 times stronger than wood in tension and 3 times stronger mechanically.

To learn more about Lamboo and our products please visit our

website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us.

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

 

Lamboo – Renewable, Innovative, Engineered

In order to effectively provide our products in the domestic U.S. market, Lamboo is continually expanding within the Galesburg distribution hub. This centralized Illinois location enables Lamboo to deliver products coast to coast within 3-5 days following order of stocked products. Lamboo relies not only on the efficient programs and processes used to create our products but through logistics practices as well.

Galesburg Chamber of Commerce President Bob Maus, left, Lamboo’s Vice President of Operations Jeran Hammann, center, and Lamboo’s CEO Luke Schuette, right.

By having a major distribution facility within the sustainable business center in Galesburg, Lamboo is fulfilling its commitment of building a sustainable future not only for Lamboo but in the architecture industry in general. Success for Lamboo relies on building beneficial relationships with not only customers but both government and private organizations to ensure environmental resources are maintained and protected to ensure a bright future for everyone involved.

In 2012 and beyond Lamboo will continue to streamline logistics not only for rapid processing and delivery but to keep our clients better informed and engaged in the entire process from pre-sale consultation to post-sale support thereby building long lasting business relationships.

To learn more about Lamboo, our facilities or products please visit our

website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us.

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

NanaWall Systems Integration of Lamboo

Through innovative design and collaboration Lamboo Inc. is working close with our partner companies to bring to the market products that excel in sustainability, quality, and aesthetics.

As a result of these efforts two premium products are available through our partner NanaWall Systems. NanaWall, founded in 1986, delivers wood-framed, opening glass wall systems suitable for many architectural applications. In 1996, Nana Wall Systems entered into partnership with Solarlux of Germany, the world leader in operable glass wall technology. Today, with manufacturer’s representatives throughout the continent, Nana Wall Systems is the dominant provider of opening glass walls in North America. The following information is about the two main products NanaWall offers with Lamboo materials.

(NanaWall® WD65 — Folding or Paired-Panel Wood Framed System)

The WD65 is the folding or paired-panel framed system designed to provide an opening glass wall or storefront for widths up to 43′ with 12 panels. With additional paired panels, virtually unlimited widths are possible. It is a top hung system. Special applications include segmented curve units, center pivot options and various inward/outward panel combinations.

(NanaWall® WA67 — Aluminum Clad Lamboo Framed Folding System)

The WA67 is a Aluminum Clad system that features Lamboo material. These systems have the flexibility in both price and aesthetics to meet project requirements.

Lamboo products embody the essence of green design: the Energy Star-Certified NanaWall folding door system incorporates Lamboo as the most ecologically responsible wood-alternative material on the market today.

“We chose Lamboo because our customers requested more ecologically responsible material to use in LEED® certified projects,” said Ebrahim Nana, president of NanaWall Systems. “We already offer FSC wood but Lamboo takes the concept one step further and is recognized as a rapidly renewable resource by the U.S. Green Building Council.”

Lamboo products meet criteria for 2011 “CALGreen” A4.405.4 (Use of building materials from renewable sources) and contribute to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification under MR Credit 6 – Rapidly renewable materials, IEQ Credit 4.4 – Low-emitting materials; ID Credit 1 – Innovation in Design (Environmentally Preferable Material), and ID Credit 2 – Innovation in Design (Life Cycle Assessment / Environmental Impact).

To learn more about Lamboo and our products please visit our

website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us.

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Kolbe Windows & Doors featuring Lamboo Vue materials

Through research, design, and product testing Lamboo Inc. has created a material specifically for window and door systems in the Lamboo® Vue™ product series. Through our partner companies, like Kolbe Windows & Doors, Lamboo brings to the market a higher performance product that is also environmentally friendly.

(Heritage Series commercial door application of Lamboo in Pier One Imports retail location. 1100 stores scheduled for similar refit.)

The Heritage Series from Kolbe features the integration of Lamboo Vue™ materials into traditional window and door systems. Kolbe provides a variety of window systems to match customer needs and preferences which include: Casements, Awnings, Double hungs, Sliders, Radius, Geometric, and Tilt-turn systems with a wide range of personalization within each category. The Door systems in the Heritage series include: Sliding patio, swinging patio, folding, entrance, and commercial (as pictured above). These systems integrated with Lamboo materials create a product that is unmatched in terms of both aesthetics and performance. As mentioned in the picture above Pier One Imports is taking full advantage of these long lasting systems in their nationwide store refit.

