60 Second Interview with David Cox, a man bonkers about bamboo!

What does it say on your business card?
Director of EcoInvestments, an agency founded in 2009 to provide investors access to the best alternative investment opportunities in the ‘eco’ space.

What does your role involve?
There are several parts to this. Currently I am spending a lot of time raising capital for business expansion through initiatives such as the new 8 year land lease opportunity and some institutional funding channels. I have also been working on the company’s long term business plan including bamboo factory investments across Central America and South Africa.

From your background in property, why did you get involved in alternative investments?
Although I have worked in the property investment arena for many years, I actually studied Environmental Management at university and then spent a number of years as a Management Consultant helping business grow internationally. Many of these were in the energy and commodity space, so much of what EcoInvestments is doing today is quite familiar territory.

What makes bamboo the best alternative to invest in?
There is a genuine, underlying market which gives value to the product. Global demand for timber is growing, yet supply is dwindling. The world needs a sustainable supply and bamboo is the only real alternative to tropical timber.

Are the returns really as high as they claim? If so how?
Yes, we believe so. We have been very conscious of the fact that many forestry based investments have underperformed. We have relied upon expert data and believe in every number which supports our returns. We hope to do even better.

What alternative investments would you avoid and why?
I am sure there are many good alternatives out there, but there also some which I think are unlikely to achieve the anticipated returns and some which are just a means to collect investors’ money without any real intent to make the stated returns. I think it has a lot to do with how the investment is presented. Will the principals of the business stand up and show their history and ambition or do they hide behind companies? Do they provide you with the assumptions that underlie the returns and let you test them for yourself. If not, then I guess, be wary. For more information about investing in bamboo contact David Cox at EcoInvestments on +44 (0) 20 3012 0306 or visit www.ecoinvestments.co.uk.