1. forestconcepts™
Precision feedstock supplier to the emerging bioeconomy
Upstream technology provider for advanced bioprocessing industry
Inventor and developer of innovative bio-based products and materials
Forest Concepts, LLC
“Innovative technologies and precision feedstocks for the
new bioeconomy…”
Doing business since 1998…
2. forestconcepts™
The Bioeconomy
The bioeconomy is based upon:
Raw materials with lower carbon footprint than fossil and mined resources
Raw materials from renewable resources (plants, trees, algae, …)
Grown with sustainable practices (farms, forests, landscapes)
Conversion processes are environmentally, energy and chemistry-efficient
Biochemicals
Bioplastics/Biopolymers
Bioproducts
Biomaterials
Biofuels
Between now and 2025 the bioeconomy will require more than $180 billion
in capital construction.
Our feedstock processing innovations apply to at least $10 billion of that
equipment.
The one thing they all have in common:
-a need for high quality, cost-effective
feedstocks.
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3. forestconcepts™
Our Place in the Bioeconomy
There are hundreds of firms bringing bio-based
materials, products, fuels, chemicals, and more
to market.
– Some have already succeeded
– Many are on a track to commercial scale
– Some have failed, others will fail
– BUT, the trend is solid and accelerating
The one constant is they all need raw materials and
sustainably produced, high quality, cost-effective
renewable feedstocks.
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5. forestconcepts™
Forest Concepts’ Deliverables
• Products
– WoodStraw® wood strand erosion control material
– Crumbles® precision biomass industrial feedstocks
– UltraChar™ biochar raw material
– Roundwood rustic habitat and landscape products
• Equipment
– WoodMuncher™ wood-strand production equipment
– Crumbler® low-energy alternative to hammermills
– Orbital Screening Systems – optimized for biomass and shardy
materials
– Bighorn® woody biomass baler alternative to chippers and
grinders
…Plus an extensive development pipeline
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6. forestconcepts™
WoodStraw® ECM
Designed to overcome the limitations of straw and hydraulic mulches
WoodStraw® is a trademark of
Forest Concepts, LLC
U.S. Patent 6,729,068
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Technical Wood Strand Erosion Control Material
Designed in partnership with the USDA Forest Service
Development was supported in-part by the Small Business Innovation Research
program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, grant number 2003-33610-
13997. Additional scientific research provided by USDA Forest Service Rocky
Mountain Research Station, Moscow, Idaho.
Winner of the 2006 ASABE
Innovative Technology
Award
&
2008 Rain Bird
Engineering Concept
Award
Approved by:
WA Dept. of Ecology
WA DOT
OR DOT
CO DOT
ID DOT
Regional Licensees:
Mountain Pine Mfg. – Colorado
Erosion Control Innovations –
Washington
California & Southwest – discussions
Mid-Atlantic – discussions
Southeast – open
Upper Midwest – open
Texas region – open
$50 million market at build-out
-
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
B
a
l
e
s
High Margin –
Revenue
Positive
9. forestconcepts™
Crumbles® Industrial Raw Material
Higher yields and lower downstream processing costs from better feedstocks
• 13 US Patents issued with others pending
• 3 US Trademark Registrations:
– SHREDZ ®, US Registered Trademark No. 3,696,332, October 13,2011
– CRUMBLES®, US Registered Trademark No. 4,045,867, October 25,2011
– PRECISION FEEDSTOCKS®, US Registered Trademark No. 4,045,904, October 25,2011
Magnified 4x
Conventional Hammermill Forest Concepts’ Crumbles® Forest Concepts’ Crumbles®Raw Wood Chips
Raw Corn Stover Bale
Optimized to be:
• Reactor-ready size
• High flowability
• High uniformity
For:
• Absorbents
• Biochemical feedstocks
• Animal bedding
• Solid fuels
• Liquid biofuel feedstocks
• Biochar raw material
Crumbles® Switchgrass Bedding Crumbles® Wheat Straw
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10. forestconcepts™
UltraChar™ Biochar Feedstock
Better products begin with better raw materials
• High surface area to
volume ratio
• High porosity
• Low bulk density
• Uniform size and shape
• Tunable water filtration
flow properties
• Soil amendment in gardens, forests, agriculture, vineyards, orchards, etc.
• Horticultural potting soil mix alternative to perlite
• Water filter media to adsorb copper, zinc, etc.
• Raw material for activated carbon
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11. forestconcepts™
High Density Baling
• Reduce bale-yard acreage by
half for corn stover,
switchgrass, etc.
