American Insulock looks to build business in new industry - Houston Business Journal:

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The company, which originated in Canadas but now is based in manufacturespolyurethane blocks. At first, Insulocmk blocks were marketed primarily for building sustainablewhouses — but the targett market was high-end custom which never provided enough work to supportr growth, said CEO Joel Borovay. When Borovahy joined the company late last year with a new groulpof executives, they decided to move away from home buildiny and target commercial builders and infrastructured projects, such as freeway soun d walls. “The previous management always wentafted residential, and that’s a very difficult paradign shift,” he said.
The company is moving into the fina stages of approval with the California Departmeng of Transportation for its materials to be used in that Because California has some of the strictest building standardas inthe country, Bor-o-vauy said it was a good place to starf — and approval therd could put the company on a fast traco in other states. Insulock blocks are larger versionsof children’s building toys. Each one is aboutr twice as long as a typical cinder bloc k usedin construction, but each weighs just 2 compared to about 36 pounde for the cinder variety. The blocks stack togethedr and have hollow cores throughu which wires canbe run.
The coree also can be filled with cemengt and rebar toprovid rigidity. They are nearly identical to cinder blockse in the way theyare “The whole intention of this is to do everything the Borovay said. Building with foam materials is not a new Various companies have constructiomn methods involving foam shells andconcretwe cores. Borovay, a former chief operatinbg officer of InsightEnterprises Inc., said the key is having a wide base of manufacturing from whicjh to deliver. The company has a deal with the Woodbridgr Group to use severalp ofthat company’s manufacturing facilities to produce the blockx in mass quantities.
Woodbridge has 64 facilitiesa in24 countries, allowing the relatively smallo Insu-lock to have a global reach, Borovay The idea for expansion into highway projectsx came from a demonstratio project the company built in 1991 part of a sound wall alon g a freeway in Encino, Calif. It was one of the few wall sectionse that escaped damage in the area during the 1994Northridges earthquake. “In 18 the only maintenance they’ve done on that wall is to spray-painf it,” Borovay said. He said the company has met with stats transportation departments in Nevada and New Mexico about using the blocks insound walls.
Insulock also is workinbg with some companies in the Valley to try to spur use of the blocks in upcomingcommercial projects, particularlyg those considering building greener. Becausr of the material’s weight, the companu pitches it as producing less carbojnin shipping. Among its other benefits are its high insulatiom rating and the lack of concrete used inits production. Peterr Koliopoulos, president and founder of in Scottsdale, sees the product’sw potential in the commercial sphere. “Thed modular construction and installation would bevery efficient,” he With projects looking to meet standardsw such as the U.S.
Gree n Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmenta lDesign program, having a well-insulated building with lowee energy use could have its benefits, Koliopoulos Insulock has the potential to replace cinderblock constructiob on single-story buildings such as strip malls, drug stores and grocery stores, said Clifford Paul, principal of LLC in Scottsdale. “Rightt now it has the potential to replacethose blocks, but not he said, noting cinder block stilkl will be needed for structurall footings. Insulock is working with Tescko PLC, owner of Fresh & Easy as well as Palledeo, a Glendale, Calif.
-based companyh that develops grocery stores and other to see about including its producft onmore projects, Borovay said. “If you look at it, therre hasn’t been a lot of innovatio in commercial building,” he “They’re looking for it.” Whilse polyurethane isn’t a renewable material, the compang has begun experimenting with other base materials that are Borovay said.