By: Dr. Connie Reimers-Hild, Futurist (DrConnie@wyominghemp.us)
Wyoming Hemp Company (WHC) is building a pathway to solve three of the state’s most urgent needs: affordable housing for working families, expanding the building materials economy, and creating a stronger, more resilient agricultural sector.
We are seeking near-term investment to scale manufacturing of hemp-based building materials produced through our HempBilt “Farm-to-Frame” manufacturing model. WHC’s HempBilt manufacturing model focuses on growing, processing, and manufacturing industrial hemp entirely in Wyoming. This economic opportunity keeps jobs, economic innovation, and supply chains in-state while producing high-demand construction materials and exports from Wyoming’s agricultural industry. WHC’s HempBilt model directly supports Governor Gordon’s priorities of strengthening Wyoming’s communities, industries, and agricultural producers by delivering:
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Construction Supplies: The HempBilt model produces scalable construction materials that help reduce cost volatility and delays tied to out-of-state products and constrained national supply chains.
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Agriculture-First Economic Development: WHC’s HempBilt model creates a new, market-driven revenue stream for ag producers through an industrial crop that fits modern manufacturing and market demand.
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Wyoming Jobs and “Made-Here” Capacity: Our HempBilt model will expand manufacturing and skilled workforce opportunities while generating economic impact that stays in Wyoming.
Turning Wyoming’s Strengths into Its Superpowers
Wyoming’s greatest assets have always been its land, its producers, and its capacity to innovate within environmental realities. Industrial hemp fits those realities. It also creates a bridge between agriculture, manufacturing, and housing.
As Justin Loeffler, Owner and Operator of Wyoming Hemp Company, explains:
“Wyoming already has what the next generation of building materials requires—producers who understand the land, infrastructure that supports agriculture, and communities ready to build something lasting. Hemp allows us to take what Wyoming does best and translate it into a modern materials economy that creates jobs, strengthens housing supply, and keeps value right here in the state.”
This vision is being advanced through WHC’s Hempbilt farm-to-frame model, which ensures hemp is grown, processed, and manufactured entirely in Wyoming—keeping value in-state while producing materials for local use and national markets.
The Problems HempBilt Can Solve
1) Statewide Housing Shortages and Affordability Pressures
Wyoming’s housing shortage is now a measurable constraint on workforce growth and community stability. According to the Wyoming Community Development Authority (2024), Wyoming must add 20,700 to 38,600 housing units between 2021 and 2030 to meet projected demand. Affordability pressures are also clear: From 2010 to 2021, Wyoming’s median rent increased 32% while the median renter’s income rose only 18%.
Independent analysis from Harvard’s Growth Lab (2023) emphasizes that Wyoming’s housing constraint “weighs heavily” on the broader economy and “chokes off growth” in new industries beyond the natural resource base.
2) Sawmills of the Future: Expanding Wyoming’s Building Materials Economy
Wyoming’s traditional timber industry has faced decades of decline due to constrained harvest levels, mill closures, and limited processing capacity. Recent policy shifts include federal directives to expand timber production and Governor Gordon’s executive actions to improve forest management and milling prospects. Together, these changes suggest Wyoming’s timber industry is positioned for a comeback if investments support growth of the industry throughout the state.
These industry transitions also highlight the need for diversified, resilient approaches to construction materials. Industrial hemp is the perfect companion to the timber sector. Hemp can be grown, processed, and manufactured in Wyoming to produce sustainable building products that complement traditional lumber and help stabilize supply chains while reducing risks tied to timber shortages and long regeneration timelines. WHC’s HempBilt manufacturing strategy aligns with Governor Gordon’s priorities of strengthening agriculture and forest management while expanding value-added rural manufacturing, addressing housing affordability, and supporting the broader vision of revitalizing American resource industries. Investments in WHC’s concept will reduce reliance on imports while fostering domestic economic growth.
2) Ag Innovation for the Cowboy State: A Crop that Fits Wyoming's Climate
Wyoming producers operate within some of the most demanding agricultural conditions in the nation. A short growing season, limited and increasingly variable water supplies, and arid soils constrain yields and make diversification a challenge. These realities underscore the need for innovation-driven solutions that advance agriculture and natural resource management in ways that reflect Wyoming’s unique landscape.
