One of the largest flooring installation companies in the U.S. recently switched to Woodstalk composite fibreboard, helping an Elie plant that makes the product move it one step closer to the mainstream.

When Dow BioProducts Ltd. took over the Elie strawboard plant 45 kilometres west of Winnipeg two years ago, company officials knew that despite the excellent potential the strawboard had, it would be a major challenge to get the construction and manufacturing industries to use a brand new product.

But three weeks ago, Romonoff Floor Covering of Marietta, Ga., one of the three largest flooring installation companies in the U.S. with about 600 installers, started using Woodstalk underlayment made by Dow BioProducts in Elie. Among other things, Romonoff is one of the largest installation contractors for Home Depot.

"That is huge news for us," Dow BioProducts president Brad Money said yesterday in a telephone interview from Elie. "Underlayment is a product we want to move more of and for a company as large as Romonoff and with the years of experience they have in the industry to use it, it means a lot to our company."

Doug Romonoff, president and owner of the company, said one of the main reasons for testing the Woodstalk product -- which Romonoff did for about five months -- was because of environmental concerns and a desire to find an alternative to lauan plywood.

"I've often felt a twinge of guilt when I think of the millions of square feet of tropical lauan our industry has installed under finished flooring and the millions of acres of rainforest harvested to supply that over the 28 years I have been in business," Romonoff said. "I am 100 per cent confident that there are no rainforests being destroyed in the production of Woodstalk." In a telephone interview from Georgia, Romonoff said in the search for a better environmental option to lauan he was not prepared to compromise on price or quality.

"We have tested a lot of product and lot is pretty horrible," he said, including some gypsum board that was four times heavier than Woodstalk and broke when it was cut.

"We're very excited about the product and while we know people don't like change, we are hoping to convince the rest of the industry about WOODSTALK," Romonoff said.

A few Winnipeg flooring companies have already converted. Jim Ryz, purchasing manager for McDairmid Lumber, moves a lot of Woodstalk underlayment.

"Whatever Dow has done at that plant they are now producing top quality product," he said.

When Dow bought the assets of the company out of receivership in late June 2001, the plant was plagued with inconsistent quality that was hampering any marketing attempts. Since then it has increased production to 24 hours per day, seven days a week and increased its workforce by about 50 per cent to 105 employees. "Business is solid," Money said. "The economic conditions over the last eight quarters has not made it a cake walk, but things are definitely looking positive."

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca