Dawn and Katie speak with J Heasley of Jarmak Reclaimed Wood about material reuse.

J is the Shop Manager/Project Consultant for the retail division of Jarmak Reclaimed Wood, which is based in Oxford, Mass.

Katie kicks off the episode quoting from J’s bio on the Jarmak website. J writes, “As a lifelong New Englander, I was always surrounded by a rich colonial history. This came in a large part from my parents. My mother was an interior designer who embraced the Colonial design of New England. My Dad was obsessed with the history of the region. In addition, he instilled the importance of conservation.

When I wanted to completely change my career direction, I asked myself what could I do to fulfill my love for the region, furniture and recycling. I’m very lucky to be doing what I love. Most people don’t have that chance.”

Maple from the Atlas Warehouse Terminal in Providence. Photo courtesy of Jarmak Reclaimed Wood.

“Today, over 30,000 trees will be cut down in America alone, reducing our planet’s ability to absorb and process the huge amounts of carbon released into our atmosphere.”

J describes a bit of the history of the business founded more than twenty years ago by Arnie Jarmak, President and CEO. According to the company website, when working with the Amish building communities in Pennsylvania, Arnie “noticed how they saved EVERYTHING when tearing down their buildings. The concept of material reuse was particularly foreign to the building industry at the time (outside of the Amish), but to Arnie, it made all the sense in the world. Saving building materials meant saving time and money. Since then, the Jarmak Corporation has been at the forefront of the reclamation industry.” The website states that Jarmak has “saved millions of board feet of vintage, and often historic lumber.” Sharing it with their customers, Jarmak ensures “that the legacy of this beautiful old wood will continue for generations to come.”

c. 1954 redwood water tank on Cousins Island, Maine. Photo courtesy of Jarmak Reclaimed Wood.

The big idea that Dawn and Katie explore with J is the sustainability (and design advantage) of reusing wood from older and historic buildings locally. A Jarmak Reclaimed Wood blog post notes, “Today, over 30,000 trees will be cut down in America alone, reducing our planet’s ability to absorb and process the huge amounts of carbon released into our atmosphere. Hundreds of thousands of pounds of construction debris and so called ‘waste’ will be dumped into landfills across our nation… but… the Jarmak Corporation can help reduce the detrimental effect excessive logging has on our communities and the environment.” The blog post continues, “We’re joining forces with like-minded architects, builders, designers and homeowners the world over to change the way we think about building for the future. We understand that this change can’t happen overnight, and we don’t expect to be able to do this alone. It takes hard work, determination, and foresight. Luckily, those just happen to be our strengths!”

c. 1909 outside American Tourister in Warren, RI. Photo by Lewis Hine. Jarmak Reclaimed Wood salvaged heart pine and fir from this historic building.

American Tourister, Warren, RI. Photo courtesy of Jarmak Reclaimed Wood.

J’s focus at Jarmak is on retail projects like turning one-of-a-kind reclaimed wood into mantel pieces, shelving, countertops, or a multitude of other creative uses that showcase the patina of reclaimed wood, add to the story of its lengthy history on the planet, and save a tree in the process.