its Hot 50 list, a list of the hottest products available for today’s green homes (other products included decking made of rice husks and a Bluetooth-enabled lock). So, where did ICF come from? Originating in Europe as a cost-effective way to rebuild from World War II damage, ICF form technology has been used with increasing frequency on this side of the ocean since the 1950s, with the market heating up since 1970. Murray names Jean-Louis Belliveau as a key driver and pioneer in the ICF industry, who was instrumental in bringing insulated concrete form technology to North America. Jean-Louis is the President of Polyform Inc, NUDURA’s partner company. Jean-Louis has been a strong influence in the design evaluation of ICF products. Driving Innovation In 2001 Murray formed a partnership with Polyform and launched NUDURA. Combining successful marketing techniques with cutting edge product design, NUDURA has become the industry leader in the ICF market. “You’re still working with concrete and you need to understand that material. Using the forms is fairly simple, but it is a professional construction product and you need proper training.” TrademarkedasDURAMAX, DURAFOLDandDURALOCK, the various innovations NUDURA has introduced mean the product is larger and faster to put together, ships flat like IKEA™ products (thanks to a clever hinge design), and snaps together like LEGO™. Like these iconic brands, NUDURA products have a solid fan base of design profes- sionals, architects, home owners and contractors. NUDURA products incorporate recycled materials and can contribute greatly to a home’s LEED qualification. THE BUSINESS CASE As often happens when a company is leading the way in a new innovative product, Murray is as much a spokesman, advocate and historian of ICF forms in general as he is a passionate champion for NUDURA’s products. He is also a smart, incisive business man, with an excellent grasp of the financials that affect his customers. NUDURA products have been used to build over 200 schools in the United States alone. Murray cites a fact about the procurement process that has helped this success:
“In the US, the same person is responsible for the con- struction budget of the school and the operating budget
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS • AUGUST 2016
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