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 Bolivar County, TN, Mayor Bobby Sain (L), discuss advantages of using composite panels with A.J. Francel, Chief Operating Officer of locally operated Alternative Construction Technologies.
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ACTech® Panel System, Alternative Construction Technologies' SIPs with a Conscience CEO Predicts Rapid Expansion of Business By Roy Hornsby Let's suppose you're planning to build a new home soon, or you're a businessman looking over Hardeman County, Tennesee for a place to build a new plant for a company you're going to start. Then suppose you hear about a relatively new company in Bolivar, TN that offers a building system that is fast and easy to erect, costs about the same as a conventional building (and some times considerably less), is fire rated, wind resistant up to 146 m.p.h. and reduces the cost of energy needed for heating and air conditioning by up to 70%. Would you check into it? Bolivar Mayor, Bobby Sain and a local reporter met with A.J. “Tony” Francel, Chief Operating Officer of Alternative Construction Technologies (ACT) to hear how this Tennessee based company is doing and what he projects for its future. The plant has been in Bolivar for about 10 years, and while it is prosperous, it is not widely known in this area. The company is publicly traded under stock symbol ACCY. Alternative Construction Technologies manufactures a patented Structural Insulated Panel system (SIPs) with a conscience. Their products are socially responsible, sustainable, environmentally friendly, "green" and completely recyclable with no "off-gassing" of harmful CFC's. Energy consumption from heating and cooling devices is reduced by 30% to 50% and often more. Francel says that he believes the company is about to become widely known locally and nationally. He believes that the time is ripe for builders to consider the techniques and product that Alternative Construction Technologies offers. He says there are four factors that will rapidly move forward the type of construction solution that his company offers: environmental concerns, rising energy prices, economics, and weather. Policy makers are pushing for it. The structural insulated building material produced by ACT's plant consists of panels of galvanized steel and polyurethane. In between the two sheets is permanent insulation foam. All material is environmentally friendly and recycled. The layering of materials in the plate results in vastly improved acoustics and air quality in the living space. After years of laughing at Al Gore and his books on the environment, governments and corporations are beginning to consider what looms in our future if we disregard the evidence of the effect of global warming on the weather and on our natural resources. In Hardeman County you only have to stand on the side of a road a short time before a huge log truck rumbles by. The cost and consequences of depletion are becoming mainstream and this is why Al Gore has recently earned a Nobel Prize. Take Hurricane Katrina and the increasing numbers of damaging storms. Francel says that the major cause of the loss of homes in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast was from mold and mildew contamination caused by flooding, not only from the wind or the water itself. He believes that if those homes had been built from the materials that ACT produces, they could have been restored. And even the wind damage would have been substantionally less. Among Alternative Construction's customer base is mega company Home Depot, a giant in the construction business, NASA, Sea World and other notable companies. The concession stand at the Bolivar High School was built by ACT and a large brick home in Jackson both prove that even with all the positive improvements they look the same as a conventionally built one. Francel noted that 7.5 million feet of material can be produced annually at the plant in a building large enough to accommodate any needed expansion. They are now seeking production managers, department managers, maintenance mechanics, office personnel, and other labor. Francel said that he has heard from several large builders in Tennessee and bordering states that are interested in his product for large-scale development, in one case a projected 2,000-unit housing project near Knoxville. He recently heard from a FL businessman wanting to lease part of his property to build a plant. Several states have implemented laws restricting construction of buildings that don't meet state environmental standards. California, for instance, will not buy products from other states that do not meet such standards. Francel believes this movement will impact his own business since his product is extremely environmentally friendly, as well as termite resistant and energy conserving. Other states and the federal government have begun to take similar actions. Mayor Sain was enthusiastic about the plant and its product, commenting that he could not understand why the company has not exploded in growth with the product it offers and says he aims to help keep it here for a long time to come. “It is a perfect fit for modular or design/build construction, something that should really be accepted in a rural county like Hardeman County, TN. Unlike some of the counties bordering Memphis, our county could preserve its natural beauty by keeping its trees.” Visit GreenSage Directory of Green Building Materials:Structural Insulated Panels to find out more. |
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