The video above is an example of the Kolbe Ultra Series which is a product line from Kolbe that features the integration of Lamboo Vue™ materials with an aluminum clad exterior. This series gives project managers that need the flexibility of aluminum clad exteriors with a higher performing wood alternative.

Kolbe will be representing their products at the 2012 International Builders’ Show February 8th -11th in Orlando Florida. The NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS) is the largest annual light construction show in the world, attracting 50,000 attendees from over 100 countries. Featuring the industry’s most important exhibitors from around the world showcasing the latest building products and technologies in the industry.

For additional information about Lamboo, Kolbe or the IBS show please
visit our website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us.

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Lamboo partnership with Dover Windows & Doors

Lamboo Inc. is proud to partner with Dover Windows & DoorsBelle Haven Specialties to provide superior window & door and curtain wall systems. Dover carries a variety of products and through this partnership offers beautiful structurally sound systems using materials from Lamboo’s Vue™ and Renewall™ through product lines.

Curtainwall systems are ideal for use where large expanses of glass are needed. Unlike modular installations, curtainwall systems allow for onsite assembly and are not limited in size. This eliminates awkward design problems like unwanted mullions and allows for a more continuous flow in the overall design. Operable inserts can be placed in any appropriately sized section of the layout. Dover offers inswing and outswing venting lites in both manually operated and fully automatic motorized systems. Door details have also been tailored to complement the clean sitelines of the curtainwall assembly.

(Lamboo integrated into Dover curtain wall member)

Combining this European design with the functionality and innovation of Lamboo Renewall™ products, architects are able to design systems that are far superior in terms of both strength and durability compared to traditional systems. Using Renewall™ products can attain up to 5 LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) credits in qualifying projects (Click here for additional information).

Dover also offers a wide range window & door systems including: Tilt/turn casements, European Overlay doors, Open Corner & Pocketing doors, Exterior cladding, and much more. Integrating Lamboo Vue™ products into these systems is not only environmentally friendly, but better performing as well. Beautiful Dover/Lamboo systems can be adapted for any use where wood is traditionally used.

For additional information about Lamboo, Dover, or any products please

visit our website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us.

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Lamboo offered in beautiful H Window Company systems

Lamboo Inc. has partnered with H Windows and integrated Lamboo Vue™ window and door materials within their product offerings. H Windows are built in America for architects, builders, and homeowners who demand the very best in quality, environmental, and energy efficient design. H Window Company Provides windows and doors to the commercial market with projects that include, schools, universities, public housing, assisted living facilities, local government buildings, condominiums, churches, cultural centers, libraries, fire stations, office buildings, and historical renovations. H Window Company offers the finest European designed, high-performance custom wood windows and doors. With Lamboo H Window company offers two premium products: H Windows and Nordic Doors.

H Windows 
All over the world, the sun pours through more than 10 million very special windows. Revolutionary windows. H Windows. So sensible, so suprisingly simple, H Windows revolve a full 180° for easy cleaning and maintenance without intruding into the room. A remarkable hinge system is the H Window secret. Crafted in Norway by H Window industries, the H hinge has been the Scandanavian market leader for three decades. The superior performance and design of the H Window hinge has been proven millions of times around the world by the 60 companies in 10 countries using H Window Hinge Systems.

Nordic Doors
Built to the same level of H Window quality and performance, the Nordic Outswing Patio Door opens outward to save precious floorspace. Both sides of a double-wide door are fully operational, and include a 3-point locking mechanism for the ultimate in security. A fourth hinge near the top prevents sagging, and a unique wind brake stop allows the active leaf to be locked in any open position.

The latch system locks the door with a simple twist of the handle. The aluminum exterior/Lamboo interior design produces the tightest air and water infiltration performance in the industry.

Lamboo’s technology and sustainability allows it to add up to an additional 4 LEED points to the existing LEED qualified window and door systems. Lamboo, Inc. is continuing its initiative to make an environmental change through renewable resources, longer lasting products and practices with the assistance of partner companies like H Window.

For additional information about Lamboo, H Window, or any products please

visit our website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us.

