Kebony listed at Global Cleantech 100

The Global Cleantech 100 highlights the companies offering solutions to some of the world’s most pressing environmental problems, those companies which are most likely to make the most significant market impact over the next 5-10 years, judged by the world’s cleantech experts.

Kebony was selected from over 3,000 companies in 50 countries, judged on their potential to achieve high growth and market impact internationally. Kebony was one of the few companies chosen from the manufacturing industry; demonstrating its modified wood product is a true alternative to the unsustainable use of tropical timber and environmentally damaging toxic treated woods. Kebony was chosen for its innovative ‘Kebonization’ process with the report outlining how the modified wood “…becomes more weather resistant and more likely to last longer” and referencing its use of bio waste material in the modification process.

“The second Global Cleantech 100 shines a spotlight on which companies and which technology areas the global innovation community is currently most excited about, from a commercial standpoint” said Richard Youngman, MD, Europe & VP, Global Research at Cleantech Group.

Christian Jebsen, CEO of Kebony comments, “It is a tremendous achievement for Kebony to be recognised as one of the world’s top 100 Cleantech companies. This is a great reflection on the progress the company is making in achieving its global ambitions.

We have secured distributors in a number of key markets and have provided product to hundreds of projects in the marine, decking and building industries. We are also proud to say that our technology provides an eco-solution to the major environmental challenge of rain forest deforestation.”

“We are proud to be a company founded on propositions that set out to protect the environment. Acknowledgement from the clean tech industry on our commitment to this, and the potential market for our award winning product is fantastic” says Jan Terje Nielsen, director of marketing at Kebony.

Kebony has international ambitions, and plans to develop licensing packages for the brand and the technology. Through this technology Kebony’s mission is to provide the world with beautiful, long lasting and environmentally friendly wooden products.

Kebony has recently been listed as one of the 25 most creative companies in Europe by CNBC Business, and has achieved numerous awards in environment, marketing and business.

The Global Cleantech 100 is available to download at: http://cleantech.com/GlobalCleantech100.cfm

About the Cleantech Group, LLC
Cleantech Group, the leading global research and advisory firm focused on cleantech innovation, pioneered the clean technology category in 2002. Today, it helps its clients make critical business decisions by providing the latest market intelligence through subscription-based research, custom advisory services, and global networking events. The company’s growing international client base includes global corporations, investors, entrepreneurs, governments, and service providers. The company also produces the premier Cleantech Forum® and Focus™ events worldwide, including upcoming events in Paris, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Details are available at http://www.cleantech.com

QUOTES FROM CUSTOMERS AND MEDIA:

“In the past we have used tropical hardwoods including teak and mahogany, but some years ago we became convinced that there had to be a more environmentally friendly alternative…During our research, we became disappointed with the synthetic alternatives to teak. When we discovered Kebony, it was soon obvious that this product was quite different. For a start it is a real wood – maple – that is grown sustainably in Europe. And the chemicals used in production are natural ones, derived from sugar cane….We look forward to a successful business relationship.”

Fiona Rogers, Director, Jeremy Rogers Yachts on the use of Kebony in the build of the green Contessa yacht

“We are happy that it is increasingly easy to build houses and buildings without poisoning the environment. Kebony blends in naturally with the Norwegian landscape: the coastline and fjords, meadows and mountains. It looks great in combination with other building material like glass, concrete and stone. Kebony also ages beautifully, and in a more subtle way than other impregnated woods. It keeps the colour very nicely when used indoor, and has really worked well in a major project like Kragerø Spa & Resort.”

Svein Lund / Einer Hagem, Lund Hagem Architects

“When it came to decking, we had to look for the best possible solution and also a sustainable alternative. We ended up with Kebony which, in our view, is the only solution. When it comes to boat decking, the search is over – there is no other alternative to Kebony.”

Pål Vedner, Solvik Boats

“In short, Kebony not only looks good, it works well and can be used in many design applications. Of course, when I recommend it to customers, I know it is very environmentally-friendly so it helps me sleep at night.”

Darren Saines, Garden Designer

“We first started using Kebony for the Norwegian Pavilion during to London Design Festival 2009. We chose Kebony because we were looking for something that was durable and also aesthetically-pleasing and, at the same time, environmentally-sound and hard-wearing…From our experience with Kebony we will definitely use it again as a material in other design projects in the future.”

Jonas Ravlo Stokke and Øystein Austad, StokkeAustad

“Commercial logging is a key driver behind the destruction of the rainforest. You need to think. Don’t use tropical timbers, find alternatives because we need the tropical rainforest for our common future.”

Lars Løvold, Director of Rainforest Foundation Norway

“One way out of this problem would be an environmentally friendly way of making softwood harder and more durable - something that a Norwegian company called Kebony has now achieved.”

The Economist

“The potential for this, the impact, is enormous, isn’t it…”

CNN

“New, non-toxic methods in treating soft wood species means that some can now be used for cladding, decking and flooring in place of tropical hardwoods. A Norwegian product called Kebony uses alcohol and sugar to harden wood such as beech, southern yellow pine, maple, Scots pine and ash permanently, so it becomes moisture- and insect-resistant, as well as weatherproof. After decades in development in Canada and Norway, Kebony was launched on the international market last year, and has been taken up for public decking and boardwalk projects in the US, and on buildings for the Forestry Commission in Scotland…One devotee is Norwegian architect Anne Tornberg, who clad a small cabin overlooking Olso fjord in the material. ‘In Norway there is a B tradition of building in wood, unlike the UK, and there is also more extensive use of other alternatives to traditional [chemically] impregnated timber. But we chose this material because we liked it for its qualities, its warmth, that it’s cheap to use and environmentally friendly.”

Financial Times 

“..might ultimately spell the end of Europe’s five billion Euros import of tropical hardwoods?”

Blueprint

“…as it weathers it becomes more like teak and the company claims it is indistinguishable from the real thing..”

Boat International

“50 things that will change your world..”

CNBC Business

”The process is environmentally clean and the resulting product is also completely recyclable, making Kebony a dream product of sustainability that can be used for building anything from window frames to whole houses.”

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