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Sean Petterson explains how Supersede delivers a true 1:1 replacement for plywood and OSB that outperforms wood on durability, safety, cost stability, and supply predictability, without the need for manufacturers to change how they build.
Sean Petterson is Supersede’s Co-Founder and CEO, and after beginning his career in construction, Sean has developed and secured multiple patents in manufacturing systems, material science, and applied technologies, with a focus on scalable production and real-world deployment. His experience spans polymer engineering, high-volume manufacturing, and commercialization of hardware and software systems.
Supersede is an advanced materials company transforming how structural building products are designed, manufactured, and deployed across marine, RV, specialty vehicles, and construction.
Supersede’s products are made from extruded industrial plastic waste, reducing supply chain risk, avoiding import tariffs and providing consistent pricing and reliable availability. Currently, Supersede is focusing on the boatbuilding, recreational and specialty vehicle markets, with additional verticals–including housing construction–coming soon.
Sean explains how Supersede’s combination of durability, circularity, and operational efficiency makes sustainability economically compelling for its clients – it solves multiple problems and improves on the existing alternatives for performance and price.
We’ll hear about some of Supersede’s many innovations, including micro-plant production units and its offcut buy-back programme, and how its local approach appeals to employees, clients and feedstock providers.
Podcast host Catherine Weetman helps businesses use circular, regenerative and fair solutions to do better, with less.
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Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Links for our guest:
Website: https://www.supersede.build/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/supersedebuild/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/supersedematerials/
Books, people and organisations we mentioned
Closed Loop Partners https://www.closedlooppartners.com/
Guest bio
Sean Petterson is the Co-Founder and CEO of Supersede, an advanced materials company transforming how structural building products are designed, manufactured, and deployed across marine, RV, specialty vehicles, and construction. Supersede produces high-performance, fully waterproof structural panels from recycled polymers, positioning itself as a scalable alternative to traditional wood-based materials.
Prior to Supersede, Sean founded StrongArm Technologies, where he raised over $60 million in venture capital to develop connected wearables and AI-driven software that improve safety in industrial environments. The company was successfully acquired in 2023.
Sean began his career in construction, working alongside his father. After his father’s tragic death on a job site, he was driven to build solutions that protect workers and improve the built environment—an ethos that continues to guide his work today.
Across his career, Sean has developed and secured multiple patents in manufacturing systems, material science, and applied technologies, with a focus on scalable production and real-world deployment. His experience spans polymer engineering, high-volume manufacturing, and commercialization of hardware and software systems.
In addition to his role at Supersede, Sean serves as an advisor to manufacturing companies, the largest of which generates over $300 million in annual revenue and is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
At Supersede, Sean is focused on building a new category of materials that improve durability, reduce lifecycle waste, and enable more resilient infrastructure—bringing performance and sustainability into alignment at industrial scale.
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