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Lamboo integration in Pacific Architectural Millwork

Lamboo Inc. has partnered with Pacific Architectural Millwork to create an innovative design accompanied by Lamboo technology in windows and storefront systems. Lamboo’s LVB material has recently been showcased through Pacific Architectural Millwork in a storefront system at the International Builders Show 2010 in Las Vegas. Lamboo LVB window and door component materials are manufactured with exterior grade adhesives and are superior to many other materials through the use of a select bamboo species and other proprietary lamination processes.

(Lamboo utilized in Pacific storefront system at the International Builders Show 2010 in Las Vegas)

Pacific offers a variety of products for nearly any application including: folding, sliding, entry, lift & slide doors as well as expansive window and curtain wall systems.

Pacific’s extensive experience fabricating and installing custom systems for commercial and residential projects of all sizes and styles makes it one of the premier manufacturers.

Curtain Walls

The main product offering from Pacific utilizing Lamboo materials are curtain wall systems made possible from the Lamboo Renewall™ product line. This product line offers curtain wall members, storefront system components, and full systems and installation through our partners like Pacific.

The Lamboo Renewall™ can meet Passive House standards with the implementation of higher performance glass, unlike aluminum systems that cannot meet these standards. Renewall™ products can also attain up to 5 LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) credits on qualifying projects.

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For additional information about Lamboo, Pacific Architectural Millwork,or any
products please visit our website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us.

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Stevens Industries implementing Lamboo materials

Stevens Industries is a full-line manufacturer of quality laminated products, from panels to furniture and cabinets. For more than 50 years, Stevens Industries has provided added value to their customers through innovative engineering, design, and craftsmanship, along with expertise that leads to cost-effective solutions. Backed by the most extensive Quality Assurance program in the industry, Stevens Industries is committed to their customers with the specific products for present and future needs.

Due to Stevens Industries commitment to quality and customer service, Lamboo is pleased to offer our products in their projects. Through the use of the Lamboo Design™ series veneer and panels Stevens is able to offer a multitude of products including: cabinetry, table tops, furniture and interiors for both residential and commercial projects. Architects are recognizing the superior performance of Lamboo materials and is currently being implemented in the Kentucky East Hospital project by Stevens Industries.

Lamboo Design™ materials offer uniformity, workability, and allows for ease of integration which make our products a great fit for your next project.

 .

For additional information about Lamboo, Stevens Industries, or any

products please visit our website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us.

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Point Five systems featuring Lamboo materials

Point Five’s success is the result of a philosophy of innovation, dedication to the highest quality standards and the commitment to truly accommodate the needs of the communities they serve. In recognition that fortunes can change on the smallest oversight, the company dedicates itself to the basic principles of renewal and continuing improvement of products, processes and operations to ensure the continued tradition of unparalleled quality, service and commitment that has brought Point Five continuing success.

Point Five has partnered with Lamboo utilizing the Lamboo Vue™ product line which features our window and door components and systems. Vue™ components have up to 3x the structural rigidity that allows for more flexibility within window & door system designs and profiles.

Through our partner companies like Point Five, Lamboo is committed to continuous improvement and innovation to bring to market products that exhibit superior quality and sustainability compared to traditional options.

For additional information about Lamboo, Point Five, or any products and

applications please visit our website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us.

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Dynamic Windows & Doors utilization of Lamboo materials

Dynamic Windows & Doors specialize exclusively in architect-designed luxury residential projects and historical replacements, supplying signature estate homes and landmark buildings across the continent and internationally. Their proven, engineered windows and doors span every conceivable style and operation, from classic traditional European designs to sleek modern geometrical creations. With the integration of Lamboo Vue™ materials Dynamic is able to bring the market beautiful, long lasting and durable window and door systems.

Door Systems
Available in the following styles: Lift and Slide doors, multi-panel bi-folding doors, over-size hinged doors, pivoting, pocketing, angled, radius and impact tested. Dynamic’s engineered modern door details enable the architect to design some of the largest wood door systems available in the industry. Our engineered cores create the strength and stability required to manufacture over-sized door systems under warranty while retaining narrow stile and rail dimensions.

Window Systems
Dynamic also offers a full range of modern window systems including: casement/awning, Fineline Common Mullion, corner, direct glazed, and tilt & turn.

