As a long-time supplier of materials featured in By Material, I’ve spent the last 12 years working directly with manufacturers, architects, and small-batch designers to turn raw material specs into tangible, high-performing products. Every time I walk our warehouse floor, I see how the materials curated under the By Material umbrella aren’t just commodities—they’re solutions tailored to solve the most common pain points our clients face, from supply chain delays to sustainability gaps that get written off as “too expensive.” Let me break down what makes these materials stand out, why partnering with a supplier who specializes in them changes the game, and how you can bring these advantages to your next project. By Material
First, let’s talk about performance consistency—something that’s non-negotiable for anyone who’s dealt with a material that works in a lab but fails on the job site. Take our cross-laminated timber (CLT), a core By Material product that we source from FSC-certified forests in the Pacific Northwest. Unlike mass-produced softwood, CLT’s layered structure means it resists warping, shrinking, and expanding 30% more than traditional dimensional lumber, per independent testing from the Forest Products Laboratory. For our clients building mid-rise residential or commercial spaces, that consistency translates to fewer callbacks, lower long-term maintenance costs, and faster installation timelines. I remember a client who was building a 5-story apartment complex in Portland; they originally planned to use steel, but switched to CLT after testing our material’s 2-hour fire resistance rating (on par with code-compliant steel) and the fact that we deliver pre-cut panels with pre-drilled holes, cutting their installation time by 18%. That’s the kind of tangible win that comes from working with a supplier who knows every variant of the By Material line—because we don’t just stock materials; we test them ourselves, in our in-house quality lab.
Next, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword here—it’s built into the material’s lifecycle, and that’s a huge advantage for designers and brands that are being held accountable by consumers and regulators. Let’s take our recycled plastic composite, another By Material staple. This isn’t the flimsy plastic lumber that cracks after a year outdoors; we process post-consumer plastic—mostly water bottles and food containers—into a composite that’s 95% recycled content, with zero virgin plastic. It doesn’t leach harmful chemicals (we test for leachables quarterly, per EPA standards), it’s fully recyclable at the end of its 50+ year lifespan, and it requires 70% less energy to produce than standard PVC. A recent client who makes outdoor patio furniture told me that switching to our recycled plastic composite let them market their products as “100% circular,” which boosted their sales by 22% in their first year. What’s more, because we have direct contracts with a local recycling facility, we avoid the supply chain gaps that plague many sustainable materials. Last year, when a global shortage of recycled plastic hit, we still had 12 weeks of inventory ready to ship—something most generic composite suppliers couldn’t do.
Then there’s the flexibility of the By Material line, which covers everything from natural fibers to innovative metal alloys, and our ability to customize these materials to fit unique project needs. I worked with a small furniture maker in Minneapolis who wanted to create a line of office desks with woven hemp cores, but struggled to find a supplier that could adjust the density to be both lightweight enough for shipping and strong enough to hold a laptop. We partnered with the hemp processors in our network to tweak the resin ratio, resulting in a composite that’s 40% lighter than solid wood with the same load-bearing capacity. That’s not something a big-box material supplier can offer—they sell off-the-shelf products. We work directly with clients to refine By Material offerings, because those small customizations often turn a good project into a standout one. Even for larger clients, like a retail chain renovating 20 stores across the country, we can source a single By Material (say, FSC-certified reclaimed wood) in consistent grades, with minimal waste, to keep all locations aligned on brand design.
Wait, but let’s be real—no material is perfect, and we don’t pretend they are. The biggest advantage of working with a By Material specialist supplier is that we’ll be honest about the tradeoffs, and guide you to the right fit. For example, our wool insulation (another By Material product) is non-toxic, breathable, and has a lower carbon footprint than fiberglass, but it can be more expensive upfront, and requires proper installation to prevent mold. We’ll walk you through ways to offset that cost—like qualifying for LEED credits, or combining it with a vapor barrier that cuts installation time. A client in Colorado had that exact question a year ago; we connected them with a local installer who had experience with our wool insulation, and showed them how the 15% lower energy bills would pay for the upfront cost in 7 years. That’s the kind of partnership you don’t get with a generic supplier—we’re not just selling materials; we’re solving problems.
