The Kansas City Habitat for Humanity affiliate and TRP have joined forces to produce a new TRP region complete with projects, deconstruction contractors, a warehouse and an outstanding regional manager.

This Habitat affiliate has been very active in the deconstruction and building-materials salvage business for seven years. Because of its desire to focus more attention and resources on its mission -- building new homes for low-income families -- the Kansas affiliate decided to curtail its deconstruction activities, but wanted to continue to sell used building materials in the local ReStore.

In late January, Brian Alferman of Habitat contacted me to ask if TRP would be interested in taking over deconstruction in the greater Kansas City region. I have known Brian for several years through the Building Materials Reuse Association and always considered him a very level-headed, honest, entrepreneurial kind of fellow, so I was excited about the offer and the chance to add another region to TRP.

Last year Habitat completed 23 whole-house deconstruction projects and just over twice that number of remodeling jobs. Deconstruction Manager Mark Bullock was responsible for all aspects of deconstruction, including sales, bidding, hiring and training of crew members, and general project oversight. Before being hired by Habitat, Mark was a homebuilder in the Kansas City area for five years and prior to that was involved in both heavy and light construction as a consultant and project manager. He holds a B.S. degree in Industrial Technology from Truman State University.

As the new TRP Kansas City regional manager, Mark will select and train local deconstruction contractors, assist these contractors with their deconstruction sales and marketing efforts, prepare inventories and provide project oversight. In addition, he will continue to assist the Habitat crews with partial deconstruction jobs while TRP takes over whole-house deconstruction.

During my March visit, Tom Jacobs, Director of Environmental Programs with Mid-America Regional Council, invited government officials, reclaimed lumber users, other nonprofits and contractors to a meeting where Brian Alferman and I made a joint presentation describing the nature, timing and process of the transition. Two demolition contractors came forward asking to be a part of the new program. One of them showed us an active project the following day and the other is working to secure a project referred by Habitat.

Please feel free to call Habitat for Humanity, Kansas City, if you have any deconstruction leads, or know of contractors who might like to become certified to work with TRP in the Kansas City area. The office number is 816.231.6889, or call Mark directly on his cell at 816.365.0496.

We are also looking for Kansas City appraisers. Current TRP appraisers live and work in other regions and are willing to travel to Kansas City, but it would be advantageous to have local appraisers on our referral list as well. If you know qualified individuals who might be interested, please have them phone me at 510.557.1538.

The Oakland warehouse recently received a spectacular steel spiral staircase in excellent condition. Call for dimensions and description.

The Los Angeles warehouse recently added more doors and windows to its burgeoning inventory.

This month the Boulder warehouse is receiving maple cabinets, oak flooring and lighting fixtures.

At the Oakland warehouse receive 25% off on all merchandize except lumber and complete kitchen cabinet sets through May 15, 2008. Plus, don’t miss this special event at the Oakland store only --
GIANT CLEARANCE SALE: Friday thru Sunday, April 18-20, enjoy 75% off on all cabinet and lumber purchases and 50% off on everything else in the store!!

At the Los Angeles warehouse receive 25% off on all kitchen and bathroom cabinet purchases through May 15, 2008.

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

In Northern California, TRP's Oakland warehouse will receive:

• All materials from a 600 sq-ft St. Helena cabin with Douglas fir tongue & groove flooring and redwood paneling and decking
• All materials from a 2,163 sq-ft house in Palo Alto with redwood decking, cedar T&G paneling, Wolf range, custom kitchen cabinetry, two Tiffany light fixtures and lots of mullioned windows
• Materials from a 1,500 sq-ft house in Los Altos, including 18 new dual-glazed, vinyl frame windows
• Redwood paneling and timbers and other materials from a 3,500 sq-ft ranch house in Los Altos Hills

In Los Angeles, the Pacoima warehouse will receive:

• All materials from a 2,900 sq-ft 1959 Hollywood Hills home, including exterior French doors, kitchen appliances (including a Thermador countertop 4-gas burner range and Frigidaire Crown Series refrigerator/freezer), and bathroom vanities and fixtures
• All materials from a 5,900 sq-ft Pacific Palisades two-story house, including numerous interior doors and exterior French doors with brass Baldwin hardware, kitchen wood cabinetry and appliances (including two KitchenAid digital dishwashers), bathroom vanities and fixtures with premium chrome/porcelain faucets
• Materials from a 3,386 sq-ft remodel in the quaint Venice Canals, including French doors with premium brass hardware, raised panel interior doors, stained glass windows, casement windows with brass hardware, two pedestal sinks, light fixtures and a chandelier
• All materials from the combined deconstruction of a gas station, two Craftsman homes, an apartment building and a duplex in the Kensington area of San Diego
• All materials from a 5,200 sq-ft Newport Beach home, including cherrywood doors with beveled glass and Baldwin hardware, cherrywood bookcases, dual-pane windows (some arched), oval jet bathtub and vanities, like-new kitchen cabinets (some glass fronted), Gaggenau stovetops and convection oven
• Materials from a 1,600 sq-ft Coronado house include four antique style dressers, children’s dresser, kitchen cabinets, Kenmore gas stove and ceiling light fans

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

TRP Los Angeles (Pacoima) warehouse:
11017 Sutter Avenue
Pacoima, CA 91331
(818) 897-2798
Hours: Tues through Fri 10:00 to 5:00; Saturday 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.