SmartLam in Columbia Falls is one of the first manufacturers of cross laminated timber in the country.

CLT really is a dream material, it’s made from wood, a renewable resource, it sequesters carbon, it is strong enough to replace wood and concrete in higher buildings, and right now, it helps use up some of the billions of board-feet of mountain pine-beetle infested wood that will rot if we don’t cut it and use it fast.

It’s rare that a governor shows up to celebrate a new condo tower.