Now, let’s talk about the supply chain reliability that’s a make-or-break advantage in today’s market. I’ve seen clients lose millions in revenue because a custom material was delayed by 12 weeks. With By Material, the materials we supply are part of a curated network of producers that prioritize short lead times and local sourcing where possible. For example, our bamboo flooring is sourced from a farm in Georgia, not overseas, so we can get samples to clients in 2 days and deliver bulk orders in 2 weeks, compared to 8 weeks for imported bamboo. We also maintain safety stock for all high-demand products—CLT, recycled composite, wool insulation—so even if a port strike or weather event disrupts global supply, we can ship on time. A restaurant owner in Seattle recently told me that switching to our By Material hardwood for their new location meant they didn’t have to delay their opening, which would have cost them $50,000 in lost revenue. That’s the kind of impact supply chain reliability has, and it’s something that comes from being a dedicated By Material supplier, not a jack-of-all-trades.
Another often-overlooked advantage is the regulatory compliance built into every By Material product. A lot of materials on the market don’t meet local building codes or industry standards, which can lead to project delays or even fines. We handle all the testing and certification—LEED, FSC, EPA, ASTM—for every material in our By Material line. For example, our metal roofing products are certified for wind resistance up to 120 mph, which is critical for clients in hurricane-prone areas like Florida. A residential builder in Miami told me that using our metal roofing meant they didn’t have to spend extra time and money on third-party testing to get it approved for permits. That’s a huge time-saver—permits can take months, and avoiding delays there can make or break a construction project.
Let’s also talk about the support we provide post-purchase. Most material suppliers drop off after delivering a shipment, but we offer technical support, installation guides, and even on-site consultations for large projects. I spent a week at a commercial build in Austin last year, working with the construction crew to install our CLT panels—showing them the best way to handle the large sheets, how to seal edges properly, and troubleshooting a small issue with a custom cut. The crew told me that without that on-site support, they would have taken twice as long to install, and might have made mistakes that would have required costly repairs later. That’s the difference between a specialist supplier and a regular vendor: we care about the end result, not just the sale.
Now, I know a lot of you are probably wondering: is this all too good to be true? Let me be clear—no supplier is perfect, and we have our limits. We don’t carry every material under the sun, because we focus on the By Material line, which lets us specialize and provide better quality, lower costs, and faster support. We also work with small and large clients alike—from a designer making a single furniture piece to a corporation building a 100,000 square foot office. One of our best clients is a non-profit that builds affordable housing; we give them a 15% discount on By Materials, because we believe sustainable, high-performing materials should be accessible to everyone, not just luxury projects.
At the end of the day, the advantages of the By Material materials we supply don’t just stop at product specs. They’re about partnering with a team that understands the unique needs of your project, has a supply chain that can deliver when others can’t, and stands behind every product we ship. If you’re working on a project where you need a material that’s consistent, sustainable, flexible, and easy to work with, let’s connect. We can walk you through sample products, answer any questions about specs or costs, and even help you design a custom solution that fits your budget and timeline.
Don’t let supply chain delays, inconsistent material quality, or hidden costs derail your next project. The materials from By Material are designed to solve the problems you face, and as a dedicated supplier, I’m here to make the process as smooth as possible. Reach out today to start the conversation, and let’s turn your project vision into a reality.
Cotton Fabric References:
- Forest Products Laboratory. (2022). Cross-Laminated Timber Performance and Fire Resistance. U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- EPA. (2023). Test Methods for Leachables in Recycled Plastic Building Materials. Environmental Protection Agency.
- U.S. Green Building Council. (2024). LEED Credit Calculations for Circular Building Materials.
- American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). (2023). Standard Test Methods for Wind Resistance of Metal Roofing Materials.
Hangzhou Kangsheng Textile Co., Ltd.
Address: 22# Building, K7 Original park,No.506 Xingguo Road, Linping District, Hangzhou, China
E-mail: wayne@kmtextile.net
WebSite: https://www.kangshengtextile.com/
