Business Description
The concept behind SANDecon is simple:we build by taking things apart.  SANDecon is the low-cost, environmentallyfriendly alternative to demolition.  We provide professional deconstructionservices that increase the amount of reusable or recyclable materials availablefor new construction, protect neighborhoods from toxic dust and hazardousmaterial, and reduce the amount of demolition waste sent to landfills. We create high-wage, skilled labor jobs for low-income individuals to helpreduce dollar drain and keep money within the local community.  Andwe leverage neighborhood resources to lower energy costs and minimize depletionof virgin materials.

Deconstruction Defined
Deconstruction is the planned andsystematic dismantling of buildings.  Deconstruction involves mostlymanual labor and hand tools to disassemble structures and salvage buildingmaterial.  Salvaged materials can be utilized in several ways: 1.)Materialsrecovered in good condition or in suitable shape for reconditioning canbe resold. 2.) Materials deemed unsuitable for direct resale can be soldas scrap for recycling.  3.) Working with the California IntegratedWaste Management Board, and the cities of San Diego and Tijuana, potentiallyuseful discards can also be exchanged as a part of a border exchange program.

In addition to deconstruction work,SANDecon is a nonprofit organization designed to rebuild the local economyof low-income communities, beginning in the North County San Diego area. SANDecon helps workers advance into professional construction-related careersand into careers and entrepreneurial opportunities of land reclamation,historic restoration, remanufacturing, and lead hazard remediation.

The Market
According to the United States EnvironmentalProtection Agency, the U.S. produced 136 million tons of building-relatedconstruction and demolition debris last year.  The EPA also estimatesthat only 20% to 30% was recovered for reuse or recycling.

According to the California IntegratedWaste Management Board, San Diego County generates an estimated 143,000tons in building-related solid waste, which accounts for almost 9% of thesolid waste for the entire county.

In the City of Oceanside, where SANDeconoperates, there are already approximately 40 buildings that have been identifiedas not being up to code and will at some point over the next several yearsrequire significant remodeling for seismic retrofit, or in fact need tobe demolished.

According to a University of Florida,Center for Construction and Environment report, "buildings are constructed,and on average, are demolished twenty-eight years later (Bohlen, 1997).The construction industry lags far behind other industries in efficiencyrelated to materials consumption, reuse, and recycling. For example, anew automobile such as the BMW contains 70 percent recycled content, buta new building probably contains less than 1 percent reclaimed materials(Stamcampiano, 1999)." 

Competitive Position
Deconstruction has already beenestablished as a cost-efficient, environmentally friendly alternative todemolition in a number of different geographic locations, however, SANDeconis in the unique position of being able to not only exchange used buildingmaterials with resources in Southern California, but also with resourcesin Mexico, particularly Tijuana, exchanging potentially useful discardsas a part of a border waste-wise program.  This creates an entirelynew distribution channel for reusable and recyclable building materialsthat has been unavailable to successful deconstruction companies in otherparts of the country.

Because SANDecon is the first deconstructionbusiness of its kind in the region, and because the organization's charterseeks to develop the local economy as one of its main tenets, we anticipatea favorable response to the marketing of the program which will help usto forge long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationships with both publicand private partners.

Milestones
While the origins of SANDecon aresimple by design, there are a couple of milestones the business aims toaccomplish.  First, is to make the transition from a non-profit toa for-profit employee-owned business within the first five years of operation. Second, (and contingent upon the success of our primary goal) is to createa Used Building Material store which will warehouse recovered materials,making them available for resale to the general public and providing morejobs for local residents. 

Management
Founder Peter Bedell Jr. will initiallybe operating as both the executive director for SANDecon's program activities, and the general manager for deconstruction projects. For the last four years, Peter has been the program director for The 7Fund which provides grants to non-profit film and video projects of a sociallyconscious nature.  He is also a member of the Board of Directors ofthe Jesse Smith Noyes Foundation in New York City, sitting on both theFinance and Communications Committees.   Peter draws upon a historyof work in various aspects of the private sector, including on the floorof the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, the tax consulting department of PriceWaterhouse, and as the chief financial officer of his own content managementcompany, which makes him a uniquely qualified individual for the job. He has been working in deconstruction since 1998 and on the SANDecon projectsince its inception in mid-2002.

Advisory Board
Woody Tasch, Venture Capital
Ted Robb, HUD
Blair Simpson, Deconstruction Specialist
Dean Hattfield, Architect
Ryan White, Engineer
Ryan Jantz, Engineer
Brian McInnerny, Contractor
Mike Bernier, Contractor
Rose Santos, Business Consultant
Nick Jacangelo, Accountant

For more information regarding costanalysis, financial projections, operational procedures, competitive profiles,case studies or additional market information, please view the FullBusiness Plan and Common Grant Application.