Whole Trees, LLC, of Madison, Wisconsin, uses trees as turn-key structural systems in commercial and residential building construction. The Whole Trees team, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory, has developed a process that allows them to cost-effectively grade, engineer, and manufacture the small trees removed from routine forest thinning. This small-diameter, round timber is used in patented trusses, beams, and joists in building construction. The process turns forest waste into a sustainable and high-value building material.

The company, a four-time SBIR grantee, has increased its local revenue from $150,000 to $4 million and doubled its staff. Construction projects that use Whole Trees products receive triple the amount of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design credits for green structural material.

Read more on Forbes coverage of Whole Trees.

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