Blogs

I want to start the new year by thanking all the donors who helped TRP return thousands of tons of reusable building materials to the marketplace in 2011, keeping them out of overburdened landfills. I also want to thank the numerous TRP employees who made it a successful year. Many businesses (especially nonprofits) were not so fortunate.

The year unfolded somewhat differently than the one we envisioned and budgeted. That was probably true for most organizations in our business. What made the difference were the wild swings in deconstruction activity. The year started well, both for our crews and for TRP-certified contractors. However, by June, while our contractors continued to prosper, TRP's own crews had become idle. (I wanted to blame it on the Greeks, but was unable to connect the dots across thousands of miles and a lot of water.)

Congratulations to Chris and Melanie Warden for capturing the top prize in this year's reuse contest.
   The goal of the TRP-sponsored contest, now in its fourth year, is to publicly demonstrate what can be done with salvaged building materials, while applauding some of the creative people who actually make reuse happen. As in past years, this year's entries revealed eye-popping skill and aesthetic sensibility. It's always fun to look at the before-and-after photos, and it's always a challenge to rank them.

It's a sure bet that most businesses in our industry would jump at the chance to lower insurance costs, employee turnover and training demands, while at the same time improving their image and reputation. Well, as an 18-year veteran of the deconstruction industry, a licensed demolition contractor in California and a former general contractor, I've learned that improving safety is one of the surest ways to accomplish all of those aspirations.

This month I'm announcing the opening of two new partner retail-warehouses, one in Durham, North Carolina, and the other in West Haven, Connecticut. Both of these establishments have relationships with TRP that allow them to provide tax-deductible donation receipts for materials dropped off at their stores. In addition, both are eager to help homeowners, architects and contractors connect with local TRP-certified deconstruction contractors who can provide full-service deconstruction (as an alternative to demolition) on building-removal and remodeling projects.