They have a green dream.
Two New Yorkers are scouting the South Bronx for a place to start up an innovative company that will turn discarded wood and construction materials into furniture for sale.
“We’re taking advantage of the fact that there is a lot of usable and predictable waste in New York City and the tristate area,” said Jon Santiago, 25.
Santiago and partner Amelia Cunard are now looking for a warehouse in the South Bronx with about 1,200 square feet of space to rent for between $1,500 and $2,000 a month.
“We have a prototype, and we have a team assembled, and we’re looking for financing. We’re definitely in a start-up phase,” Santiago said.
But they’ve made lots of progress so far.
Calling their company Re-Fab, Cunard and Santiago have forged ties with a furniture company in New Jersey that produces “tons and tons of waste” that can be transformed into usable furniture, as well as a group called Build it Green.
Build it Green finds a home for construction waste that would otherwise be sent to a landfill.
“We went to their warehouse and found a lot of stuff that we were able to work with and we were able to make prototypes from that,” said Santiago. “The material costs are virtually nothing.”
Cunard and Santiago have a prototype – a shelving fixture that can be used to display commercial items in stores.
They are now looking for financial backers. They’ve found their first partner in Majora Carter, founder of Sustainable South Bronx.
“Jon is such a great example of a bright, young person who applied his knowledge where it was needed most in an innovative way, and is progressing with it in the marketplace in a responsible manner,” said Carter. “We are very proud of Jon, and can’t wait to see him and his project grow.”
Cunard, a graduate of the Parsons School of Design at the New School, made a name for herself there by picking up old pieces of furniture in the West Village and renovating them. Santiago has a math degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Re-Fab was recently a finalist in the New York Green Business Competition, which looks to reward emerging green businesses with investment funds.
“It’s very impressive. It’s exactly the type of company that we began to look for – very strong local component and being environmentally friendly at the same time. They hit all the criteria we were looking for,” said Brad Holmes, director of the competition.
mjaccarino@nydailynews.com
Source : www.nydailynews.com