Lamboo materials are up to 20% more stable than hardwoods in moisture & temperature changes, and up to 40% more stable than softwoods such as pine & douglas fir. These unique qualities of Lamboo give architects additional incentives to the already strong product offering of LEED credits and sustainability made possible through the use of Lamboo products.

For additional information about Lamboo, our products, or Dynamic please

visit our website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us.

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Western Structures partnership with Lamboo

Western Structures, Inc. established in 1989, is a manufacturer of custom, top-quality glu-lam beams and offers Lamboo as a premium species selection. Western Structures says, “Glu-lams made with Lamboo components will be “off the charts” in terms of strength and durability.” Western has carved a name for themselves among builders, architects and developers all over the world.  Western Structures products can be found in high profile projects and residences across the United States. In Japan, where quality is revered and demanded, Western is the leading US exporter of custom beams.

Glu-lam beams
The Lamboo Structure™ product line offers a selection of structural products and applications with our high performance engineered bamboo. A Lamboo glu-lam is a beautiful structural component, devoid of knots but rich with color and character.  Western Structures is able to manufacture virtually any size or length of this product and are confident that a structure made with Lamboo will be in a class all by itself.

Through our partnership with Western Structures we offer consulting, shop drawings, detailed structural system analysis, glu-lam fabrication and installation for each project. Using Lamboo within structural applications can allow for an additional 4 LEED Credits on qualified projects. All structural components can be custom fabricated to meet the specific requirements for your project.

Western Structures offers services whether in design, fabrication or technical support that sets their company apart from other competitors. Western Structures looks at every project with an enthusiasm not readily found these days and is passionate about their business. These major contributing factors make Lamboo’s decision to maintain and promote growth in this partnership an easy one.

 For additional information about Lamboo, our products, or Western Structures please

visit our website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us.

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Fender Lamboo Telecaster

On its 1951 introduction, the Telecaster® was a revolutionary instrument that would usher in whole new eras of musical innovation and excitement. Sixty years later, in 2011, it is an archetypal electric guitar with a long and storied history. The rich history of Fender® guitars begins with the Telecaster®, and they celebrated its 60th anniversary by offering the Lamboo® Telecaster® as one of their special “Tele-bration” models.

The Lamboo® Telecaster® is a stunning guitar that matches the long history and reputation of excellence of Fender® with the elegance and sustainability of Lamboo design engineered bamboo materials. The sense of tradition and loyalty Fender® has built with their customers is remarkable and Lamboo would like to help keep this alive by providing a sustainable option for the future.

For additional information about Lamboo, the Lamboo® Telecaster®, or any other products

please visit our website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us.

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Lamboo Galesburg facility

In order to effectively provide our products in the domestic U.S. market, Lamboo is continually expanding within the Galesburg distribution hub. This centralized Illinois location enables Lamboo to deliver products coast to coast within 3-5 days following order of stocked products. Lamboo relies not only on the efficient programs and processes used to create our products but through logistics practices as well.

…
To learn more about Lamboo, our facilities or products please visit our

website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us.

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Sustainability of Bamboo

A number of bamboo product manufacturers have chosen to use Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification as a demonstration of sustainability. However, FSC was designed for timber forests and not bamboo grass farms. Accordingly, Lamboo has chosen to go above and beyond FSC, and utilizes the global expertise of The Forest Trust to maintain a transparent system to ensure we obtain our bamboo from sustainably managed sources. Further, we use this system to verify that our manufacturing and distribution structures achieve the highest levels of sustainability.

Bamboo as a resource is the most sustainable plant used in the manufacturing of structural and architectural systems. Bamboo in comparison to timber takes 4 years to fully mature, where as timber on average takes 25 to 50 years to mature. Lamboo has 3 times the structural capacity of timber, achieving longer spans which allows for use of less material. Bamboo can be harvested without replanting, due to its root structure and grass like features, which also helps eliminate soil erosion. Unlike other crops, bamboo requires little or no pesticides to grow, because of a natural bio-agent that is bound to the plant at the molecular level.

To learn more about Lamboo, our operations, or products please visit our

website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us.

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Keller Shells!

With nearly 50 years of experience in the music industry, Keller Products is well-known for providing precision-built, custom-molded plywood shells to leading high-end drum manufacturers. They combine premium ingredients, experience, innovation, and professionalism to deliver some of the best drum shells available on the market.

