Carbonixx seeks votes from Facebook members for Chase Mission Main Street℠ Grants

LAS VEGAS - Oct. 31, 2013 - PRLog -- Carbonixx, a social entrepreneurship company focused on saving endangered species through advanced materials science applied initially to musical products has become part of the  Chase Mission Main Street℠ Grants program, founder William Townsend announced today.

“We invite people with Facebook accounts to vote online to support our application for a grant,” said Townsend. “This grant would be used to bring manufacturing from China to America and to begin our program to hire paraplegic US military veterans who are paralyzed and in wheelchairs, giving them the ability to operate custom machinery designed for people with limited use of their upper bodies.

Facebook users can visit https://www.missionmainstreetgrants.com/search  and type in the company name, “Carbonixx”, and then follow the instructions to vote.  Voting is open between now and November 15, 2013.

Chase has designated $3 million to be awarded to twelve (12) Small Businesses.

History of Carbonixx

Instruments of the violin and guitar family and woodwinds are usually constructed from rare woods: endangered species like pernambuco; ebony, which has toxicity and scarcity issues; and old growth forest maple and spruce. Extinct or endangered animal by-products like mammoth tusk, ivory, and tortoise shell are often used. Illegal trafficking in these materials is on the climb.

Wood species sought for instrument construction include old growth forest maple and spruce, typically a minimum of 100+ years old; ebony which has seen an increase in illegal logging for decades and is perpetuated by extreme poverty and government corruption; and cocobolo, Spanish cedar, Cuban mahogany, Honduran mahogany, Mexican mahogany, Madagascar rosewood, Brazilian rosewood, Mun ebony, Gaboon ebony, African walnut, Peruvian walnut, and Pau Ferro, all of which are utilized in modern instrument making.

An international agreement between governments was formed in 1973 called the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species, or CITES for short. CITES has listed most of the previously mentioned species as restricted and endangered.

Historically, violinmaking has been one of the most ecologically disastrous endeavors related to cultural expression. For example, makers use pernambuco, along with elephant tusk, walrus tusk and rhinoceros horn sourced ivory or tortoise shell and ebony to create tens of thousands of bows each year. Pernambuco, the wood used primarily for the construction of violin bows, is listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and it is cited in the official list of endangered flora of Brazil. In 2010, the export of pernambuco was banned by the Brazilian government, creating significant materials challenges in the bow-making industry which highly values this wood. The shortage of pernambuco has made the cost of such wood skyrocket and has since helped the illegal trade and non-wood, composite bow industry thrive.

Wood poaching, the cutting down of old growth trees by thieves who then sell the wood on the grey market, has increased dramatically in recent years with some jurisdictions now designating dedicated patrols by officers and deputies in an effort to protect forests.

Understanding these challenges, in 2000, Townsend began investigating alternative materials for instrument and accessory construction. Meeting with and learning from leading instrument makers, Townsend and his team developed the parameters of how to craft instruments and accessories in an ecologically friendly manner that would eliminate the need for endangered woods and animal by-products.

Carbonixx uses proprietary advanced carbon fiber composites to replace these environmentally disastrous materials. The results of 9 years of scientific studies have led to a low cost manufacturing solution that can be adopted by makers and musicians around the world and that form the basis of Carbonixx products.

With the Chase grant, Carbonixx can begin shifting manufacturers and consumers away from increasingly scarce materials. This will provide consistent acoustic results, slow the destruction of rare species and old growth forests, and lessen the environment impact of the slaughter of elephants, rhinoceroses and tortoises for instrument manufacture.

“The Chase grant would let our company bring to market guitar picks, bridge pins, and drum sticks both online and at major retailers and bring manufacturing from Beijing, China to America, creating jobs  and ensuring we can hire as many veterans as possible,” said Townsend.

Links:     Carbonixx Blxx drums and Storyline Stxx drumsticks  http://youtu.be/jIK4ycmgzwg



         Carbonixx Pixx guitar picks http://youtu.be/UuAZLzctFcY