Last Monday, Corn Board Manufacturing Inc. announced they had chosen Sac County as the future site of their next production facility for their corn stover-based wood alternative products. CEO, Lane Segerstrom, explains how the harvest waste is transformed into a usable material.
In 2011, a CornBoard-based skateboard was made commercially available through their subsidiary, Stalk It, Inc. They have since expanded use of the environmentally friendly material to produce skis, snowboards, plywood replacements and other wood alternatives. The Sac County plant will be producing CornBoard pallets, and Segerstrom says their research shows they could easily replace traditional wooden ones.
The wood alternative has the potential to significantly reduce the number of trees cut down each year by logging operations while also revitalizing some of Iowa’s most rural communities, in this case, Odebolt. Segerstrom is originally from Ida Grove, and he says he envisions production facilities throughout western Iowa and beyond.
He adds stover is difficult to transport long distance, so most of their materials will be locally sourced. Segerstrom explains how they will work with local farmers to collect the raw materials.
The 50,000+ square foot plant will be located about a mile west of Odebolt on Highway 175. Construction is expected to get underway in the spring of 2021. Segerstrom is hoping they will be operational by next harvest but says timelines are not certain because this is the first facility of this type ever built.
