Continuous Compositescontinues to amaze

The next industrial revolution is beginning to take shape.

The starting point? Continuous Composites in downtown Coeur d’Alene.

“Our technology is extremely disruptive, and it’s going to change every industry,” said CEO Tyler Alvarado. “It has applications in every single industry — aerospace, automotive, construction, sporting goods."

"It’s extremely innovative and groundbreaking and really unheard of," said Colin Hambling, who works in Continuous Composites' business development and strategic partnerships. "You really don’t find tech startups like this dealing with this kind of technology in areas like this. That’s a big differentiator for us in this area. You find companies of this nature in places like Seattle or L.A. or San Francisco but to find it out here is pretty unique and special."

"This technology is going to change the world," Alvarado said.

The patented continuous fiber 3-D printing (CF3D) technique developed by Continuous Composites was shrouded in secrecy until recently. The company, founded in 2015 by Alvarado and local businessmen John Swallow and Ken Tyler, has a plethora of patents around the technology that they say will keep it miles ahead of any competition: 15 granted patents, 90 non-provisional patent applications, provisional patents that cover 250 concepts and about 50 international patent applications filed in 15 countries, including Russia and Japan.

"That’s a reflection of our belief in the technology from the very beginning,” Alvarado said. "We personally invested a lot of resources into the base of the business before we ever took a dollar from another shareholder. We intentionally de-risked the business for everyone involved."

Located at 215 E. Lakeside Ave., Continuous Composites is a hub for innovation, entrepreneurship and technology. Using composite material (a combination of resin and fiber, like carbon fiber or fiberglass), the 3-D printers and on-site robots are able to create an endless possibility of composite products.

"Our technology is going to change the way things are manufactured," Alvarado said. "It’s not only going to change how traditional composites are done and make them significantly lower cost; it’s going to bring composites into middle- and low-end applications."

Continuous Composites has 20 employees and counting. It's part of a larger ecosystem of companies brought together and purchased by Alvarado and Swallow, including McAllister Technical Services and Woodhawk Manufacturing. They are based out of The Depot (the former Northern Pacific Railroad Depot on Third Street and Lakeside, which houses three businesses) and they purchased the building that housed the

Rocker Room with big plans in store: two self-contained linear axis rails 40 feet long with industrial robotic arms mounted on pedestals that will allow robots to travel linearly 40 feet, reach across 10 feet and reach up to about 15 feet.

"You could have four robots printing a boat, a small airplane or a car," Alvarado said.

The company just won the Innovation of the Year Award in the 3-D printing category at the JEC World 2019 in Paris, the leading composites show in the world.

And yet, with things only getting bigger and better, Alvarado and Swallow don't forget to invest in their people and their community. Employees have shared stock in the companies and Continuous Composites

has a fully stocked kitchen and foosball table in the back for a home-like atmosphere. Those who choose to stay in North Idaho rather than go for jobs in bigger cities are amply rewarded. Several employees have been ready to head to Seattle or L.A., only to find they don't have to move away from their hometown to have a good job in their chosen field.

"The city of Coeur d’Alene has been a big proponent of what we're doing and how we’re doing it, and we’re doing it because we’re passionate about the community and changing the lives of the community and the people that are involved in this," Alvarado said.

Info: www.continuouscomposites.com