Keller shells featuring Lamboo^® Design™ veneer creates beautiful drum shells that maintain the great sound and durability that Keller has built their success upon. Keller Products is committed to stay at the forefront of innovation and design by offering Lamboo’s laminated bamboo materials for a sustainable future.

To learn more about Lamboo, Keller, or products please visit our
website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us.

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Lamboo & Splinakis Ship Designs

Lamboo Inc. has partnered with Splinakis Ship Design within the nautical industry for mega-yacht projects focusing on quality and sustainability. Pictured below is Andrea Splinakis with Lamboo President Luke Schuette and Peter Illig General Manager of the Switizerland office. Splinakis is the owner of Splinakis Ship Design that is based out of Italy with operations in Nigeria and Korea serving clients across the globe.

Splinakis Ship Design in cooperation with partners is offering Lamboo’s nautical grade laminated bamboo components within projects to take full advantage of its superior characteristics. Lamboo®  Elite™  material is great for the environment while featuring proprietary adhesives that resist moisture, bacteria/fungal growth, and being flame retardant as well.

(Image from J. Sung Design) 

The treacherous conditions of the sea make performance and durability critical factors in ship design and implementation to ensure safety for those who sail it. Splinakis Ship Design is committed to using the very best technology and design practices to meet these strenuous requirements and utilizing Lamboo is one way they are doing it.

To learn more about Lamboo, our operations, or products please visit our
website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us.

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

IC2 Technologies & Lamboo Inc.

Specializing in the manufacturing of high energy-efficient timber-integrated hybrid outer shells, IC2 is an industry leader in the construction of passive houses and carbon-neutral buildings. Their expertise in conducting building energy simulations combined with an integrated design approach enables IC2 to facilitate the development of innovative, ambitious solutions and accelerate the realization of housing projects that are 60 to 90 percent more energy efficient.

With the integration of Lamboo® Renewall™ materials IC2 is committed to being the leading innovator in the construction of carbon-neutral buildings.The superior performance and sustainability of our laminated bamboo materials makes it a perfect fit for IC2 projects to reduce their carbon footprint while providing long lasting, durable systems.

Renewall™ products can attain up to 5 LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Credits under the following:

• MR Credit 6 – Rapidly renewable materials
• IEQ Credit 4.4 – Low-emitting materials
• ID Credit 1 – Innovation in Design
  (Environmentally Preferable Material)
• ID Credit 2 – Innovation in Design
  (Life Cycle Assessment / Environmental Impact)
• FSC Certification – Available Upon Request

To learn more about Lamboo, IC2 Technologies, or our products please visit our
website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us.

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

LEED 2012 Development

The hallmark of LEED and its ability to affect market transformation is its continuous improvement cycle that enables the rating system to increase in scope and stringency as market readiness increases and new technologies become widely available. With LEED 2009, the primary changes were foundational changes, such as rating system content alignment, credit point value allocation, the development of LEED Online v3, and changes to the professional credentials and certification process. These foundational changes continue to be refined in the context of LEED 2009, but will not be fundamentally changed again with the next update of LEED.

For LEED 2012, USGBC will focus on increasing the technical rigor of the rating system, expanding the market sectors able to use LEED, and striving for simplicity in terms of usability. LEED 2012 builds on LEED 2009 in a thoughtful way. It optimizes the foundations in LEED 2009, and will continue to improve the clarity, usability, functionality and interconnectedness of the rating systems through future version development.

(Excerpt from USGBC, read more)

Lamboo Inc. is committed to maintaining its status as an innovative leader in the development of environmentally responsible technologies for the architectural industry. Lamboo products are not only higher performing but are also eligible for LEED credits on qualifying products. Please refer to USGBC website for more information on qualifying projects.

For questions regarding Lamboo or our products please visit our
website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

‘Peak timber’ concerns in tropics

Current tropical timber practices are not sustainable and nations should consider the “implications of ‘peak timber’”, a study has suggested.

