Services
Urban Wood Economy provides a unique suite of consulting and support services across the urban and community wood utilization value chain.
Feasibility Studies
Conduct field research and run economic models to determine a metro region’s viability in terms of:
- Meeting market demand for product
- Building or expanding milling operations
- Creating a robust supply chain for urban and community wood
Project Funding and Proposal Development
Work closely with project partners to find, evaluate and pursue funding opportunities and vehicles to move urban wood projects from the whiteboard to production. Recent projects include successful funding for pilot implementation in both Pittsburgh, PA and Memphis, TN.
Partnership Development and Stakeholder Engagement
Identify, connect and convene the right partners and key stakeholders to launch urban and community wood pilot projects. A recent example: San Diego, CA.
Supply Chain Design
- Locate potential reclaimed wood from buildings and downed trees, aggregate disparate sources, and secure commitments for consistent, reliable supply
- Design, locate or build milling and drying operations and large-scale biomass campuses to transform urban and community wood sources into market-ready products
- Close the loop by supporting tree plantings and other urban forestry programs
Technical and Operational Design
- Design milling operations
- Specify and procedure equipment
- Train and supervise initial mill teams
- Design-to-build services for zero-waste biomass campuses (revenue generating wood products and waste-to-energy)
Workforce and Wraparound Services Training
- Deliver hands-on training ranging for salvaging wood at deconstruction sites to fresh-cut wood milling to wood/biomass campus management
- Provide wrap-around services (such as budget management or conflict resolution) for new employees who benefit from on-the-job life skills
Outreach and Education
Conduct virtual and in-person workshops covering all aspects of urban and community wood utilization and the supply chain issues.
Recent projects have included:
- 2022 and 2023 Urban and Community Wood Academies (San Diego and Memphis)
- Urban Wood Social Media Campaign 2023 in conjunction with #ForestProud and USDA Forest Service
“Urban Wood Economy has become a critical partner for Construction Junction. This group is dedicated, well connected, with strong ideas to aggregate and scale wood resources. With their “boots-on-the-ground approach,” supported by a proven track record of material diversion, training, job creation, impressive fundraising, and commitment to stakeholder engagement, we have all the ingredients for diverting wasted urban wood to productive reuse.”
Mike Gable | Founding Executive Director, Construction Junction