They have a green dream.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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“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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
But they’ve made lots of progress so far.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Build it Green finds a home for construction waste that would otherwise be sent to a landfill.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
Cunard and Santiago have a prototype – a shelving fixture that can be used to display commercial items in stores.<\/p>\n
They are now looking for financial backers. They’ve found their first partner in Majora Carter, founder of Sustainable South Bronx.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Re-Fab was recently a finalist in the New York Green Business Competition, which looks to reward emerging green businesses with investment funds.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
mjaccarino@nydailynews.com<\/p>\n
Source : www.nydailynews.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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