421 E 500 S #100
Jerome, ID 83338
[email protected]  
[email protected]
www.hempitecture.com

Hempitecture recently established the first nonwoven manufacturing facility of its kind in the U.S. The new nonwovens producer uses bio-based, carbon-capturing inputs to create healthier, high-performing products.

Hempitecture’s new 33,000-square-foot energy-efficient facility in Jerome, ID, produces a wide range of bio-based nonwoven products, with hemp fiber being the primary component, using a custom-designed manufacturing process exclusive to Hempitecture. The unique line configuration works with natural fibers to create a wide range of products for multiple industries. Products include sustainable liners for cold freight partners who serve industries such as meal delivery services and the pharmaceutical industry, and HempWool Thermal Insulation, a sustainable, bio-based high-performing building insulation material that is fire resistant, safe to touch and carbon negative.

The hemp fiber used for production is sourced locally from Hempitecture’s partner, IND Hemp, located in Montana. Hempitecture partnered with Dell’Orco and Villani for its opening and blending line and with Technoplants for its high-loft airlay and thermobonding line.

With an increased demand for U.S.-grown and U.S.-manufactured products, Hempitecture’s facility creates a necessary natural fiber bio-based supply chain that lowers the carbon footprint for making sustainable building and insulation materials.

“Since the onset of the pandemic, we’ve seen more people turn their attention toward healthy homes and environments,” says Hempitecture CEO and founder Mattie Mead. “This new facility will allow for a fully U.S.-made product which aids in growing Hempitecture’s reach across residential, commercial and multi-family markets, making healthy products and home building more tangible.”

While there are many other great bast fiber crops, industrial hemp is so compelling because it is a rapidly renewable resource that can be grown in a variety of climate types and in a variety of regions across the U.S., according to Mead. Also, during its three- to four-month cultivation cycle, hemp offsets about 9.8 tons of CO2 per acre. “It does that more so than any other bast fiber crops while also requiring less inputs than some other fiber producing crops, making it a truly sustainable, rapidly renewable resource,” he explains. “The fiber itself, when grown with the proper genetics and processed properly, also produces a fiber that is very strong. It has a variety of benefits due to its somewhat porous structure. The porous structure of industrial hemp fiber in part lends to the insulative capacity of the fiber itself.”

Currently HempWool is the only USDA Certified Biobased insulation product on the market. “Whereas other insulation companies are using non-biodegradable or abrasive VOC-containing raw materials in their formulation, we’re using plant fiber and we’re using a binder, so it’s a pretty simple formulation: safe to touch, safe to handle and causes no respiratory harm,” Mead says.

Beyond Hempitecture’s focus on using industrial hemp as a nonwoven fiber, the company is also developing additional products and applications exploring a wider range of bio-based fibers. The flexibility of its manufacturing process results in the ability to meet different specifications and needs dependent on the end-use application. 

With the launch of Hempitecture’s new facility with its official ribbon cutting ceremony on February 17, 2023, the company is just beginning to grow into its production capabilities. As a result, Hempitecture has open line capacity and is eager and willing to discuss potential opportunities with clients seeking nonwoven materials.

Hempitecture is primarily a direct-to-consumer business through its website, hempitecture.com, but it also intends to utilize distributorships. 

“Building materials aren’t the only space Hempitecture intends to play in, there are countless industries that nonwovens can integrate into, and we hope to be a part of solving some of the most pressing sustainability challenges in the nonwovens space,” says Mead. “As a young company in the nonwovens industry, we know that we don’t have all the answers and we know that there’s a lot to learn. We’re open to learning from other companies about their sustainability goals and understand with them how we can incorporate our natural fiber supply chain into their end products to ultimately create more sustainable long-lasting, high-performance products.”