The global economy is a complex machine. I don’t pretend to know all the factors that make it run, much like modern cars, but I do know it doesn’t take much to break it down. When I was a kid, I used to work on old cars with my dad. Back then, you could tune a carburetor yourself, and there was enough room under the hood to crawl inside if you had to. Behind our barn sat eight or nine broken-down cars, each waiting its turn. We’d haul one out, fix it up, and send it back on t

Thermally Modified Wood (TMW) could reshape the future of North American hardwoods. TMW makes wood more durable, stable, and sustainable — without chemicals — while adding value to underused species like red oak, ash, and poplar. But for the industry to unlock its full potential, we must overcome challenges in awareness, product standards, and supply chain coordination.