Today we’d like to introduce you to Chaz Williams
Chaz, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My mother became sick with cancer about 10 years ago. That’s when I started looking into CBD because I saw it had some benefits with shrinking tumors and helping with appetite during cancer treatments. When it finally became legal in SC in 2018, I got involved in the industry. During this time though, I started to look at hemp for more industrial uses. I learned that we could build homes from this material, use it as an additive in concrete mixes, make construction materials, biofuel, and so much more. Not to mention the benefits that come from simply growing the plant. From that moment on, I’ve been working in this space trying to make a difference!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
This road has been anything but smooth! Industrial hemp is very new in the USA, only around 5 years old! It just became an approved building material in 2024 so that has helped us out tremendously. There are less than 10 processing centers in the country that can produce this raw material, and not many farmers are growing it because they just don’t know what it can do. Less than 100 homes in America have been built with hemp because all of the material has mainly been coming from out of the country. This drives the price up a considerable amount, which makes people look for other materials. But now that it is becoming more popular and we focus on all natural fibers, not just hemp, we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
AgriShield is a biomaterial company that grows and processes natural fibers for high performance finished products. We grow natural fibers such as hemp, kenaf, and will be introducing Xano Grass to the state of South Carolina. In our phase 1, we are focused on producing raw materials and construction products. We plan to cut cost, time, and waste from the construction industry. The good thing is all these natural fibers can be used in other applications across many other industries. We can use hemp in the automotive, aerospace, biofuel, textile, and many more industries. We want to be able to create sustainable solutions for our state. I’m most proud that we are bring consumers a healthier option. One that will help them save money and create a more comfortable living space. Homes that will be here for for 100 plus years!
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
That we have to localize our supply chains as much as possible. Covid showed us just how important every link of the supply chain is to overall success. If just one link breaks, everything is thrown off! Hemp and other natural fibers can help with a lot of those issues we experienced during that time.
