Business View Magazine | May 2021

55 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE MAY 2021 impact. “Fiber (wood) availability is our biggest challenge right now,” says Clawson. “Fiber demand is at an all-time high, so our customers do not have enough timber to treat, meaning they buy fewer wood protection products from us.” With so many people at home due to pandemic lockdowns and social distancing, demand for timber for home improvement projects has exploded, triggering a massive shortfall in the entire supply chain, including downstream users like Kop-Coat’s customers. To illustrate this situation, the company recently launched a new product, laminated veneer lumbers (LVL), in conjunction with Pacific Woodtech, a global leader in engineered wood based in Burlington, Washington. Acknowledged by Clawson to be “the Holy Grail of engineered veneer lumbers,” the product is currently sold out for two years because fiber shortages are limiting the company’s ability to service the massive demand for the LVL product. “Put simply, they can’t get veneer fast enough to make the product,” says Clawson. Although the pandemic has slowed some operations down for the company, Kop-Coat has not stopped aggressively pursuing organic and synthetic growth. “Our commitment as we continue to grow and evolve is to push the limits of wood preservation and solidify wood’s position as the absolute pinnacle building material,” affirms Clawson. “We plan to achieve this through our cutting-edge penetration technologies, including our Woodlife®, PENTEC®, and TRU-CORE® process technologies.” On the farm and forest side, Kop-Coat’s focus is KOP-COAT INC . to continue playing an integral role in helping farmers feed the world more sustainably and economically. It plans to do this by expanding into new markets and segments such as aquaculture and arboriculture. Clawson’s final words ring like a clarion call: “Our overarching focus and commitment is to help build a world on durable wood and feed the world more cost- effectively through our innovative technologies.”