Providing high-quality chemical technology solutions with sustainability built into the core

Based in Wadesboro, North Carolina, LOBA-WAKOL LLC is a leading manufacturer of high-quality wood flooring adhesives and surface finishes, and oils. They are a North American subsidiary of the German market leaders LOBA and WAKOL, who have partners and subsidiaries in over 40 countries around the world.

LOBA-WAKOL showcases how small-scale initiatives can drive momentum for the successful implementation of larger sustainability goals. They have also integrated the concept of sustainability into the very fabric of the organization’s offering, disrupting the market with innovations that are better for people and the planet.

LOBA-WAKOL provides high-quality chemical technology solutions across multiple industries

LOBA-WAKOL North America is a joint venture between two family-owned businesses in Germany, LOBA GmbH and WAKOL GmbH. Both LOBA and WAKOL develop and manufacture products for the residential and commercial construction industries.

The LOBA product line includes water-based wood finishing products; natural oils; stains; repair kits; sandpaper; maintenance cleaners and industrial coatings. The WAKOL product lines include adhesives for various industries including floor covering, metal packaging, and the mattress and upholstery industries. WAKOL also produces and distributes subfloor preparation and repair products that include self-leveling underlayment, floor patching, crack repair, and moisture remediation.

Following verified certification criteria for a standardized roadmap toward sustainability

LOBA-WAKOL used Green Business Benchmark° to build their sustainability program. Their main focus was developing more sustainable operations, utilizing GBB's software to identify what they’re currently doing well and which initiatives to implement to optimize even further. LOBA-WAKOL believes it’s their responsibility as a leading building product manufacturer to be sustainable – to play their part in balancing profit with the needs of people and the planet.

They decided to focus on efforts related to people, processes, products, and packaging to align with their mission: To consistently provide a safe and healthy atmosphere for workers and every customer. Through this, LOBA-WAKOL was able to immediately implement some smaller in-office initiatives that have a positive impact on employees and signify a commitment to sustainability including:

• No single-use plastics
• A reduction in paper products
• Recycling programs
• The reuse of materials
• Motion lighting throughout the campus

These small changes have driven momentum to support the achievement of LOBA-WAKOL’s larger sustainability goals. For instance, they have reduced their carbon footprint by identifying the best processes, products, and packaging with a lessened environmental impact, creating a better future for the next generations. Plus, LOBA-WAKOL strives to preserve our forest ecosystems as a proud sponsor of the National Forest Foundation.

LOBA-WAKOL is also a member of the United States Green Building Council and participates in the FloorScore certification program designed for the building products industry to certify VOC content. Their goal is to develop products that comply with the LEED low-emitting material requirements and the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

Disrupting the market with sustainable products

In addition to following standardized certification requirements, LOBA-WAKOL has also integrated sustainability into its products. For example, they have many product changes over the years to eliminate hazardous ingredients. One such change is LOBA’s 2-component water-based finishes for flooring, invented over 30 years ago. In a petroleum urethane-controlled business, this innovation was viewed as a big disruption.

Since then, LOBA has strived to transform traditional solvent formulations into water-based ones, which means better air quality for those manufacturing the product, installing the product, and living with the products on their floors. Currently, over 90% of WAKOL products contain zero VOC content and over 70% of the LOBA product offerings contain zero VOC and/or meet the VOC emission criteria.

Rising to the challenge and needs of a sustainable business

Organizations like LOBA-WAKOL, demonstrate a can-do attitude to overcome obstacles and discover solutions to create a more sustainable world for generations to come.

“LOBA-WAKOL North America is a collection of over 100 years of technology, experience, and passion. We can proudly say that we have the best people on our team and we all strive to develop the best products in the world that will have a positive impact on future generations.” – Ashley Carter, General Manager at LOBA-WAKOL LLC