Can U.S.-made Wood Insulation Go Mainstream?

GO Lab, manufacturer of TimberHP wood insulation, is providing a new insulation to the U.S. market—while bolstering rural Maine’s economy at the same time. The closing of Madison, Maine’s paper mill resulted in the loss of more than 200 good-paying jobs and seemingly doomed the facility and the rural community to a bleak future. The paper mill was one of dozens in Maine shuttered in the last 20 years, and these closings hurt more than the paper industry. They also hurt the numerous lumber mills that sell wood chip byproducts used in paper production.

GO Lab has converted the Madison paper mill into a factory that will produce TimberHP (named for high-performance, healthy planet, and healthy people) above-grade wood insulation starting in late 2022 and ramping up in 2023. Wood insulation has a number of potential environmental and performance advantages over competing materials, and a U.S.-made product has the potential to keep costs and embodied carbon down while increasing availability in North America.