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Homasote Company, the oldest U.S. manufacturer of building products made from recycled wastepaper, is marking its centennial this year. Each year, the company converts 20,000 tons of post-consumer waste paper into unique environmentally friendly structural, sound control building products and industrial packaging at its New Jersey facility.
“Very few businesses can stay relevant and successful for 100 years,” said Warren Flicker, CEO of Homasote. “Homasote’s products have an enduring tradition of industry-leading performance. Looking ahead, we expect our customers to demand new solutions offering greater levels of value, performance and sustainability and we are committed to meeting and exceeding their expectations.”
From sound deadening wall board to industrial packaging materials, Homasote products have become part of America’s history. The company also celebrated several major milestones throughout its 100-year existence.
Homasote was founded in 1909 by Eugenius H. Outerbridge, an industrialist who imported innovative manufacturing techniques to the U.S. from England. He later became the first chairman of what is now the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Early products were manufactured for the lining of railroad carriages and the tops of Buick, Dodge, Ford, Nash and Studebaker automobiles.
After 1916, the Homasote board still used today was specified by the U.S. military to build field hospitals, mess halls and housing for both World War I and World War II bases.
The famed explorer Admiral Richard E. Byrd also relied on Homasote’s thermal insulating properties for his Antarctic expedition, which started in 1928. His executive offices, laboratories and housing facilities were built with Homasote interior and exterior products. A letter from a member of Admiral Byrd’s team describes Homasote materials as being “absolutely unharmed” after 18 years of blizzards and sub-zero temperatures.
Homasote was later specified during the Cold War Era by the U.S. government in the construction of the Distant Early Warning (DEW) line of radar sites, designed to alert Western forces to impending Soviet attacks.
In the 1960s, the company increased its reliance and commitment to independent, third-party testing. Homasote products have been tested, rated and certified by several major government and trade organizations, including the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED program, the International Building Council (IBC), the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS), and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
For more information on Homasote products, visit www.homasote.com.
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