Blogs

By NICK WERNER
nwerner@muncie.gannett.com

MUNCIE -- When most people look at the abundance of abandoned homes that dot Muncie's cityscape, they see decay and ruin -- depressing symbols of hard times.

The ReUse Institute (TRI), the training and consulting arm of TRP, has been contacted in recent months by several municipalities, colleges, and employment-development organizations looking to provide job-training programs for their constituents. They recognize that deconstruction is an ideal portal through which qualified individuals can find well-paying, rewarding jobs in the green building industry.

Two trainings are now scheduled: a 14-day program in Muncie, Indiana, kicks off on September 21, and a similar program begins in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 12.

The ReUse Institute -- the training and consulting arm of TRP -- is offering the first in a series of deconstruction trainings on October 22-23 in Los Angeles. The class is limited to 20 participants, so register now and reserve your place.

The entire deconstruction process, from project review and bidding, to the shipment of salvaged materials, will be covered. If you are a contractor interested in diversifying, a homeowner wanting to remodel, a used building-materials retailer looking for more and better materials, or simply an interested preservationist, this course is for you.

The event was so successful at sparking interest in the TRP mission that we decided to open a Connecticut office.

Last year Shay Atluru, president of DTC Engineers and Constructors in Hamden, Connecticut, joined our board of directors. Shortly thereafter, he invited me to New Haven to deliver a presentation to a diverse group of 50 professionals involved in reuse and recycling. The event was so successful at sparking interest in the TRP mission that we decided to open a Connecticut office.