I am writing this e-letter while on a business trip to several key cities. I started two weeks ago in Denver, then moved on to St. Louis and Chicago, and this morning I am leaving for a two-hour drive to Madison, Wisconsin. Next week will find me in Seattle and then in Southern California. Each of our regions contains a large "hub" city, and the region often extends hundreds of miles from that center.

In the Colorado Region we secured our second deconstruction project for the year and our sixth since we started there in late 2006. We also found another very successful demolition contractor who wants to take up the TRP challenge of salvaging reusable building materials. This contractor will be our third TRP-certified deconstruction contractor in the region. Colorado Regional Manager Kurt Buss and I had a great meeting with Denver Metro affiliate of Habitat for Humanity and visited their Re-store. This region is diverse in topography, geography and construction and consequently will be a real challenge to our organizational abilities.

In St. Louis I found that the market is a little more concentrated, and building owners and contractors alike have that typical reserved Midwestern attitude. As Kathy Schweitzer, our regional manager, continues to tell me, "They don't call us the ‘show me' state for nothing." However, in many ways St. Louis is ahead of other progressive green cities. The region does all sorts of recycling, and Kathy is on the board of Resource St. Louis, which runs a website that enables commercial contractors to sell large quantities of salvaged materials by matching buyers with sellers at no cost. Kathy and I began training our first deconstruction contractor while I was there, and we visited what might become our first deconstruction project.

On to Chicago, which, like St. Louis, is a city built of bricks. Bricks are everywhere and we will have to learn to deal with millions of them. Also, green (flora-type) is everywhere -- roofs, condominiums, multi-million dollar homes, and older Greystone apartment houses for lower income families. As one person told me, Mayor Daley would love to see a lawnmower on every roof in Chicago. Our first deconstruction project will start at the end of this month -- a 1910 two-story in North Chicago. We have leads on three others -- one in the Bridgeport area, one in Andersonville and a five-unit condominium on the near-northside. Chicago has quite a diverse group of people who buy used building materials and we may be able to distribute all the materials from our first projects without the fanfare and distribution hassles that we usually face when first entering a market. Jody Murphy of Murco Recycling, who conducts on-site auctions, will help with the first project. Various lumber buyers and small re-milling operations farther north in Illinois and Wisconsin might be interested in the lumber from these projects.

In Madison, Wisconsin, I will give a presentation at DECON07 on business planning for people involved in all aspects of building materials reuse, including consultants, contractors, distributors and others. I will also be moderating two sessions at the Building Materials Reuse Association's (BMRA) three-day conference.

Then it's on to Seattle where Washington Regional Manager Brad Gunn and I will meet with the owners and certified deconstruction contractors of our next projects, as well with the director of the Master Builders Association University, which is interested in licensing TRP's recently completed deconstruction training course.

At the end of May I will be in Southern California assisting TRP area managers to better capitalize on the tremendous demand they have generated for our services. This year we expect to have close to 100 projects in Southern California. Then, it's back to the San Francisco Bay Area, where TRP recently signed a contract with San Mateo County to provide deconstruction and reuse consulting services on a 140,000 square-foot building. After the building is completely deconstructed, the land will be transformed into a permaculture garden for the community. We expect many of the materials to be sold on-site to local businesses and residents and the balance to be reused in the construction of the garden and other county projects.

So many building -- so little time. I love it.

Schedule Change! Please Note: The national conference of the USGBC will not be held in Los Angeles in October as previously announced, but will be held in Chicago from November 7 to 9.

At the Oakland warehouse this month we are featuring our large inventory of cabinets. Receive 30% off on any cabinet purchase through June 15 with a copy of this e-letter.

TRP is accepting donations of cars, trucks, SUV's, RV's, and motorcycles. Donating a vehicle is a simple process. You just pick up the phone and call. We do the rest. So if you'd like to get rid of an unwanted vehicle, phone now for a pickup. 800-574-0888. Or you can donate your vehicle online at www.vehiclesforcharity.com. Unfortunately, vehicle donations can only be made from the Bay Area counties plus Santa Cruz.

Go to our website www.thereusepeople.org, click on the tab "Opportunities" and look under the heading "Employment Opportunities"

• All materials from a 6,000 sq-ft ski lodge in Lake Tahoe with all cedar siding
• All materials from a 1,200 sq-ft California bungalow in San Leandro, including great Douglas fir flooring

• 1,200 sq-ft contemporary home in Carlsbad, including new cabinets, wood-frame siding, glass doors and deep jet bathtub
• 1,500 sq-ft remodel in La Mesa, including maple cabinets and all appliances
• 2,700 sq-ft home in Encinitas, including contemporary cabinets, stained glass doors, redwood siding and handsome light fixtures
• 5,400 sq-ft home in Pt. Loma, including beveled-glass French doors, steel frame decking, bookshelves, Jen Air cook top, Sub Zero refrigerator, granite vanities and like-new hot tub
• 2,300 sq-ft home in La Jolla, including French doors and dual-pane windows with plantation shutters, and hardwood flooring
• 6,000 sq-ft home in L.A.'s Hancock section, including cabinetry, vanities, whirlpool tub, raised-panel doors and appliances
• 1933 1,200 sq-ft classic home in L.A. with oak hardwood floors, hot tub, appliances and cabinetry
• 3,300 sq-ft home in Beverly Hills, including French doors with premium hardware, oak hardwood floors, Sub Zero refrigerator/freezer, Maytag washer/dryer and raised panel doors
• 1950's Pacific Palisades home, including oak hardwood flooring, T&G Douglas fir ceiling paneling, redwood decking and indoor Jacuzzi
• 4,000 sq-ft home in West San Fernando Valley, including premium bathroom vanities, double French doors, marble-top bar, Casablanca fans, kitchen appliances and cabinetry

Location and Contact Information

TRP ReUse Bazaar
9235 San Leandro Street
Oakland, CA 94603
(510) 383-1983; toll-free 888-588-9490
Hours: Mon through Fri 10:00 to 6:00; Sat and Sun 10:00 to 4:00

Boulder Warehouse
10500 Isabelle Road
Lafayette, CO 80026
(303) 666-8094
Hours: Thursday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Please visit our partnering warehouses in Los Angeles and Seattle:

Habitat Home Improvement Store
17700 S. Figueroa (corner of 182nd)
Gardena/Carson CA 90248
(310)-323-5665
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 6: 00p.m.

Earthwise Building Salvage of Seattle
3447 Fourth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98134
(206) 624-4510
Hours: Open seven days, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.