Barry Kraft came to visit our Rotary Club a couple of weeks ago to tell us about his unique business, Reclaim Renew, which hand-crafts 100-year old barnwood into timeless furniture for home and office. The 15-year old business purchases barnwood milled from a wide variety trees – oak, cedar, chestnut, hickory, and poplar, to name a few. The first step in the process is to kiln-dry the wood to remove any potentially organic material, followed by cutting, planing, sanding, oiling, or staining the wood to highlight the rich uniqueness of each wood grain. Barry also partners with Rise Together Ministries, founded by an Ethiopian immigrant, which ministers to some 4,000 newcomers to our region each year. It offers a range of services, including job training through Reclaim Renew, which provides furniture-building skills and jobs for immigrants and refugees.
