May 11, 2021, VANCOUVER BC — ChopValue is excited to announce its fourth Canadian Microfactory Franchise. With the significant increase in demand for sustainable products made locally, ChopValue Fraser Valley will be creating a circular economy in their community while supporting the corporate location’s growing customer base of conscious consumers and retailers. Situated in the eastern end of the Fraser Valley, the new Microfactory is committed to help the regional district’s goals to be net zero by 2025.

ChopValue Fraser Valley will open in August, shortly after BC Day, to celebrate and showcase the innovation that started in beautiful British Columbia by expanding in the region.

The Team Behind ChopValue Fraser Valley

Leading ChopValue Fraser Valley will be Travis Walberg, Valaree Braaten, and John Neels. Having worked together in the last five years, the team is ecstatic to embark on this new venture and transfer their expertise in the woodworking industry to join the global movement for the circular economy.

“Being a part of ChopValue to increase the awareness of the circular economy and provide jobs to our local community is truly exciting,” says Travis. “I’m proud to be doing our part in making a positive environmental impact as we maximize participation through convenience.” Travis has been in secondary wood processing since starting his work career, and will lead the production of each chopstick for a second life with a new purpose.

Valaree has been in the manufacturing industry for the past 16 years, and is eager to introduce the innovative engineered material to the community. “The Fraser Valley has so much to offer, and adding our ChopValue Microfactory to the area will enhance the drive towards sustainability,” she shares.

John Neels has worked actively to create a network through the wood industry in BC. He first heard of ChopValue through TWIG (The Wood Innovation Group). “When I first came across ChopValue, it was fascinating to see the branches start budding through connections and partnerships that have been created. I’m looking forward to collaborating with headquarters to drive the next generation of manufacturing forward.” John has over 16 years in manufacturing management and is an accredited red seal joiner through BCIT.

"John's persistence and creativity throughout the approval process of his team in the Fraser Valley opened our eyes on the potential of expanding another efficiently run Microfactory in the lower mainland,” said Felix Böck, Founder and CEO of ChopValue. “Collaborating with our newest franchise team will give us the opportunity to truly serve our communities as local as possible.”

Together, the Fraser Valley team will create quantifiable and meaningful impact in their community by transforming waste into a resource for a carbon neutral future.

If you have chopsticks to recycle or would like to become a collection partner, reach out to the team at fraservalley@chopvalue.com or follow their journey on Facebook and Instagram.

About ChopValue

ChopValue provides product and design solutions with an innovative, high-performance material made entirely from recycled chopsticks. Since its founding in 2016, the company has saved over 33 million chopsticks from ending up in the landfill through its circular economy. ChopValue sources, manufactures, and employs within local communities through its franchising model. With a network of distributed Microfactories, ChopValue aims to create a positive and resource-efficient impact for a carbon-neutral future. To learn more, visit www.chopvalue.com