Extruded Wood Plastic Composites
The Greenville Business Incubator in Greenville, Maine, through its partnership with the University of Maine’s AEWC Center, is seeking an incubator tenant to commercialize extruded wood plastic composite product(s).

Extruded wood plastic composites, a blend of ground polypropylene (plastic milk jugs) and wood flour (pulverized sawdust), encompass a variety of products, the most common and commercially feasible at present are decking, fencing and retaining wall systems.

• Improved decay resistance
• Longer life
• Total recyclability
• Renewable resource utilization

• $2 - $4 million for equipment
• $500,000 operating funds
• 4 – 6 employees
• No code development issues
• 6 – 9 months development time
  once investor and lease secured
• Market = wholesale with the
  possibility of some direct marketing regionally

The Greenville Business Incubator, an 18,000 sq. ft manufacturing facility in Greenville, Maine, offers tenants: Prime manufacturing space with lease lower than market rates, proximity to wood supply, cost reducing arrangements on power rates, lower equipment costs Support services include phone answering, storage, high speed internet, clerical and receptionist, conference space, custodial, and others Technical assistance and testing expertise from the ISO 17025 certified Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center at the University of Maine Business support including on-going training, business planning assistance, legal and financial services, assistance with accessing financing

Composite decking material market share was negligible in 1992; by 2002 composite decking captured 9% of total decking demand; by 2007, composite decking will account for 14% of aggregate decking demand. Decking , as well as windows/doors and fencing, will be the fastest growing extruded wood composite product.