Hempitecture – a leading innovator in sustainable building materials – announced the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) selection to receive $8.42 million in funding under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda. This funding will support the creation of an industrial fiber hemp processing and manufacturing facility in northeast Tennessee, focused on producing high-performing, carbon-reducing products for the building materials, packaging, and automotive sectors.
As one of 14 projects selected from across the nation, this funding will speed up Hempitecture’s mission of decarbonization at scale while contributing to the economic revitalization of former coal communities. And the facility will create 25 full-time jobs at wages 15% above the local prevailing rate, and will use hemp fiber to reduce carbon intensity by up to 80% in the products it manufactures.
Hempitecture’s facility in Tennessee will enhance its ability to meet growing demand for low-carbon, high-performance materials. Flagship products like HempWool and PlantPanel are critical to decarbonizing the construction industry and are part of a broader vision to transform supply chains using sustainable resources.
Hempitecture CIO Tommy Gibbons worked for two years at Tennessee’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory as part of the DOE Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program (LEEP). And while developing a commercialization plan for Hempitecture’s products, Gibbons noticed, “It became clear that northeast Tennessee is fertile ground with a rich history of agriculture, textile manufacturing, and a workforce ready for new opportunities outside the coal industry.”
Hempitecture’s expansion comes during a time when global demand for clean energy technologies and sustainable building solutions is set to reach over $23 trillion by 2030. And by utilizing this investment, the company will continue to advance the bioeconomy, creating jobs and reducing carbon emissions in the communities it serves.
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“This funding recognizes both the potential of biobased materials and the role they play in building a cleaner, more resilient economy. This expansion will not only scale production, but it will also create significant economic opportunities along the agricultural supply chain, contributing to a bioeconomy built from renewable resources.”
– Matthew Mead, CEO of Hempitecture
