Auz-Bloc is green - and it supports the local economy

I wrote yesterday about our seller clients who are walking the green walk.  Today I want to tell you more of the story...

Auz-Bloc is a locally owned and operated company that manufactures and sells the Auz-Bloc product, which is the American version of a similar Australian product called Timbercrete.  Timbercrete was developed "down under" by a potter who wanted to build his own sturdy home affordably.  Using cellulose, cement, sand and binders, and other  materials to create a building block with unique qualities, Peter Collier invented a material that impressed researchers and inspectors with its durability and stability.  Mr. Collier patented his product and started a company - Timbercrete - that allows other local business people to open Timbercrete franchises.  That's what Auz-Bloc is - the first and only Timbercrete franchise in the U.S. - right here in Floyd, Virginia!

The use of recycled raw materials and the franchise concept are two major keys to the sustainability of the Auz-Bloc/Timbercrete product.  The block is made of materials, like sawdust, reclaimed from other industry's waste.  In our area, large forest products companies that harvest trees for timber framing create a lot of sawdust waste.  Instead of burning or composting the waste (which could create problems with pollution or space), this sawdust can be used in the production of Auz-Bloc.  In addition, the raw materials come from LOCAL industries, so they don't have to be shipped half-way around the world (thus saving fossil fuels and preventing pollution from transportation).