Chris Bartimioli Of CDA Wood: Five Strategies Our Company Is Using To Tackle Climate Change & Become More Sustainable
An Interview With Martita Mestey
You hear the stories of instant successes, and those are unicorns, I guess. The old saying is, “It takes 10 years to become an overnight success,” and that holds true for us.
As a part of our series about how companies are becoming more sustainable, we had the pleasure of interviewing Chris Bartimioli.
Chris Bartimioli is the Founder and CEO of CDA Wood. Chris is a former professional snowboarder and high-end contractor who has built projects internationally and domestically. After years of sourcing reclaimed wood, Chris developed a patented process to manufacture better barn wood products with the strength of new wood but without potentially harmful paints or stains. Chris’s creativity and passion for sustainable and clean building has helped create a platform for him to create the products he wanted as a contractor, which are easy and affordable for anyone to use.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I began my career in the building industry as a contractor, specifying building materials for projects. Passionate about carpentry and high-end finish work for high profile projects, I spent a lot of time working with barn wood. The sourcing and labor intensity of reclaimed and rustic wood led me to develop a natural way to produce a product that was getting harder to source and find quality options. With true reclaimed barn wood, there is still a lot of waste because a lot of it gets cut down to usable boards, and the consistency is lacking. I wanted to find a better way that led to an increase in consistency as well as create something that was easier to use and less harmful from a health and environment perspective.
What is the mission of your company? What problems are you aiming to solve?
Our mission as a company is to manufacture a quality wood product in the least impactful way to the environment as possible and make it affordable. We color wood naturally without the use of paints and stains that contain volatile organic compounds. The biggest breakthrough for us was using light as the catalyst for the coloring of cellulose fibers once we apply our proprietary blends of pollens and minerals. The process we created took a very long time to perfect. The other issue with a lot of reclaimed wood is the cost. Due to the sourcing and labor intensity that I mentioned regarding reclaimed wood, the finished product from those suppliers can cost upwards of $12–15 a square foot. That’s not a very affordable product for a lot of people who would like the look and feel of reclaimed wood in their space. The process we created and patented leverages all the components to age wood in the same way nature would weather a barn in a field, but we can do it at a small fraction of the cost — our finished product is even cheaper than painting boards. It can also help improve indoor air quality per VOC emissions testing
Can you tell our readers about the initiatives that you or your company are taking to address climate change or sustainability? Can you give an example for each?
CDA Wood is working towards being a zero-waste generator. Our goal is to use all of our raw materials, manufacture our products, and turn every single piece that comes into our facility into a product that someone can find value in and use. We don’t want to see anything we make go into a landfill. We are even working on a creative process to recycle our sawdust. We also only buy our lumber from groups who manage sustainable forests that have all been through the chain of custody scrutiny.
How would you articulate how a business can become more profitable by being more sustainable and more environmentally conscious? Can you share a story or example?
I believe that with enough effort and willingness to apply change that is beneficial to the environment, all one needs to do is put their resources towards it. As an example, we successfully found a placement with what we call our ‘seconds’ by selling them to the hobby and craft markets at a discount instead of throwing scrap wood into the trash. It was not easy to find a responsible solution like that, but with applied effort, we were able to.
The youth led climate strikes of September 2019 showed an impressive degree of activism and initiative by young people on behalf of climate change. This was great, and there is still plenty that needs to be done. In your opinion, what are a few things parents should do to inspire the next generation to become engaged in sustainability and the environmental movement? Please give a story or an example for each.
1 . Take action by learning and solving problems. I understand that striking and activism are prevalent in society now, but complaining about problems doesn’t seem to get us too far in solving them. Solving problems requires leadership and ingenuity. There are a lot of smart kids out there and an incredible amount of information at our fingertips, and we’re consuming more now than ever. I think the best way to really engage in sustainability and the environmental movement is to be curious and be creative. Look for a problem and solve it and figure out how to solve it in a way that will leave the planet better off than you found it.
