What do you get when you cross Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, a compostable hemp bioplastic spoon and a VT Future Fest? Answer – Vilhemp USA, of course!
Janet Currie and Amy Quinn Dacey, Co-Founders of QCC Limited, LLC dba Vilhemp USA, crossed paths with VMEC at the summer 2024 Future Fest in Burlington, Vermont. As a new manufacturer (established in 2023) based in Orwell, Vermont, Vilhemp was anxious to make connections and develop partnerships to enhance their sustainable plastic product line. And as the story goes, the start of a beautiful relationship began.
Vilhemp offers compostable products as a viable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional recycling. As their mission states, “Cultivate. Consume. Compost.”, the product lines offer a solution to landfill and recycling challenges, providing a more efficient and sustainable method of waste management.
Seeking to grow and sustain their supplier network, Janet and Amy met with members of the VMEC team to look into collaborations to accelerate the development and commercialization of their products and Tetra Plex granulate. Tetra Plex is an eco-friendly production material made from natural and renewable ingredients, including plant-based starch and fibers. It is designed for everyday single or continued use.
(Side note: Beginning in spring 2025, Vilhemp is being rebranded to Eco-Chic for their housewares and 3D filament products. Tetra Plex will remain as the company’s granulate identification.)
Vilhemp faced a critical hurdle: finding a compounder willing to process their unique material. Compounding plant fibers presents technical challenges, making many companies hesitant to take on such projects. When no Vermont compounders proved suitable, Janet, seeking assistance, was directed to Mark O’Hearn, VMEC’s Business Growth Advisor.
Recognizing the complexity of the situation, Mark expanded the search beyond Vermont, reaching out to the broader New England MEP (Manufacturing Extension Partnership) network. This proved fruitful when MassMEP connected them with Peak Performance Compounding, a company with recent experience in plant fiber compounding. A meeting quickly followed, culminating in a successful collaboration between Vilhemp and Massachusetts-based Peak Performance. Peak will assist Vilhemp with scaling up their production line, troubleshooting compounding challenges and improving material flow by spring 2025.
VMEC’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology Advisor Chris Coulter also utilized his networking connections to research injection molding companies. Vilhemp was interested in Vermont companies willing to mold the compounds and develop molding processes. This resulted in their second supplier match. Progressive Plastics Inc., located in Williamstown, Vermont, will work with Vilhemp on specific applications such as automotive components and consumer goods packaging.
As well and with Chris’ assistance and relationship with The Manufacturing Collaborative, Janet paid a visit to this state-of-the-art fabrication and talent development center located on the VTSU (Vermont State University) Randolph Center campus. The Collaborative was able to assist her by running her 3D printing filament.
In addition to these valuable connections, Janet and Amy are in early discussions with A.P Extrusion Inc., a leading straw manufacturer based in Salem, NH. The company has expressed strong interest in exploring the use of their granulate for sustainable straw production (among other products) and they’re looking forward to placing their first bulk order. This connection was made thanks to Peak Performance.
With their five-person team, this women-owned business has been making steady progress on securing compounding and manufacturing suppliers for their growing enterprise. Recently, they’ve received a quote for a 55 million piece order for NYC municipalities and are seeking to secure large scale manufacturing production.
“These partnerships will significantly accelerate the development and commercialization of our products and granulate,” states Janet. “As a side note, we have a wonderful new addition to our company who is in the process of setting up contracts in Jamaica, South Korea, Australia and Dubai. If it wasn’t for VMEC, we would not be on this journey.”
Seeking supplier connections of your own? Contact VMEC today!