The USHBA Member of the month for May is Adelaida Nunez Vazquez, also known as Addy. Addy is working to bring hemp building products to Puerto Rico(PR) by opening the first hemp manufacturing company there. Addy recently ran for the position of USHBA Communications Director and was 2nd in the voting. She received training from Hempstone before moving from Connecticut back to her home in PR to bring hempcrete to the island.
Like so many hemp builders before her who are pioneering the industry in new markets, a major step is education of decision makers. Addy is working to educate the officials in PR about the use of hemp in building in order to open the doors on the island for the industry. She believes that certain aspects of the PR government and the housing situation on the island make it an ideal place for the industry to take off. The housing industry is still recovering from the devastation of hurricanes in 2017 and the introduction of a new construction technique that utilizes crops grown on the island presents an opportunity to reconstruct damaged housing while creating local markets for farmers.
Addy is an example of someone who is pushing our industry forward in a new market. The USHBA proudly supports her efforts. Addy is looking for partners and collaborators to move her vision forward and bring hemp building prosperity to Puerto Rico. If you are interested in her efforts and want to help or to show your support, you can email her at Hemphomzinpr@gmail.com.
Addy, thank you so much for all of your effort.