Northwest Heli Structures, 3911 Spur Ridge Ln, Bellingham, WA 98226, US

The movement to ban wood roofing in California in the late 1970s and early 80s, sparked groundbreaking research for fire resistant construction materials. CHEMCO was one of the early pioneers in fire retardant technologies and became the only producer of fire-resistant wood roofing allowed in California. The company continues at the forefront of wood modification technologies, both in the fields of fire resistance and wood hardening. Its products include Alowood, an organically hardened wood that is used in a myriad of applications from wood flooring to furniture. Alowood production employs the Everdex Treatment Process, a patented combination of vacuum and pressure injection technology that replaces air and moisture in the wood with an agriculturally grown additive. CHEMCO s line of wood flooring, called Verdant Flooring, utilizes this technology as well. The company also operates a handcrafted log home company called Caribou Creek Log Homes, which builds custom log homes, lodges and resorts. Founded in 1981, CHEMCO is located on a 40-acre site in Ferndale, Wash.