Every tree tells a story, especially in New York City

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Stacey Posted on Jan 22, 2018 1:23 PM

Sawdust in the city. RE-CO BLYN uses a 90”-capacity saw to mill logs into lumber.

Brooklyn, NY isn’t where you’d expect to find a major lumber mill, chock full of giant logs and heavy equipment, including a saw capable of cutting logs nearly eight feet in diameter. But Dan Richfield and Roger Benton –co-owners of RE-CO BKLYN—are having surprising success in harvesting the urban forest that surrounds them.

In business since 2012, RE-CO BKLYN is still working through a substantial stockpile of downed trees from hurricane Sandy that remain available at nearby Long Island locations. But they also get a steady supply of trees from the many urban communities that comprise New York City. “We’re in touch with arborists who work throughout the city,” Dan explains. “We also hear from park managers who have to deal with older trees that are dead or dying and pose a safety hazard.”

Opportunities to rescue historic trees from equally historic New York parks have brought media attention to this small company. The Wall Street Journal and The New Yorker have both done stories about RE-CO BKLYN, but if you want a more complete (and more fascinating) account of their urban logging adventures, the best place to go is the blog on their website:

http://blog.recobklyn.com/nycs-largest-tree-lived-in-prospect-park/

recobklyn2

Magnificent magnolia. These beautiful, live-edge boards came from an old magnolia tree harvested from the urban forest.

There’s more. Today RE-CO BKLYN has become a major source for large, live-edge slabs that they mill and kiln-dry on site. They’ve also begun to offer a limited supply of specialty dimension lumber milled from their trees. If you want to see some inspiring examples of slab furniture, check out their website (www.recobklyn.com) or visit their showroom. Yes, they also design and build furniture from the unique lumber they’re harvesting.