Barry Kraft, Owner of Reclaim Renew
“Amazed by God’s blessings as we’ve grown. As a business we strive to Reclaim and Renew lives as we Reclaim and Renew materials. We will always put people first. Our employees, partners, and customers are more important that the products we produce. We can’t wait to see what the years ahead look like.”
Sold my first piece of furniture in 2007. It was a piece I had built for my wife. She had wanted an outdoor bar out of a Pottery Barn catalog. When she showed it to me I said, “I could build that.” Her reply, “Yeah, but you won’t”. By 1am, I had finished the piece in our garage with a few hand tools. I posted a photo of it on Craigslist and it sold the next day. I built my wife another one and I didn’t stop building.
Purchased barnwood from a man in north county. Hauled all of the lumber back to my garage in my wife’s minivan. Every day (weather permitting), I’d wheel all my tools into the driveway and front yard and build. To this day I don’t know how people were finding me. I was building five to six tables a month.
Moved into a 1000 sf strip mall shop in Kirkwood. Started getting commercial jobs. Built a 24′ conference table and started partnering with other builders in town to expand into concrete tops and metal. Quickly outgrew that space but made it work for almost a year. Added a few part-time employees.
In May we moved into a a 3000 sf space also in Kirkwood. Brought Doug and Dave on full-time as builders to help keep up with orders and Katie started helping us get organized as a business. The 3000 sf spaced seemed huge but by 2014 we were again busting at the seams. Started getting clients across the country. Shipments from Boston to Seattle were not a rare occurrence. Partnered with Rise Together Ministries and started work training with refugees. So grateful for the many friendships we’ve made and lives that we’ve been a part of.
Moved to a 4500 sf shop in Fenton. Added Josh to our full-time staff as another builder. As many as 7 guys working at the shop every day (refugees, part time help and full time).
Met an amish cabinet maker who was struggling to keep his family shop going. While their style was different than ours, their talent was amazing. They started building cabinets for us and allowed us to expand Reclaim Renew even more.
The year of crazy change. Went to Dallas Market and started selling wholesale to retailers across the country. Opened our amazing showroom/store in Des Peres. Got a booth at Round Top in Texas. Josh moved to Georgia. Added more part-time help in the shop. Helped open a small workshop in the city closer to Rise Together Ministries to make it easier for the refugees to get to work. They continue to build the majority of our smaller items there.
Expanded our showroom to offer more than just our items. Annie Sloan paint, cow-hide rugs, and more to come. Lost Katie to Cleaveland. Added Jen to our full-time staff. Brought on Dan as a partner. Looking to expand to Colorado with the help of good friends.
Stop by our showroom to purchase decor items, tables and furniture or to get ideas for a custom piece for your home or office. We have examples of barnwood accent walls, barn doors and a helpful staff that can answer questions and assist you with designing custom furniture.
We build and finish many pieces of stock and custom furniture for our clients. Clients can meet with the builders here during their project and custom orders can be picked up at this location.
About 4,000 new arrivals (refugees, immigrants, students, visitors, undocumented transients and residents) enter the metropolitan area each year. Many churches are neither aware of nor prepared to deal with the blessings and the obstacles attached to this unique community. Rise Together Ministries seeks to bridge this gap. Founded in 2006 by Mr. Worku Geremew, an Ethiopian immigrant himself, Rise Together Ministries currently includes:
Through our partnership with Rise Together Ministries, Reclaim Renew is training people in wood working to build and renew furniture. We are creating jobs and providing skills and training for immigrants and refugees.
© Reclaim Renew.
