bioMASON Moves Headquarters to Larger RTP Space

bioMASON brickmaking system.
The bioMASON brickmaking system. -- bioMASON photos

bioMASON is adding a new brick-and-mortar headquarters to its Research Triangle Park brick-and-mortar biotech business.

The company that enlists bacteria to create biocement-based construction materials without the need for energy-consuming kilns, is expanding into a new 30,000-square-foot space in RTP. The company will use the space as its new headquarters and convert its existing 21,000-square-foot location into a production plant.

bioMASON plans to increase its headcount by 50% to over 75 employees by year end.

“Our new headquarters hosts our growing teams of executive, finance, sales and marketing, engineering, fermentation and R&D labs,” said Ginger Krieg Dosier, president and chief executive officer of bioMASON.

“The decision to stay in RTP is a reflection on the prominence of the Park and centralized location, as well as attracting world-class talent.”

bioMASON has moved to accommodate growth several times since its inception in 2012. The company initially had temporary office space at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center’s Landing Pad. Then, it rented labs at the nearby First Flight Venture Center. The company had a pilot plant and office in downtown Raleigh before returning to the Park – first with one and now, two locations. 

The green alternative: growing cement

bioMASON uses a proprietary manufacturing process and proprietary materials to grow biologically based cement for pre-cast and masonry building materials. 

CEO Ginger Dosier
CEO Ginger Dosier.

The production of Portland cement, the key ingredient in traditional concrete, is responsible for over 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions, and is the second-most-consumed substance on earth, following water.

In contrast, bioMASON does not use fossil fuels in its manufacturing process. Biocement is grown using locally available materials, including recycled aggregates and nonpathogenic bacteria in an ambient temperature environment. 

An irrigation system feeds the bacteria that bond the recycled aggregates together with calcium carbonate. The bacteria are kept alive until the biocement reaches the desired hardness, a process that takes about 72 hours to complete. Final products perform better in strength than traditional materials.

NCBiotech has supported bioMASON’s mission since the company’s early days through several loans, including a $50,000 company inception loan in 2013 and strategic growth loans in 2014 and 2016 totaling $750,000.

Kelly Duffort, NCBiotech Writer
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