Katahdin Now A Big Green Machine

To ride the growing green wave, Katahdin Cedar Log Homes (Oakfield, ME) has adopted a number of innovative programs to position itself as the greenest log home company in the industry.

Katahdin Forest Products, parent company of Katahdin Cedar Log Homes, has earned Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain-of-Custody certification from the Rainforest Alliance's SmartWood program. This certification enables the log home manufacturer to offer Northern White Cedar from responsibly managed forests. It is the only log home manufacturer in the United States to hold a SmartWood Certification.

"We felt that taking this positive step to certify our source forests was an important component to Katahdin's progressive approach to conserving the environment," says David Gordon, president. "This enables us to meet the growing demands for green building practices in a competitive market, and will also enable us to reach LEED green building standards as they are approved for home construction in the near future."

The company's certified products include interior and exterior trim, decking, log wall stock, log siding and cedar support posts.

In another green effort, to cut fuel costs in its vehicles, Katahdin has installed a commercial ethanol distiller at its milling facility, which ferments culled potatoes from nearby farms into ethanol. The company is producing about 100 gallons a day at a cost of under $1 per gallon. The ethanol supplements gasoline used in mill vehicles.

"We continue to look for new ways to lower our dependence on fossil fuels and keep our costs down," says Gordon. Earlier this year, the company completed construction on a 14 million BTU biomass boiler to recycle wood waste into steam heat for the mill buildings.