Jewel in Floodwood
Small town manufacturer makes fiber landscaping products for world market

By Dan Lemke

Floodwood, Minn. - About 45 miles west of Duluth on Highway 2 lies the hamlet of Floodwood, home to an innovative manufacturing facility that has been making plant-fiber products - from molded auto parts to erosion control products - for over half a century.

The plant was originally opened by Superwood Corporation in the 1950s to mold resins and wood fibers into armrests, door panels and dashboards for the auto industry. When it closed in 1984, long-time employee Joe Karpik and several partners bought the plant and started Mat, Inc.

The company produces erosion-control products such as landscape mats and hydroseeding mulch. Most products are wood-based, but some contain paper or ag fibers.

Mulch sold under the Soil Guard label is blended with water and sprayed on the ground to form a water-resistant, plant-friendly ground cover. It is used on erodable lands, primarily around road and other construction sites. The rolled or baled mats are also used on erodable land but for smaller applications.

Mat, Inc.’s latest foray is into the livestock industry; it recently started manufacturing Bio Mats for hog farrowing crates (see accompany story, No Foolin’) developed by USA Solutions.

Most products are shipped within a 1,000-mile radius because it is not cost effective to ship them farther. However, some premium products, such as Mat Blend Plus fiber bales, are exported to 20 countries.

A boon for the local economy, Mat, Inc. employs 30 people in Floodwood and offers markets for low-value wood, paper and ag fibers.

Karpik has expanded Mat, Inc. over the past several years and purchased plants in Iowa and North Carolina. He also works with a Washington state manufacturer to make products for West Coast markets.

Alan Doering, who runs AURI’s coproducts plant in Waseca, says he has often tapped Karpik’s knowledge of manufacturing, biomass and mats when evaluating ag-based products.

“With Mat, Inc.’s equipment and willingness to try new things, they have been a big help in developing and testing (products),” Doering says. 

For example, the company has produced several mats that are being tested in strawberry plots at the University of Minnesota-Morris. (see Oct-Dec 2004 issue of Ag Innovation News).

Research and development are important to Mat, Inc.’s future, Karpik says. “We’re always looking for new products that fit what we do.”