During election years, people are always asking one another where they stand on this candidate or that issue. To me—a guy who generally keeps his head down and continues pushing—it doesn't so much matter where you stand as which direction you're moving. Having spent 2008 nudging TRP toward its expansion goals, I decided to end the year with an abbreviated progress report.

People First
In January, Ron Whittaker moved from a part-time position as Project Coordinator in Oakland to Regional Manager for Northern California. He added a new contractor and generated more business in his first year than the region had spawned in the previous two years combined.

Juan Gomez and Mike Murdock joined the Oakland warehouse team, as Assistant Retail Manager and POS System Operator respectively. Mike also functions as a greeter, freeing the rest of the team to focus on serving customers.

Negotiations with Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City were finalized in April and a new region was launched in June, with Regional Manager Mark Bullock at the helm. Mark is also deconstruction manager for the Habitat restore.

We added two new people to our governing boards. Tom Jacobs, Director of Environmental Programs with the Mid-America Regional Council in Kansas City joined the TRP board of directors. Charles Corbett, UCLA professor of Operations Management and Environmental Management joined our advisory board.

Making Retail Waves
The grand opening of the Los Angeles retail warehouse was held in Pacoima in early May. Guests included the regional director of the U.S. EPA, a Los Angeles city councilman, a representative from the state legislature, UCLA Professor Charles Corbett, and members of the media.

We solidified an agreement with The Delta Institute of Chicago to lease a portion of its new Building Materials Reuse Center. February 1 marks the first official business day, although the warehouse will probably be open weekends beginning in late December just to shake down the systems. Chicago Regional Manager Ken Ortiz has been busy moving materials to the new space from various temporary storage locations.

In May the Oakland warehouse initiated its point-of-sale system and will have POS gift cards available for purchase just in time for the holidays. Meanwhile, above the retail hum, construction is underway on a mezzanine and three new offices for corporate staff.

Getting the Word Out
The Chicago region was featured in a special Discovery Channel program that aired on October 30. Also in Chicago, at around the time that segment was being filmed, TRP received the Delta Institute's Partner of the Year Award at a gala luncheon for several hundred people.

In October, TRP participated in a podcast panel discussion at the Yerba Buena Art Center in San Francisco. The segment will soon be available on the TRP website.

Conference highlights included speaking engagements at the April AltBuild show in Santa Monica, September's West Coast Green in San Jose, and a presentation to the 4-C chapter of the USGBC in Ventura.

Consulting and Prospecting
TRP piloted its comprehensive deconstruction training program with 18 members of the California Conservation Corps (CCC). This great organization is now a TRP-certified deconstruction contractor and will focus on state, county and city public works projects.

The Delta Institute and TRP, working for the city of Chicago, began developing recommendations that will hopefully lead to the deconstruction of several buildings within the city concurrent with the training of unemployed and underemployed workers in the art and science of deconstruction. Meanwhile, in Colorado, Kurt Buss completed a second round of consulting with the city of Boulder, focusing on their revised Green Point Program for construction.

Investigating new regions and responding to requests for training and consulting took me to Cleveland, with side trips to Columbus and Dayton, and to Connecticut, with meetings in Hartford, North Haven and New Haven. Teleconferences were held with individuals in Detroit, St. Louis, Chicago, and Cleveland regarding the possible incorporation of TRP deconstruction training programs in projects being contemplated by these cities.

Charts and Numbers
    208 projects completed, a 56 percent increase over 2007
    Five out of six regions profitable, increased from two out four in 2007
    Materials distribution up 50 percent over 2007
    Sales up approximately 13 percent
    Net assets/surplus (equivalent to net profit) up about 80 percent