Business View Magazine September 2018

48 49 B asalt is an igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of basalt lava exposed to the surface of the earth. More than 90 percent of all volcanic rock on Earth is basalt. Mafic is an adjective describing any rock, such as basalt, that is rich in mag- nesium and iron– the word being portmanteau of mag- nesium and ferric. Mafic is also the name of a company, formed in 2012, to produce basalt fiber - a high quality composite material - into a marketplace that was domi- nated by fiberglass and carbon fiber. “Fiberglass is the workhorse of the industry; carbon fiber is the high-end material in the composites indus- try,” explains Jeff Thompson, Head of Sales & Marketing for Mafic, “and we felt there was a wide gulf between MAFIC FIBER FROM BASALT AT A GLANCE // MAFIC WHAT: A producer of basalt fiber products WHERE: North American headquarters in Shelby, North Carolina WEBSITE: www.maficbasalt.com