American Insulock looks to build business in new industry - Phoenix Business Journal:

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The company, which originated in Canada but now is baseddin Phoenix, manufactures polyurethane blocks. At Insulock blocks were marketed primarily for buildinhg sustainablehouses — but the target markef was high-end custom homes, which never provided enougj work to support growth, said CEO Joel When Borovay joined the compan late last year with a new group of they decided to move away from home buildinb and target commercial builderz and infrastructure projects, such as freeway sound “The previous management always went after residential, and that’a a very difficult paradigm shift,” he The company is moving into the final stagez of approval with the Californiaa Department of Transportation for its materials to be used in that Because California has some of the strictesg building standards in the Bor-o-vay said it was a good place to start and approval there cou ld put the companuy on a fast track in othere states.
Insulock blocks are larger versionsof children’s building toys. Each one is aboug twice as long as a typicall cinder block usedin construction, but each weighsa just 2 pounds, comparefd to about 36 pounds for the cinder The blocks stack together and have hollow cores throug h which wires can be run. The cores also can be fille with cement and rebar to provide They are nearly identical to cinder blocks in the way theyare “The whole intention of this is to do everythiny the same,” Borovay said. Buildinh with foam materials is not anew technology. Variouw companies have construction methodas involving foam shells andconcrete cores.
a former chief operating officer of Insight Enterprises Inc., said the key is having a wide base of manufacturingv from which to deliver. The companyu has a deal with the Woodbridgew Group to use several ofthat company’x manufacturing facilities to produces the blocks in mass quantities. Woodbridges has 64 facilities in 24 allowing the relativelysmall Insu-lock to have a globalk reach, Borovay said.
The idea for expansio into highway projects came from a demonstration projecyt the company built in 1991 part of a sound wall along a freewayin Encino, It was one of the few wall sections that escapedr damage in the area during the 1994 Northridge “In 18 years, the only maintenance they’ve done on that wall is to spray-paint it,” Borovaty said. He said the company has met with state transportationb departmentsin Arizona, Nevada and New Mexici about using the blocks in sound walls. Insulocm also is working with some companies in the Valley to try to spur use of the blockxs in upcomingcommercial projects, particularly those considering buildinv greener.
Because of the material’s weight, the company pitchesz it as producing less carbon in Among its other benefits are its high insulation ratingb and the lack of concrete used in its Peter Koliopoulos, president and founder of in Scottsdale, sees the product’as potential in the commercial sphere. “The modular construction and installation wouldx bevery efficient,” he said. With projects lookinv to meet standards such asthe U.S. Greenh Building Council’s Leadership in Energh and EnvironmentalDesign program, having a well-insulatee building with lower energy use could have its Koliopoulos said.
Insulock has the potential to replacse cinderblock constructionon single-story buildings such as strip malls, drug stores and grocery stores, said Cliffordd Paul, principal of LLC in Scottsdale. “Right now it has the potentiak to replacethose blocks, but not he said, noting cinder block still will be needed for structural footings. Insulock is working with Tesco PLC, owner of Freshn & Easy stores, as well as a Glendale, Calif.-based company that develops grocer y stores andother retailers, to see abou including its product on more projects, Borovay “If you look at it, therd hasn’t been a lot of innovation in commercial he said.
“They’re looking for While polyurethane isn’t a renewable the company has begun experimenting with other base materials that are Borovay said.