International Wood International Wood 2017 | Page 35

Executives at the Grande Cheese Company
envisioned a new corporate headquarters that
would excite and educate visitors about their
products, while providing a nurturing envi-
ronment for employees. The result is a facility
with a strong connection to the Wisconsin
landscape and a contemporary vibe.
Wayne Matzke, president and CEO of the
company, noted that the company spent years
planning its expansion and designing the new
headquarters. “The campus is draped in sym-
bolism,” Matzke said. “The main structure
is meant to replicate Wisconsin barns, with
their stone foundations and wooden walls. A
fruit orchard reflects Grande founder Filippo
Candela’s Sicilian roots.”
Throughout the Grande facility, lower walls
made of Lannon stone symbolize heritage and
tradition, while upper walls include wood
elements that cantilever outward and signify
innovation extending to the world at large.
For visitors and employees alike, the
Grande Cheese headquarters is both a place
of business and a sensory experience that pays
homage to Wisconsin’s sense of place and
illuminates the fine craft and time-honored
tradition of cheesemaking. IW
SPOTLIGHT ON: GARAPA / BRAZILIAN ASH
SPECIES:
ORIGIN:
Apuleia leiocarpa
South America.
Exterior joinery,
flooring, stairs, decking, dock and boat building.
COMMON APPLICATIONS:
Garapa is a
fine grained wood with a light yellow to warm
golden brown hue and darkens with age. It
has a fine straight-grained, interlocked medium
texture. This wood is fairly easy to work,
despite its density. It glues easily and is very
stable once glued. It saw, nails, and screws
well with little to no blunting effect on tools.
CHARACTERISTICS/APPEARANCE:
JANKA HARDNESS SCALE:
(see chart on page 16)
1,650 lb f
•••••
COMMENTS: Garapa is naturally water-resistant,
less vulnerable to insects, rot and decay. With an
excellent durability and a high resistance to daily
wear, it has a long lifespan of 25 years or more.
Garapa also features a Class A fire rating.
INTERNATIONAL WOOD
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