Virginia Tech® home

Sustainable Biomaterials Business

What is Sustainable Biomaterials Business Track?

Sustainable Biomaterials Business track builds upon core SBIO courses to give you the skills necessary regarding the business behind how to design, finance, produce and effectively market innovative products. Even more important, you will gain hands-on experience practicing your skills toward leading sustainable businesses that deal with these products.

If you want to learn how to lead sustainable businesses that create value utilizing renewable resources such as wood and other biomaterials, then Sustainable Biomaterials Business is the study option for you! In this track, you will learn and gain experience that will make you a highly preferred leader in the business world.

Virginia Wood Product manufacturing map
Virginia Wood Product Manufacturing Map

Where is it Used?

Businesses today are developing better solutions built around more productive use of natural resources that can solve many critical environmental and social problems while creating the most value. These businesses are seeking a workforce that understand the latest technologies and business practices that meet a growing need for green, sustainable products. Businesses can range from small family owned enterprises to large multi-national companies that are building more sustainable business systems. You are needed to help these businesses balance economic, social, and stewardship needs more effectively to keep their businesses vibrant and relevant in today’s continuously changing global environment. Or, maybe you can run your own sustainable enterprise.

Hands-on Experience

Students Forest Products Business

Our courses in the Sustainable Biomaterials Business track teach the latest techniques about how to organize and run a sustainable business.  What’s more, you also will gain a business experience because many of our classes utilize laboratory simulations or industry projects to experience what it is like to run various aspects of a business and to learn what you can do to help keep things sustainable. One class even goes as far as allowing the students to design, finance, manufacture, market and sell real products to real customers using real money. By actually leading and managing real day to day production business operations, students truly understand what it means to run a sustainable business.

Finally, our faculty maintain close connections with a variety of companies who are eager to hire our students as interns.  This internship experience allows students to make professional connections, build their resume and earn money.

After You Graduate

 

Chris Rider

Chris Rider

Export Logistics Supervisor:

I am a 2011 graduate of the program and work for Atlanta Hardwood Corporation. I am currently the Export Logistics Supervisor and oversee all export logistical operations within the international division. This includes arranging inland freight, ocean freight, customs clearance in foreign countries, invoicing and tracking accounts receivable. I am responsible for movement of millions of dollars’ worth of material every month with highly time sensitive deadlines and needs. The environment is intense but highly rewarding.

Scott Mcdonald

Scott Mcdonald

Continuous Improvement Facilitator:

As CI Facilitator, I look at different ways of improving our plant. This can come in the form of not only lean thinking, but also working on new tools to make employees’ jobs easier, easier-to-read forms for operators, and process analysis. Every day is different within this position; I’m constantly working on a different project, and looking at how we can improve our efficiency and safety within the plant. This position gives me a lot of floor time and one-on-one work with our operators and employees, taking their ideas to reality. It allows a lot of out-of-the-box thinking and creativity to accomplish our goals.

 

 

Sustainable Biomaterials Business

 

Introductory Courses

Find out what courses to take this fall if you are interested in Sustainable Biomaterials Business.

 

For more information

Contact a Student Ambassador or Faculty Member.