Lightweight Structures Wins Edison Silver Award in Building Products

May 15, 2012 - PRLog -- Milwaukee, Wis. – Lightweight Structures, LLC, developers of the innovative FORTECO™ floor and wall framing systems, today announced its Edison Silver Award win in the Best New Building Products of 2012 category. The company is excited to add another on a long list of recent clean technology award wins.

FORTECO is a lightweight composite framing system made of eco-friendly light gauge steel, insulation decking and concrete, created to provide cost effective and easily installed green building solutions to commercial and residential builders alike. To date, seven residential and light commercial projects have been completed throughout southeastern Wisconsin. Two more projects, one in Houston, TX and another in Milwaukee WI, are expected to start in the near future and several large opportunities are also in progress.

“Our technology makes it possible to build using systems that saves cost, time, and energy,” said Jim Jendusa, Founder at Lightweight Structures, LLC.  “The results are super-insulated commercial and residential buildings with low life cycle cost; providing safe and healthy places to live and work.”

Winners of the Cleantech Open Competition North Central Region and finalists of the Wisconsin Governor's Business Plan Competition and the Brink's Innovation Competition, Lightweight Structures' FORTECO technology offers green builders a building system that saves between 15 and 40 percent in construction costs and time while also providing at least fifty percent boost in energy efficiency compared to traditional steel and concrete building methods. On the road to its Edison Silver Award win, the company was evaluated on its' product's innovation, social need and benefits, audience engagement, and long term impacts on the environment and society as a whole.

“We're honored to be chosen as the 2012 Edison Silver Award winner,” says Mr. Jendusa. “Thomas Edison's work as an innovator in technology paved the way for companies like Lightweight Structures to change the building landscape. We believe our technology holds true to his ideals and expands the boundaries of what's possible in green building.”

The company recently completed its first round of funding at $650,000, which will be used to finance product certification, patent protection and future R&D work. Lightweight Structures has also recently signed a licensing agreement for manufacturing and sales with Nature Tech, an engineered green building systems company headquartered in Milwaukee, WI.  The company will be installing Lightweight Structures’ equipment in its 175,000 square foot facility capable of large quantity shipping across the continent.  Nature Tech has committed to expanding manufacturing and sales of the FORTECO products throughout North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.