ORANGEBURG, SC, April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Imagine a home that
can be built in a single day by a crew of just five workers using
no special tools or heavy equipment - and is so strong that it can
withstand an earthquake or hurricane. It's been just a
dream for governments seeking affordable housing that can be
erected quickly and economically, but it will become a reality when
Innovative Composites International (IC:TSX-V) ("ICI" the
"Company") opens a one-of-a-kind manufacturing plant in
Orangeburg, South Carolina on
April 19, 2012.
"We're not just claiming that this is the fastest way to
assemble an affordable and durable home, we are actually going to
prove it by having a crew of five workers assemble a
559-square-foot home on the day of the plant opening," says
Terry Ball, ICI's Chief Executive
Officer. "They will start at about 2:45 pm and I expect they will be finished before
dark. They won't need any special tools or training, and they
won't need any heavy equipment, and the entire process will be on
display from start to finish."
"Some competing technologies can withstand high winds, but not
an earthquake," notes Mr. Ball. "Our technology does both and it
does it at less than half the price of a typical conventionally
built home (about $120/sq.
foot). There's nothing like it anywhere in the world, which
is why we believe that this home building system will soon be used
around the world."
Located on a 34-acre site about 60 miles from Charleston, the 126,000 square-foot
manufacturing plant will have the capacity to produce up to 5,000
homes a year. "South
Carolina is a pro-business state, and we celebrate ICI's
decision to invest here and create 300 new jobs," says South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. "This is another win for one
of our rural areas."
The unmatched durability of ICI's new housing system is achieved
by constructing the homes with easy-to-assemble, fibre-reinforced
Structure Lite panels coated with ICI's RmorSkin a
breakthrough protective material engineered to resist high impacts.
The panels, constructed entirely with recyclable materials, are
also designed to be moisture resistant, mold and mildew resistant,
insect resistant, impact resistant and UV resistant.
The most likely buyers will be governments seeking affordable
and durable housing. They can choose from three basic
models: The Cabin, a 512-square-foot, 2-bedroom
modular home; The Bungalow, an 880-square-foot structure
with three bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, 4-piece bath and
storage area; and The Lodge, a 1500-square-foot home with
three large bedrooms, two 4-piece baths, kitchen, living room,
dining room and large front porch. "There is virtually
unlimited demand for affordable housing and we intend to be the
industry leader in that market," says Mr. Ball.
The company also produces shelters that are designed to
facilitate quick delivery and assembly, a performance
advantage that makes them ideal in a wide variety of temporary or
permanent applications, including emergency relief sites, mining
camps and remote villages. The shelters, available in
two configurations (8' x 16' or 8' x 20' configurations), are made
of the same durable base materials as the houses. They are
shipped flat, in kits, which increases the shipping density and
reduces the cost of delivery. Assembly can be completed in
hours by a small crew of workers using no special tools or heavy
equipment. "This solution is as easy to ship and assemble as
a tent, but it offers the safety and shelter that is associated
with a permanent building," explains Mr. Ball. "We
expect huge demand because there is really nothing like it any in
the world."
Innovative Composites Inc., a leader in composite design and
manufacturing, has a head office in Toronto, Ontario and manufacturing facilities
in Orangeburg, South Carolina and
Sault St. Marie, Michigan.
SOURCE Innovative Composites International Inc.
Image with caption: "Logo. (CNW Group/Innovative Composites
International Inc.)". Image available at:
http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120418_C6718_PHOTO_EN_12463.jpg
Image with caption: "New ICI Plant Facility. (CNW
Group/Innovative Composites International Inc.)". Image available
at:
http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120418_C6718_PHOTO_EN_12460.jpg
Image with caption: "ICI makes its mark in South Carolina. (CNW Group/Innovative
Composites International Inc.)". Image available at:
http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120418_C6718_PHOTO_EN_12456.jpg
Image with caption: "Large New Warehouse Facility. (CNW
Group/Innovative Composites International Inc.)". Image available
at:
http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120418_C6718_PHOTO_EN_12457.jpg
Image with caption: "New Plant Interior. (CNW Group/Innovative
Composites International Inc.)". Image available at:
http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120418_C6718_PHOTO_EN_12461.jpg
Image with caption: "New Plant Interior. (CNW Group/Innovative
Composites International Inc.)". Image available at:
http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120418_C6718_PHOTO_EN_12458.jpg
