Los Angeles to Become Reclaimed Lumber Superpower with Opening of New Facilities
Los Angeles based Resource Conservation Group, LLC expanding operations to include 3 facilities to offer raw material, finished goods and custom-milling.

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA, November 19, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- By Resource Conservation Group, LLC

Resource Conservation Group, LLC, a Los Angeles based company specializing in reclaimed lumber is set to expand operations which will allow them to expand their capacity 10 fold.

What started more than around 1994 almost by accident has grown into something "sustainable". While working for a company that outfits retails stores and restaurants in Japan, Doug Stoutenburg, founder of Resource Conservation Group, was sent on a scavenger hunt to find something unique that would fit in with the Japanese love of wood... long before "green" was in. He stumbled across an old saw mill in Northern California that was being taken down and was surprised at the quality and look of he material he saw. The rest, as they say, is history.

Stoutenburg, who has become known as Douglas "Fir" in the industry, says the business has been fantastic, even in the down economy, with steady growth year after year. In fact, the business with Japan has become a small part of the overall operation as the popularity of reclaimed material has grown in the US. The big problem with the business has always been on the supply-side because the sources of material have typically been small mom and pop operations. This is still true today.

"There are others out there in the business but it is still very fragmented", says Stoutenburg. "Our goal is and has been to put some structure to it... normal distribution points, a steady supply of material and full capabilities to mill it into finished products... all at reasonable prices. This really hasn't been done before but is the way of things to come" he says. "We've basically called upon the small operations and said, 'Hey, let's do this on a consistent basis... you take down the buildings and you have a standing order for the material from me and I'll figure out what to do with it.' It was a risky venture but has paid off over time and forced us to get creative."

"In the beginning, there were several times I made promises (and payments) for material I didn't know what I was going to do with but I had faith that it would work out... and there were suppliers counting on me. I've always kept my end of the bargain, giving me a very loyal set of suppliers... and it all worked out in the end for everyone", says Stoutenburg.

Following a steady growth plan, Resource Conservation Group has now opened it's 3rd location in Los Angeles and is able to offer everything from raw material to flooring and stair treads to furniture, custom cabinetry and even design services for restaurants and retail stores. Having worked with many of the world's most famous fashion houses and restaurateurs as well as locals on a limited budget, they've found that flexibility is the key to success. "We never turn down an idea... we'll try anything and make it work somehow.", says Stoutenburg "We're even beginning work on custom home theaters with a warm feeling rather than the cookie-cutter "theater" look people have been paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for."

Press Release Contact Information:

Douglas Stoutenburg
Resource Conservation Group
CEO
8981 Sunset Blvd. #312
West Hollywood, CA
USA 90069
Voice: 213-278-2815
Website: Visit Our Website