Multiple US hemp-building companies will make a big splash for around 25,000 visitors at one of the largest US construction sustainability expos and conferences later this month in Philadelphia, thanks to collaboration and the generosity of a hemp processing company and a hemp-building non-profit.

Idaho-based Hempitecture, Inc. are the recipients of a $1.1 M grant from the state of New York to develop and manufacture innovative bio-based insulation products using regionally grown industrial hemp fibers, the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul announced.

US Army-funded researchers in Pennsylvania achieved a one-hour fire resistance rating for a spray-applied hemplime (“hempcrete”) wall test panel in early July, moving hempcrete closer to acceptance as a US building material.

Researchers at Troy, NY-based Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) received a $1.5 million 3-year grant from the US Department of Energy to develop a hemp-based low-cost insulation panel that can cut heating and cooling costs in home retrofits.

Idaho-based Hempitecture, Inc., manufacturer of US-grown hemp insulation batting HempWool, plans to open a second manufacturing facility in New York state and roll out several new products, founders say. 

The founders of Hempitecture have returned to their hempcrete beginnings by offering USA-grown hemp hurds and Idaho-sourced hemp binder through their online store.

The US chief of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) said she was already familiar with hemp building materials when she encountered them on the National Mall at an exhibit of housing innovations in June.

Idaho-based Hempitecture, Inc., hosted the grand opening of their non-woven hemp-based insulation materials factory last week in Jerome, ID with confetti, a ribbon cutting and celebration.

If hemp building products can shave off just a sliver of the annual $2.7 trillion U.S. building industry revenue, the industry can be brought to profitability and prices can lower to match those of conventional construction materials, advocates believe. 

A million here, a half-a-million there — hemp building companies are coming to the attention of investors and pitch competitions as the industry becomes more visible.

Hemp fiber batt insulation will be made in Idaho with US-grown hemp thanks to a partnership inked in March between Hempitecture, Inc. and Benton, Montana-based IND Hemp, a decortication and processing company.

Ketchum, ID-based Hempitecture, Inc., manufacturer and distributor of hemp batt insulation products, will close on a seed round of investment for $5.7 million this week, using online crowdfunding platform Wefunder, company founders said.

As a child of the 1960’s, t-shirts featuring hemp were the rage and everyone was fascinated with it. Little did we know back then that even though Hemp plants and marijuana plants are both the same species, hemp is not the same as marijuana.

Attendees at the U.S. Hemp Building Summit in Austin, Texas, last month got a sneak peek of some of the new products and services in the works in the hemp building and construction world for 2022.

Belgian hemp block maker IsoHemp has opened a new factory which will increase the company’s production to 5 million blocks per year from 1 million, the company said. The new $5.9 million factory on 2 hectares is meeting a growing demand for hemp blocks for both renovation and new construction.