• Enable cost-effective delivery
of urban woody biomass to
biopower and bioproducts
facilities
• Reduce transportation cost by
using conventional flatbed
trucks, trailers, rail, etc.
Capturing just 30% of the existing chipper market,
we will sell more than 25,000 woody biomass balers
with gross revenue of $1.7 billion.
12 US Patents Issued
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12. forestconcepts™
Drying is a Big Deal
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70 % of energy consumed in pellet mills
is used for feedstock drying
(from Perraglia et al., 2010)
Heat for
drying
Flue gas loss
Radiation loss
Leakage loss
Other loss
HEAT USE IN ROTARY DRYER
48 % of energy consumed by rotary dryers
is used for feedstock drying
(from Meza et al., 2008)
Deployment of advanced drying may save $5.00 per ton
on 100 million tons per year in the pellet, bioproducts,
and biofuels industry each year by 2025. Potential
royalties exceed $10 million per year to us (2% of savings).
15. forestconcepts™
Pile
Dry Flail
Floatation
Tank
Initial
Screen
66 % Wood
13 % Bark
21 % Other
12.3 % Ash
80 % Wood
13 % Bark
7 % Other
2.1 % Ash
Wet Flail
Final
Screen
67 % Wood
15 % Bark
18 % Other
1.4 % Ash
77 % Wood
11 % Bark
13 % Other
1.1 % Ash 79% Wood
18 % Bark
3 % Other
0.6 % Ash
100%
67%
60%
61%
Mass
57% Note: This experiment sought to minimize ash while
maximizing total biomass retained. Thus, the bark content was
higher than we wanted. Removing more bark would reduce the
mass yield of clean biomass.
SBIR Beneficiation Validation Test
Ground Land Clearing Debris - Seattle
16. forestconcepts™
Toll Processing (1-2 tph)
Roundwood (via our veneer lathe)
Wood Chips
Ground Hog Fuel
Wood Mill Residuals
Field Chopped Green Crops
Baled Crop Residues
Dedicated Energy Crops
17. forestconcepts™
IP Protected
• Tom Broderick – our full-time Patent Counsel with 30 years patent
experience, Masters in Biology and 3rd largest investor in Forest Concepts
• U.S. Patents issued (more pending):
Bioeconomy feedstocks: 13 patents issued (2030)
Biomass baling: 14 patents issued (2030)
Biomass beneficiation: 1 patent issued (2030)
WoodStraw® erosion control mulch: 1 patent issued (2022)
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18. forestconcepts™
Unique Direction
1. Expertise – in combining structural plant biology,
engineering, design and invention
2. Vision - identify “big-deal” problems, products, and
opportunities with significant potential markets
3. Experienced Personnel – a bio-economy visionary,
mechanical engineers, design engineers, patent
counsel, logistics, marketing & sales
4. Knowledge base – Innovation with 29 US Patents
and more pending
5. Model - Develop and license/sell technology and
move on to next opportunity in the pipeline
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19. forestconcepts™
Experienced
Mike Perry – 25 years of sales and marketing management for Fortune 100 companies, plus 10
years of senior management in start-ups. Joined Forest Concepts in 2006.
Tom Broderick – Biologist, patent counsel with three decades of patent law experience.
Joined Forest Concepts in 2008.
Jim Dooley, PhD, PE – Biological, agricultural, and forest engineer. Tropical agriculture
business development for sugar cane, fruits, and horticulture with Amfac. Lead technology
development for forestry & silvicultural engineering, nursery products, sensors, and
biotechnology with Weyerhaeuser. Co-founded Forest Concepts in 1998. Past-President of ASABE
(2008) and IBE (2000). Fellow of three engineering professional societies. Chaired US DOE
Biennial Review Steering Committee in 2015.
Dave Lanning – BS Mechanical Engineering. 12 years with Forest Concepts in design,
development, and project leadership roles. Inventor of WoodMuncher™ and Crumbler®
machines.
Jason Perry – BS Business. 10 years with Forest Concepts leading production operations,
logistics, and customer support.
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20. forestconcepts™
Organization
M. Perry
CEO
D. Lanning
Lead Engineer
A. Vo
Mechanical Engineer
C. Lanning
Design Engineer
J. Slosson
Mechanical Engineer
N. Owen
Millwright
J. Whitt
Electrical Technician
2 UW Summer
Interns
J. Perry
Production/Logistics
J. Dooley
CTO
T. Broderick
Patent Counsel
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