CornBoard to grow in Iowa

Fond du Lac, Wisconsin-based C.D. Smith Construction Inc. has announced it is building a manufacturing plant called Corn Board Manufacturing Inc. The facility, to be built in Sac County, Iowa, will convert corn byproducts—leaves, stalks and husks—into a pressed board building product called CornBoard. Initial plans call for CornBoard to be used to make pallets.

“The leading-edge nature of this project appeals to us,” says Justin Smith, president and CEO of construction services firm C.D. Smith. “Our involvement speaks to our desire to be on the forefront of innovation and an industry leader in environmentally sustainable construction. We’re excited to be part of this transformational effort.”

The corn byproducts, also known as stover, are “plentiful and available after every harvest each year,” according to C.D. Smith. If 20 percent of the available corn stover in Iowa was pressed into 4-foot by 8-foot by half-inch thick boards, it would cover more than 330,000 acres, says the firm.

“We’re looking at the big picture,” says Corn Board Manufacturing CEO Lane Segerstrom. “The time has come for business to adapt and deliver life’s essentials in a nature-positive way. This project is a collaborative effort between like-minded organizations who are striving to do the right thing for our environment and our communities. Bringing quality jobs and economic development to rural America through this carbon negative plant is extremely exciting.”

Says Justin Smith, “We believe in the value of sustainable construction and went above and beyond for our own building,” Smith says regarding C.D. Smith’s corporate office in Fond du Lac. That building earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification. C.D. Smith says it is currently the only recognized LEED Version 4.0 Building Design and Construction New Construction Gold Certified building in Wisconsin.

C.D. Smith is partnering with Neenah, Wisconsin-based engineering and architectural firm McMahon Associates Inc. to build the new Corn Board Manufacturing plant.