Built on Reclaimed Roots
How two passionate woodworkers turned a landfill crisis into Portland's most trusted source for reclaimed lumber.
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Where It All Started
We Saw What Others Threw Away
In 2009, Portland was losing an estimated 40,000 tons of reusable lumber to landfills every year. Old warehouses, barns, and industrial buildings were being demolished with wrecking balls instead of being carefully deconstructed. Centuries of old-growth timber — Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, White Oak — was being treated as garbage.
Jake Hollis, a third-generation carpenter, and Maria Vasquez, an environmental engineer, couldn't stand it. They knew that the tight-grain, dense lumber in these structures was irreplaceable — literally. The old-growth forests that produced this wood no longer exist. Every beam sent to a landfill was a piece of natural history destroyed forever.
So they did something about it. With a borrowed flatbed, a set of pry bars, and more determination than business sense, they started pulling boards from doomed buildings and finding them new homes. Lumber Portland was born — not in a boardroom, but on a demolition site, covered in sawdust and sweat.
Our Founding Belief
“The best lumber has already been harvested. Our job is to keep it out of the landfill and in service for another century.”
That simple conviction drives every decision we make — from which buildings we source to how we process, grade, and sell our materials. We believe reclaimed lumber isn't a compromise. It's a superior choice — denser grain, richer color, proven durability, and a carbon footprint that's a fraction of newly harvested wood.
Our Journey
Milestones Along the Way
From a single truck to a 12,000 sq ft zero-waste facility — here's how we grew.
A Truck, a Crowbar, and a Mission
Lumber Portland began when founders Jake Hollis and Maria Vasquez pulled usable old-growth Douglas Fir from a condemned Portland warehouse scheduled for demolition. Watching irreplaceable timber head for the landfill convinced them there had to be a better way. They bought a flatbed truck and started showing up at deconstruction sites across the city.
The First Workshop
After two years of operating out of a shipping container, demand outgrew the makeshift setup. They leased a 3,000 sq ft space in inner SE Portland, installed a used band saw, and began offering basic milling services alongside raw salvaged lumber sales. Word spread through the Portland maker community fast.
Kiln-Drying & Certification
Investing in a solar-assisted kiln dryer was the turning point. For the first time, Lumber Portland could offer kiln-dried, graded reclaimed lumber that met building code requirements. Architects and contractors took notice — commercial projects started rolling in.
NW 21st Ave Headquarters
The company moved to its current 12,000 sq ft facility at 2135 NW 21st Ave, tripling capacity. The new space included a full milling shop, a dedicated sorting and grading area, an expanded kiln, and Portland's first public reclaimed lumber showroom.
Zero Waste Achieved
After years of process refinement, Lumber Portland reached true zero-waste status. Sawdust goes to local gardens as mulch. Off-cuts become kindling and craft blanks. Metal fasteners are recycled. Not a single pound of material from the facility reaches the landfill.
Regional Expansion
Partnerships with deconstruction crews and salvage operations across Oregon, Washington, and Northern California expanded the sourcing network. A dedicated logistics team now coordinates salvage runs throughout the Pacific Northwest, recovering timber from barns, mills, factories, and bridges.
Community & Education
Lumber Portland launched its workshop series — free monthly classes on woodworking with reclaimed materials, sustainable building practices, and timber identification. Over 1,200 community members attended in the first year. The company also began partnering with Portland Community College's trades program.
Our People
Craftspeople, Not Salespeople
Every member of the Lumber Portland team is a woodworker at heart. We hire people who can feel the difference between heartwood and sapwood with their eyes closed.
Salvage Crew
6 membersOur salvage team works directly on deconstruction sites, carefully extracting timber by hand to preserve integrity. They assess wood quality on-site and coordinate transport back to our facility.
Mill Operators
4 membersExperienced sawyers who know how to read reclaimed wood — identifying hidden nails, mapping grain patterns, and milling to maximize yield from every single board that comes through the shop.
Grading & QA
3 membersOur quality team inspects, grades, and certifies every piece of lumber. They check moisture content, structural integrity, species identification, and dimensional accuracy before anything reaches our showroom.
Customer Advisors
3 membersNot salespeople — advisors. They help customers choose the right species, dimensions, and finish for their specific project, whether it's a restaurant renovation or a backyard deck.
Logistics & Delivery
3 membersOur delivery team handles everything from local Portland drops to regional shipments across the PNW. They know how to handle reclaimed materials carefully to prevent damage.
Community & Education
2 membersDedicated to our workshop series, school partnerships, and community outreach. They coordinate monthly classes and manage relationships with trade schools and environmental organizations.
Rooted in Portland
We're Part of This City
Lumber Portland isn't just located in Portland — we're woven into its fabric. The timber we salvage comes from the buildings that shaped this city: century-old warehouses along the Willamette, farmhouses in the Tualatin Valley, hop barns in the Willamette wine country, and industrial structures across the Pearl District.
When you build with our reclaimed lumber, you're building with Portland's history. That Douglas Fir beam might have supported a flour mill for 80 years before becoming the centerpiece of your dining room. That's not just character — that's legacy.
We partner with Habitat for Humanity Portland, donate materials to community art projects, and sponsor woodworking scholarships at Portland Community College. Because reclaiming wood is ultimately about reclaiming community.
Visit our showroom at 2135 NW 21st AveOur Story Continues With Your Project
Every piece of reclaimed lumber we sell starts a new chapter. Let us help you write yours.