Reclaimed millwork dealer cleans uP

f,.Tecpsstrv, THEY sAY, is the mother l\of invention. Well, in this case, the light bulb flashed in the brain not of a mom, but a dad.

Jonathan Orpin, founder and presidentof Pioneer Millworks, Farmington, N.Y., owned (and still owns) New EnergY Works Timber Framers, based in Farmington, and, of course procuring wood for its operation was front of mind. "It was important to look for a stable timber source for the framing business," OrPin explains, gazing back, "and this part of New York State had alwaYs used a certain amount of agricultural timbers."

So, he reasoned-the light bulb moment-why not reclaim that vintage wood for modern use?

Thus, in 1988, Pioneer Millworks was launched "in a small, ramshackle building in a town not that much bigger," looking to specialize in salvaged flooring.

"I liked the idea of using timber 50 to 100 years old-material that had undergone a slow drYing Process, which provided stable lumber. And that wood ended uP with a story to tell," he shares. "There were barns going down-I hate that, but at least we could give that wood new life. Here, in the classic rust belt of America, lots of buildings were built with big timbers. Plus, there's the environmental aspect of it: Through Pioneer Millworks, the world has gained 23 million bd. ft. of lumber that would have ended up as landfill. We've become a major PlaYer in changing that direction, converting it for use in homes, restaurants, offices: gorgeous applications." (A look at the photo gallery on the comPanY's website, www.pioneermillworks.com' backs up his claim.)

That 23 million ft. breaks down into 1,042,000 bd. ft. saved a Year, which, Orpin is quick to do the math, would fill a lineup of semis, bumPer to bumper, for over 32 miles.

Sounds like a no-brainer start-up. Easy, right? Trust me (and him): It wasn't. Another facet of the website plays homage to scores of big, complicated and exPensive-looking machines resting on Pioneer's nineacre site. "We started on the cheap, bootstrapping as we went, buYing used equipment. We got word of timber needed for a New EnergY Project, but we were required to buY the whole building, so we develoPed ways to use everything, even the sawdust"-it segues into animal bedding-"and chunks, which heated our kiln."

Pioneer Millworks took hold and