2 . Spend more time with your kids in the great outdoors. I’m incredibly fortunate to live in an area surrounded by a lot of wilderness that is easily accessible, and I understand that is not the case for a lot of people in larger metropolitan areas. I believe that time outside and in nature is incredibly therapeutic and gets us back to our roots. We’re bombarded daily by bad news, politics, and advertisements, and getting outside away from all of that is a great way to keep our sanity. I find there is a direct relationship between time spent outside and being creative as well as making wise decisions. Most importantly, from an environmental perspective, it connects us with the thing we’re trying to make better. It’s really hard to genuinely care about something and take action on it when it is an idea that we are physically detached from.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
“It will take a lot longer than you think.”
You hear the stories of instant successes, and those are unicorns, I guess. The old saying is, “It takes 10 years to become an overnight success,” and that holds true for us.
“This will take 10 times the amount of money you think it will take.”
Growing an international brand with new technology in an ancient industry has been financially taxing, but the cause is greater than the pain.
“You will go gray and age faster than if you live a mediocre life.”
I have built and had my fair share of success in business, and to be honest, in life. The key is to never give up when all the odds seem to be stacked against you every day. When the headwinds seem to be keeping you in the same place instead of moving forward, you need to keep pushing ahead and to show up every day. On paper and in my mind that seems rational and doable. It is. However, my wrinkles and graying hair tell a different story. We will keep pushing forward.
“Don’t over-sell.”
It seems like a logical statement, however, it can be challenging. When an opportunity is put in front of you, and you weigh all the possibilities and the level in which you can produce a product, it’s very easy to focus on all the things that can go right. The secret is remembering to also factor in what can also go very wrong. Forest fires limiting access to timbers, long and wet winters that shut down mills and replanting, logistics nightmares that we all experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic, the list goes on. Being an optimist, I have to rely on my team to bring me back to reality when these huge opportunities are put in front of us.
“Pick your partners very carefully.”
You can have a wonderful friendship for decades with someone, but it doesn’t mean they are the right partner. People love to promise things that they, in excitement, truly believe they can do. However, most of the time they don’t have the actual wherewithal to see it through. You can also pick a trade partner that you believe fits your brand and have the same impactful ideas and concepts for the greater good, however sometimes it is quite the opposite and actually can be a huge setback for your brand and for you personally. I have experienced both sides of having wonderful productive partners in business and the latter that end up being more saboteurs than partners.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
First on my list is my wife who, without questioning me, supported the creativity and idea that became Coeur d’Alene Wood (CDA Wood), and the biggest support was the financial sacrifice it was going to take on our family. She has been a massive contributor and rock throughout this endeavor. My kids have spent a lot of time working in the plant with us contributing and being there when we were shorthanded and supportive along the way.
My father spent the first few years, day and night, with me while we built our first reactor. He still comes in weekly for support and to lend a hand.
John Pace, the Founder and CEO of Versatex, was an original believer in our brand and the concept of sustainable coloring of wood. He has been a sounding board and massive support over the years. We owe him greatly.
The team over the years has changed and different talent has come and gone as life is fluid for most individuals, but all have contributed to the success of CDA Wood. I am humbled and grateful for all their sacrifices and belief in this journey.
You are a person of great influence and doing some great things for the world! If you could inspire a movement that would bring the greatest amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Get outside!!!!!
I believe that outside of what most people see and read on social media and or on TV, when we engage with one another and spend the time to really listen to each other despite differences in religion, politics and opposing ideas, we can find mutual ground in life and learn from one another and find friendships in the least expected places. We all breathe the same air and all bleed the color red. If I could inspire a movement, it would be to go back to where we all were engaged with one another and spoke to each other and listened to each other. I believe that as dystopian as that may seem, I believe we could accomplish more for society and be better stewards of our planet.
Do you have a favorite life lesson quote? Can you tell us how that was relevant to you in your own life?
“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” (Benjamin Franklin)
I have made it a priority in my daily routine to go to bed by midnight and up by 6am. For many years of my life my sleeping window was around 3 hours a day. However, in those times, it is what has brought me the most success and creativity.
But let’s also be honest, there are times when I also say, “Nope, I am sleeping in” — typically while on a vacation of some sort and sleeping in usually means 7am (I have been on vacation once in the last 4 years).
What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?
You can visit our website cdawood.com, or on any social media platform (@CDAwoodllc).
This was so inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Chris Bartimioli Of CDA Wood: Five Strategies Our Company Is Using To Tackle Climate Change &… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.