North Carolina Leader in Green Building to Speak on the Importance of Profits

Aug. 25, 2011 - PRLog -- Chris McCurry, a co-founder of Highland Craftsmen, producers of modern Bark House® poplar bark shingles, will speak to the 2011 NC Governor’s Entrepreneurship Summit, Sept. 21-22 in Durham. From there, she and company President Marty McCurry head directly to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C., Sept. 23 – Oct. 2, where poplar bark shingles will be included on Appalachian State University’s entry, the Solar Homestead.

Chris will participate on the panel discussion “Pushing NC’s Leadership in the Fourth Sector” at the Governor’s Entrepreneurship Summit, while in Washington the couple will meet with energy experts and the public during the 10-days of the competitive Solar Decathlon.  

Among the team’s awards for business innovation in the green manufacturing sector is “Innovator of the Year” by the regional Economic Development Council, Advantage West. Over the last two decades, Highland Craftsmen has created hundreds of sustainable forestry jobs in North Carolina’s Mitchell County and beyond.

The company’s main product, dimensional poplar bark siding for residential and commercial buildings, is produced from bark salvaged during commercial timber operations in sustainable forests. Highland Craftsmen is the only company to receive a gold Cradle to Cradle ® Certification for siding.  Marty McCurry, a.k.a. “The Bark Man”, created the energy efficient methodology for bark shingle manufacturing and started an entirely new industry.

“Energy conservation and the green movement are only going to be successful when they include not just the environment in their work, but profits as well,” Chris said. “The three platforms, the three legs that hold up sustainability are people, planet, and profit. The Governor’s Summit shows that if the profit aspect is missing, then green isn’t going to last.

“We at Highland Craftsmen are building profit through rigorous attention to lowering energy use and energy costs throughout our entire manufacturing process,” Marty said.

Highland Craftsmen is a sponsor of the Appalachian State University Solar Homestead, a mostly student-designed and student-built complex that includes cutting edge energy-saving systems and materials.

“The Solar Homestead team is proud to incorporate and show off this regional product on the National Mall,” said David M. Lee, communications manager for the university’s Solar Decathlon entry. “This indigenous product is extremely attractive, and helps to blend our structures in with nature. The fact that they are extremely durable means that long-term costs are reduced and the overall health of the home is improved.

“They are installed guilt-free, knowing that the rest of the tree has a purpose after the bark is removed, and not left to waste,” Lee said.

Chris McCurry speaks to building industry and business groups about tracking and analyzing energy usage embedded in the manufacture of all building components, as well as energy performance and the true energy costs of disposal of building components when they eventually are replaced.  Marty makes sure that what the company talks about is practiced at home in the company’s manufacturing facility and processes.  He has received Department of Energy awards that support these energy technologies.  

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon lets 20 university teams compete in the design and performance of solar-powered houses, which will be evaluated on consumer appeal, design, and energy performance.

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Highland Craftsmen Inc is best known as "The Original Poplar Bark Shingle Siding Manufacturer" and designer of natural green building products. Quality and Style differentiate us.

Our clients care about design aesthetic, product function, longevity, sustainability and a company’s social impact. You know the meaning of real value and you want quality without compromise.

There are vast differences between the manufacturing of wood sidings and our premiere product, Bark House brand shingle siding. For years you have known the Bark House brand as the mark of distinction in all natural poplar bark shingle siding. We begin everything we do with sound research and follow up with unwavering commitment to quality. We created this industry and maintain ourselves as The Bark House Experts. Third party certifications will allow you to clearly see what makes us so unique.