able resource, and although I’ve been in the woodworking business all my life, it’s amazing learning so much about the rest of the life of the product. The forests, the harvest, the drying, all of the steps that go into production, the history of which woods were used. Did you know that Redwood (Sequoia Sempervirens) only grows in a part of Califor- nia? It’s fascinating.” Mark reveals that the demand for reclaimed products started with interest from architects building to LEED standards. LEED is a cer- tification for buildings incorporating environmental and sustainable elements. “They want to leave no question that this is old wood that has been reused. It makes the statement that they are concerned about the environment.” – Mark Scianna, EVP of Reclaimed Wood FROM BLIMP HANGAR…. One of Mission Bell’s earliest reclamation projects was Hangar One at Moffett Field Naval Air Station, a well-known landmark for long-time residents of the Bay area. “It was a large odd-shaped dome by the freeway, where they stored blimps in the First World War. They were renovating the building and stripped it to the metal, which was covered in old growth redwood. You just don’t see wood like that anymore.” Mark goes on to add, “They had ground up 200,000 board feet for disposal before they thought to call us.” The wood had been covered with lead-based paint, a safety hazard. “They set up a wood mill on site, with an enclosed space, HazMat suits, the works. Basically, the lead paint was planed off and the sawdust captured for hazardous material disposal – but 90% of the wood inside was clean and usable.”
They brought the wood into their storage facility and started pro- moting it to architects, and it quickly found a market.
41
APRIL 2016 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker