Thank you, Madam Chair and all members present.
Good afternoon. My name is David Saulnier. I'm president of JD Composites in Meteghan, Nova Scotia.
We started our composite company in 2018. We build composite structures, both residential and commercial, out of 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate, otherwise known as PET plastic. We apply fibreglass skins on each side, creating a SIP, or a sandwich construction as it's known in the marine industry, where I cut my teeth in this.
As commercial boatbuilders using these materials, we thought it was overdue to bring to land the high-strength, low-weight properties that commercial boats have on the unforgiving oceans. We thought we'd bring this onto land and exploit and maximize returns for homeowners. Obviously, in an increasingly uncertain climate, especially in Nova Scotia, it keeps getting damper, wetter and colder as well.
Exterior composite panels could be and can be mechanically attached to existing homes, creating a proven exterior shell that needs no siding. Controlling the environment inside a home is key, and composites are an extremely good fit for this. Being inorganic as a material, it's nothing that was ever alive. It's different from wood. It's immune to water ingress and highly preventative for mould growth.
Also, these homes and structures become multi-generational in their proven durability and low maintenance. Obviously, a lot of people haven't heard of sandwich construction using PET yet. It's a new technology on land but not really in the marine boatbuilding world, where it's been proven for many years.
Hopefully we can prove its use and positive impact on new construction and, obviously, on refits as an exterior shell on existing homes.
Thank you very much.