ALPENA – Decorative Panel International, an Alpena company that makes everything from textured wall paneling to dry erase marker boards, has been recognized and used as an example in Environmental Protection Agency educational literature for being a green company.

Plant Manager Ken Gembel said the literature was produced by the National Environmental Education Advisory Council.

DPI Environmental Director Dennis Werblow said it is because of the company’s Masonite manufacturing process that the company was recognized by the EPA. He said the company uses sustainable manufacturing processes and sources wood locally – from within 100 miles – that is harvested in sustainable manner.

Gembel said it is the relative lack of chemicals used in the manufacturing process that granted the recognition.

“We mainly rely on the use of water and the natural lignans in the wood,” he said. “We use a small amount of flax seed oil but it’s a very natural process compared to a lot of our competitors.

Werblow said lignans are the natural binders in wood products and other plants.

“It’s basically the natural glue that holds the tree together and gives it strength,” he said. “We have been using the process for many years.

The process was developed in the 1920s in Mississippi by William H. Mason, and involves heating wood fiber with pressure to cement wood together to create panels.

Werblow said wood comes to the plant in the form of aspen and mixed hardwood wood chips. The forest product comes to the company in chips, and is sourced from wood lots in the local area after being inspected by plant foresters.

The chips are then boiled to soften them, and then further ground into a hot wood slurry, and then screened to create a soft particle board. That board is then formed using immense heat and pressure into different paneling designs with the use of large metal dies. Large steam powered dryers dry the panels and the finished product is sold to companies.

Gembel said the company makes everything from smooth board, used in schools as dry erase marker board, and textured items that resemble everything was beaded wainscoting, classic pine paneling and even weathered barn wood.

All the wood forming is done in Alpena, and the painting and finish coat work is done at the company’s Toledo, Ohio, plant, Gembel said. Save the use of flax seed oil, a natural product, no chemicals go into the wood, Gembel said.

“In particle board and oriented strand board they use resins,” he said. “We don’t use any resin; it’s the natural glue in the wood that holds it all together and gives it its strength. That has been the foundation of the process that has been doing it in the plant since it was built.”

Gembel said he was glad the company was included in the literature and recognized.

“It’s good that we’re kind of singled out for taking some good sustainability measures,” he said. “I think is an awesome honor for the company.”

He said he hoped other companies could get good examples from the document.

“It’s really aimed at educating public and private sector companies at having a higher level of accountability and innovation in minimizing impact to the environment through the manufacturing process,” he said.

Jason Ogden can be reached via email at jogden@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5693. Follow Jason on Twitter @jo_alpenanews.