For green building professionals and environmentalists, bamboo flooring is nothing new. The highly renewable resource, mainly sourced from China, comes in a range of grades, aesthetic variations and price points.

Since gaining popularity more than a decade ago, the bamboo flooring has often provided an economical alternative to high-grade hardwood both for homeowners and commercial clients - but remained somewhat of a niche item until recently.

Now you can buy bamboo flooring from major big-box retailers like Home Depot.

Special to The Business Press

Cali Bamboo installed bamboo throughout the Shakey's Pizza in Rancho Cucamonga.

But the market is changing and growing, say experts. And as demand drives prices down, the race to create better products is making things more interesting, both for suppliers and consumers.

"Ten years ago it became kind of trendy," says Denise Shaw of Epoxy Green, a sustainable product supply company located in West Los Angeles that often works with Inland green building professionals like Hartman Baldwin Design. Part of the appeal, she says, is that "you're buying a finished product that doesn't need to be sanded and top-coated - and it's less expensive than hardwood."

Inland market

For Cali Bamboo, a San-Diego-based company with a national footprint and a major distribution center in Chino, competitive pricing has been a good thing. The company is reporting double digit growth over the last several years, including through 2009.

Tanner Haigwood, Cali Bamboo's COO (he and CEO Jeff Goldberg were inspired to build the company after a year-long, post-college global surfing adventure), says they generally do well in the Inland Empire, due to the distribution center if nothing else.

"From what we've seen, as far as the numbers, I think the Inland region might be doing a bit better than some places in Los Angeles. We have a lot of customers who drive down here and pick the products up," which cut down shipping costs, he says.

As an online retailer, Haigwood says Cali has done extensive marketing and helped to create some of the demand he's now seeing from homeowners and architects.

"We currently work with lots of architects. I think the homeowner and consumer is ultimately in the driver's seat, but there's starting to be a pipeline of general contractors and builders lining up projects for the spring, so 2010 should be a good year," he says.

In addition to the look and a competitive price point, Haigwood notes customers' interest in a finished product that "holds up well and requires no maintenance."

The company's Fossilized line, for example - which claims "twice the density and strength of almost any other flooring in the world," does very well in commercial applications, but also appeals to homeowners.

One of the company's recent high-profile clients is Shakey's Pizza parlour in Rancho Cucamonga, which chose the Fossilized line as part of an extensive upgrade and remodeling project that also included recycled glass. The national chain is revving up a wider move toward green practices that so far includes recycling their cooking oil, with plans to opt for more sustainable lighting fixtures.

"We've done several things to create a greener environment in our Shakey's," says Cindy Staats, a director of marketing with Shakey's USA. "With regard to the bamboo, it's not just because it's renewable and preserving the growth of rainforest, but because it's beautiful and durable - we're very happy with it."

The Rancho Cucamonga upgrades are part of an effort to market the family-oriented restaurant to singles and adults. The centerpiece of that new vision is a wine and beer bar that the restaurant intends to pay homage to their "55-year heritage as the good-time gathering place for beer, pizza and entertainment." Fanning out from the bar, gleaming rays of multi-toned bamboo flooring add a sophisticated twist to the vintage look.

An evolving market

Haigwood thinks the cost of some bamboo products will continue to fall with advancements in manufacturing, but the higher end of the market is also being developed.

For example, both Haigwood and partner Goldberg are excited about their newest product, set to debut this spring. Goldberg hints that the product will be nearly indestructible, while Haigwood says "we feel it is far superior to anything out there."

This push for superior quality in the eco-friendly market motivates both partners to help lead the industry, as does competition with other suppliers.

Haigwood and Goldberg, who currently get their product from China, are also involved in a collaborative effort to bring bamboo production to the U.S.

"I believe it's gonna really ramp up here, and I think within five years there will be domestically farmed bamboo for manufacturing purposes," Haigwood said. "I imagine that within the U.S. we'll be able to apply new technologies to current manufacturing practices, and also provide a higher quality product. "