MATERIALS MAKE THE PRODUCT
You can’t mention emotional connections without talking about the wood. When speaking with Executive Vice-Pres- ident, Mark Scianna, you get a much better understand- ing of his deep love and respect for the wood materials. “I was the President of the company, at one point. It’s nice to be back working with the wood. It’s a natural renew- 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 California? It’s fascinating.” Mark reveals that the demand for reclaimed products started with interest from architects building to LEED stan- dards. LEED is a certification for buildings incorporating environmental and sustainable elements. 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 reno- vating 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
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NOVEMBER 2018 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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