In a machinegun like presentation, South Bristol entrepreneur Richard Munson rattled off the virtues of his par/PAC treated cellulose insulation product Thursday, hoping to convince a congressman to arrange funding to produce it in a Maine paper mill.
“It’s worth a try,” said U.S. Rep. Michael H. Michaud (D-Me.) after the presentation.
Michaud, the third generation of his family to work in the Great Northern Paper Mills, sits on the House Small Business Committee and has made the state’s economic development one of his priorities.
Munson told Michaud that his firm and their engineers have developed a process where they can use Maine’s paper mills to turn wood pulp into treated cellulose insulation.
Unlike present cellulose insulation, he says his process will begin with raw materials instead of using recycled newsprint. Maine, he noted, has not only underutilized paper mills but also great timber resources.
“I love the idea of providing an opportunity for Maine to get funding for this process. It is very intriguing that you are using Maine paper mills to make Maine homes more (energy) efficient,” said Michaud.
Munson’s company claims par/PAC insulation is more than 40 percent more efficient than standard fiberglass insulation. When blown into homes, using a technique he calls “dense packed,” it can seal gaps providing an efficient thermal barrier cutting heating and cooling costs as much as 50 percent, his company claims.
Speaking from his demonstration project on South Bristol’s Rutherford Island, Munson picked up on Michaud’s theme by quoting a paper mill superintendent as saying the process could give stability to the pulp business and put some Maine paper mill workers back to work.
Munson says he needs $200,000 in government funding for a pilot program at a Rumford mill. After the pilot program validates his engineering studies, Munson says he will need about $6 to $10 million to begin production.
Government funding is the key, he told Michaud.
“Venture capitalists might fund the project, but would take the process away from Maine, and I want money to keep it in the state,” he said.
The process could also help retrofit Maine homes to make them more energy efficient.
Munson, 73, who has been touting the virtues of cellulose insulation since the 1980s, claims his product is not only more efficient than other insulation products, produced out of state, but more flame retardant and longer lasting.
As for competing products, he claims fiberglass insulation is “synthetic asbestos” and a health risk and sprayed foam insulation will turn to powder in 20 years.
In his sales presentation, Munson used a home propane torch to attempt to ignite a glob of his product held in his bare hand. The treated cellulose insulation blackened and glowed, but did not catch fire.
The demonstration, while dramatic, clearly made Rosemary Winslow, a key Michaud aide, nervous.
“This is not rocket science. We need pilot testing. We need to prove our concept will work,” Munson said, adding he had exhausted his own funds trying to bring the project to market. “The only thing I have left is my two golden retrievers,” he laughed.
The congressman seemed to agree with Munson’s presentation saying there are several federal programs that might provide funding through various agencies. He said his staff aides will explore the Munson process and possible funding avenues.
“I will do what I can to bring it forward,” Michaud said.