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Southern California-based Reel Lumber held a special event for customers on Feb. 6 at its Anaheim, Ca., location to introduce a new quasi-wood product to the lumber industry: HempWood.
Produced in the U.S., the wood is manufactured via a patented process that utilizes bio-mimicry to transform hemp fibers and protein based bonding agents into a viable substitute for anything solid oak can be used for.
Reel even hired carpenters to design and create pieces like desks, tables and chairs out of the material to display at the event, proving how similar hemp can be to other wood materials.
When marketing director and fourth generation family member Daniel Reel-Clark read a story in April 2019 about a startup company in Kentucky that was developing technology to take the fiber strands of hemp stalks and turn them into lumber, he immediately picked up the phone and organized a trip to visit the production facility.
A few months later he found himself standing in the middle of a hemp farm discussing the benefits of hemp and the potential for harnessing its incredible growth rate. Unlike hardwood trees, hemp plants can go from seed to cultivation in just five months. “Its very heavy and dense and I think the fact that it grows so quickly is what really sets it apart,” said Reel-Clark. “It also has a great eco-friendly message behind it, which is a really great thing,” he said, explaining that hemp is grown using sustainable methods, which helps eliminate deforestation.
The product is available 4/4″ thick by 5-1/4″ wide by 4′ long, and customers can order both rift and plain sawn at ReelLumber.com.