A team of researchers says the standard cutting cycle of 30-40 years is too short to allow trees to grow to a volume required by commercial loggers.
As a result, they add, the pressure to harvest primary forests will continue, leading to ongoing deforestation.
The findings have been published in the journal Biological Conservation.
The scientists used logging on the Solomon Islands as an example because it was, in some respects, “a microcosm of the challenges facing sustainable forest management in the tropics”.
They said the industry had been a major source of government revenue for a number of years.
Yet, they added: “For nearly a decade, the nation had been warned that the volume of timber annually harvested from native forests was too high and, if unchecked, that timber stocks would be seriously depleted by 2012.
“In 2009, the Central Bank of the Solomon Islands asserted that (the) exhaustion of timber stocks had arrived even earlier that predicted and its economic consequences were likely to be severe.”

(Tropical timber production exceeds forests’ ability to replace the felled trees, the study says)

Pushing the limit

The team – made up by Dr Phil Shearman and Jane Bryan from the Australian National University, and Prof William Laurance from James Cook University, Australia – said the trajectory of the country’s timber production (a rapid increase in production, followed by a peak and then a decline) was akin to the ‘Hubbert curve’, which has been observed in the exploitation of non-renewable resources, such as oil.
“It is occurring in the Solomons because timber extraction has occurred at a rate far in excess of the capacity of the forests to regenerate commercial timber stocks,” they wrote.
The researchers suggested that there were three main factors that made it difficult to find examples of sustainable forestry in the tropics:

• Low level of marketable timber production - many tree species having unsuitable wood properties, and the slow growth rate of commercially viable specimens is another factor
• Collateral damage - while logging in the tropics tends to focus on a small fraction of the trees, many others are damaged or killed as a result of the network of access roads to the area being logged
• Second-wave clearance - the “labyrinths of logging roads have opened up vast swaths… for colonisation, hunting, illegal mining and other destructive activities”

As well as these factors, the problem of illegal logging was also threatening primary forest cover in many nations.

(Deforestation accounts for up to 20% of annual greenhouse gas emissions from human activities)

The team concluded with a stark warning: “Unless something fundamental changes… we believe that logged tropical forests will continue to be over-harvested and, far too frequently, cleared afterwards, leading to an inevitable global decline in native timber supplies.
“It has become common these days to speak of ‘peak oil’. In the tropics, we assert, we should also begin to seriously consider the implications of ‘peak timber’.”

(Excerpt from BBC News reporter Mark Kinver)

The environmental and economic challenges brought about by the production of timber is something that cannot be ignored. The exhaustion of natural resources such as timber leaves a void that needs to be addressed with sustainable alternatives.

Bamboo, reaching maturity in 4 years and not requiring replanting is one of options that will be ever increasingly looked upon as timber resources decline.

For questions regarding Lamboo or our products please visit our
website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Pier 1 Imports taking advantage of Lamboo’s high performance products

Pier 1 Imports in a mission of building high quality sustainable facilities has chosen Lamboo for refits and new construction of U.S. stores using Lamboo awning and door systems. With the highly renewable resource of bamboo, Pier 1 is staying environmentally responsible through the use of Lamboo products while ensuring that their stores will not only have long lasting stable systems, but will also stay aesthetically pleasing for their customers.

ImageOne Industries is utilizing the LAMBOO® ELEMENTS™ series in the Pier 1 awnings systems. These exterior grade components and panels feature proprietary manufacturing processes & bonding agents to resist moisture and last throughout harsh environments. These components are on average 20% more stable than hardwoods and up to 40% more stable than softwoods such as pine or douglas fir. Lamboo products attain all low V.O.C. guidelines by LEED (USGBC) and do not produce off-gassing in production or application.

Kolbe Windows & Doors is using the LAMBOO® VUE™ series to develop and install long lasting door systems for Pier 1. Lamboo Inc. as the leader in the technologies and manufacturing of performance based engineered bamboo, will be providing these components designed specifically for the window and door systems of Pier 1. LAMBOO® VUE™ components have great thermal properties, strength, durability, and contain water resistant attributes that make it ideal for this project’s requirements of high performance with superior aesthetics.

Lamboo is pleased to work with Pier 1 Imports as well as collaborating with other major retailers and companies that have initiatives to establish strong and environmentally friendly systems.

For questions regarding Lamboo or our products please visit our

website at www.lamboo.us or contact us at info@lamboo.us

“MAKING INNOVATIVE THINKING A STANDARD” – Lamboo Incorporated

Blog by: Dustin Dennison