The Pitch: Local engineer develops lumber alternative using hemp
TJ Fiala creates a new type of lumber to help fight deforestation, leading to a new startup.
TJ Fiala, a forester who was searching for a solution to deforestation, discovered hemp's capabilities.
Construction is a major consumer of lumber. A plant from the cannabis family, hemp, which is grown for its fibers and edible seeds, produces up to four-times the biomass of an acre.