Hemp offers producers a new option that supports existing operations while improving soil health. Industrial hemp is a regenerative, fast-growing, low-water-use crop that provides endless economic innovation. When paired with in-state processing and manufacturing, hemp can be transformed into high-value construction materials that strengthen farm incomes, support value-added manufacturing, and create durable economic opportunities while reinforcing the state’s leadership in innovation and agriculture.
Strategic investment in innovative, locally produced construction materials offers a practical path to accelerating housing development while strengthening Wyoming’s economy.
Wyoming Hemp Company's Vision: Launching the Hempbilt "Farm-to-Frame" Model
Imagine a future where Wyoming farmers drive economic growth by supplying sustainable construction materials to markets across the United States and beyond. That future is achievable through WHC’s HempBilt Manufacturing strategy, a farm-to-frame model that transforms industrial hemp into high-value building products. Under this closed-loop approach, hemp is grown, processed, and manufactured entirely in Wyoming, creating a new building-materials economy rooted in regenerative agriculture that:
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Strengthens Wyoming Supply Chains: Builds a Wyoming-based, farm-to-frame system that reduces reliance on out-of-state materials while reinforcing local and regional construction supply chains.
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Creates Jobs and Manufacturing Capacity: Expands in-state processing and manufacturing, generating skilled, sustainable jobs and supporting rural economic growth.
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Supports and Complements the Timber Industry: Adds a renewable, ag-based material that works alongside Wyoming’s timber sector to stabilize material supply and reduce market volatility.
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Delivers New Revenue for Farmers: Introduces a market-driven crop that diversifies farm income and strengthens long-term agricultural resilience.
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Advances Housing Solutions: Provides locally sourced, regenerative construction materials that help expand housing supply while stewarding Wyoming’s natural resources.
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Keeps Value in Wyoming Communities: Circulates dollars locally, strengthening communities and supporting Wyoming-owned businesses.
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Positions Wyoming for Export Growth: Enables Wyoming-made building materials to serve regional and national markets, establishing the state as a leader in regenerative construction and innovation.
WHC’s model transforms Wyoming from a price-taker in global markets to a materials innovator with control over its own supply chain.
WHC’s Hempbilt Manufacturing Model: A New Era of Strengths-Based Innovation
Wyoming is in the midst of a transformative era. The strength of its agricultural heritage can be leveraged to meet the state’s growing housing and economic needs. As challenges persist across agriculture, timber, and construction, the path forward requires practical innovation rooted in Wyoming’s land, workforce, and values.
WHC’s HempBilt manufacturing model offers that opportunity. It is a resilient, climate-appropriate crop that works within Wyoming’s growing conditions, complements existing agricultural and timber systems, and supports the production of next-generation construction materials. WHC is already demonstrating that value-added manufacturing can succeed here at home through its line of hemp-based products, including animal bedding and mulch. By advancing hemp-based construction materials, Wyoming can diversify farm income, expand manufacturing, create jobs, strengthen housing supply chains, and create economic opportunities for the state. WHC’s Hempbilt “Farm-to-Frame” approach leverages the state’s strengths to build a future characterized by economic growth and opportunity. The opportunity is real, the groundwork is laid, and the moment is now. Together, we can build a prosperous Wyoming that is powered by its land, its people, and its capacity to innovate.
Wyoming has an opportunity to lead in next-generation construction materials—strengthening housing supply, agriculture, and rural economies at the same time.
To learn more, explore partnerships, or discuss investment opportunities, contact:
Justin Loeffler
Owner/Operator, Wyoming Hemp Company
📧 info@wyominghemp.us
📞 (307) 222-9447
Resources for Further Reading
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Wyoming Community Development Authority (WCDA) – Housing Needs Assessment
https://www.wyomingcda.com/housing-needs-assessment -
Wyoming Housing Supply Action Plan
https://housing.wyo.gov -
Office of Governor Mark Gordon
https://governor.wyo.gov -
Wyoming Business Council – Value-Added Agriculture & Manufacturing
https://wyomingbusiness.org -
Wyoming Department of Agriculture – Industrial Hemp & Diversification
https://agriculture.wy.gov -
Wyoming State Forestry Division
https://wsfd.wyo.gov -
International Code Council – IRC 2024 Appendix BL (Hemp-Lime Construction)
https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IRC2024P1/appendix-bl-hemp-lime-construction -
U.S. Department of Energy – Bio-Based & Low-Carbon Building Materials
https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/building-materials
