Golden welcomes president and co-founder of Madison’s TimberHP mill as his guest to State of the Union address

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) on Thursday welcomed Josh Henry, president and co-founder of TimberHP — the first wood fiber insulation manufacturing plant in North America — as his guest to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address. 

“Josh and his team at TimberHP are proving that just because forest products are a ‘heritage’ industry doesn’t mean they are a thing of the past,” Golden said. “His innovations in the field have created new markets for Maine forest products. Alongside the hardworking Mainers who cut timber, haul logs, and work in the mills, he has ensured this industry — and the family-wage, middle-class jobs that come with it — have a place in Maine’s future.” 

Henry, with his business partner, Matthew O’Malia, founded TimberHP and purchased the Madison mill in 2019, following his distinguished career researching and developing new materials to conserve energy or produce renewable energy, such as the wood fiber building insulation produced with Maine wood in Madison. 

Henry had determined the entire product line could be manufactured more affordably in the U.S. than overseas, the result of lower raw material and energy costs. He also recognized the inherent value of Maine’s forest products, and saw special meaning in reviving Maine’s industrial economy, having grown up in Pittsburgh when steel mills were in rapid decline. The opportunity to help revive and offer economically sound, environmentally friendly, highly skilled, good-paying jobs held special meaning. 

Henry resides in Northport Maine with his wife, Dr. Cheryl Deane, their two daughters, and their beloved dog, Posie.

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