The Architect’s Newspaper quotes Edgar in article on expansion of US mass timber industry

The Architect’s Newspaper quoted Russell Edgar, senior lab operations and wood composites manager for the Advanced Structures and Composites Center at the University of Maine, in the article, “The U.S. mass timber industry is maturing while it branches out.” The U.S. mass timber industry is expanding based on demand for wood buildings across the country. But European companies are beginning to move to the United States, driving a need for the U.S. market to become more competitive, including increasing cultural acceptance of mass timber and enlisting the support of investors, according to the article. In Maine, both the state and federal governments have funded research at UMaine to advance timber assemblies, the article states. Edgar said the ultimate goal of the work is to organize the state’s supply chain to make Maine viable for mass timber companies looking to relocate. “People are talking a lot about South Carolina and Georgia since they grow trees like corn at such rapid rates. But in Maine, we have proximity to these huge markets in New York and Boston, so we’re busy trying to find ways to get these companies here now,” said Edgar.