It's not to surprising that a manufacturing company like Mat Inc. makes such erosion control products as hydromulches, a tackifier, a bonded fiber matrix and an erosion control blanket. What's not so apparent about this Emerald Member of IECA is the broad range of other products it manufactures, including a material that floats on water to absorb oil and other hazardous waste. This diverse output reflects not just the available inputs but also management's ingenuity in making the most of its production facilities and talents and its commitment to conserving resources.

Mat traces it roots back to the 1950's when the Superwood Corporation set up shop in a small town in northern Minnesota to serve the auto industry. The company molded wood fibers and resins into such products as armrests, door panels, dashboards, and headliners.

Today, Mat occupies these facilities where about three-dozen employees work. Based in Floodwood, Minnesota, the company sits in the midst of a plentiful supply of wood fiber from ash, birch, poplar, and pine trees. Production of erosion control products began in the mid-1980, when the current management bought the company.  One of these companies was Weyerhaeuser Company, which left the business in 1997.

All the company's wood-fiber products are manufactured from recycled materials.  They do not cut virgin trees for their products.  All the wood fiber used is a byproduct of processes used to make other wood products.

The company owes part of its diverse product line to the nearby University of Minnesota Natural Resource Research Institute, which explores development of new products from natural resources and works with Mat on various projects.

At the same time, the company uses its production facilities to do research and development work for other manufacturers. This includes investigations into making erosion control blankets from soybean and peat fibers and producing low-density hardboard from a combination of corn, soybean, and wheat fibers.