A startup is hoping genetically modified trees will produce higher-quality veneer than their wild cousins.
Legacy Hardwoods LLC sells black walnut, black cherry and other trees that they’ve altered to grow straighter, have fewer branches and have fewer knots than trees found in wild forests.
A straighter, less gnarly tree produces attractive veneer by default, but foresters typically find one or two veneer trees per ten acres of forest, said Legacy Hardwoods founder and Purdue University graduate Aaron Forgey.
Legacy Hardwoods’ technology would increase the population of trees capable of producing veneer, which would also drive down the cost of veneer, he said.
The company is licensed through the Purdue Research Foundation.
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