NERC in the News
Awning Shop Adds Line of ’Green’ Furniture
Connecticut Post; Bridgeport, CT; June 22, 2010
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By Michael C. Juliano, Staff Writer
Professional Awning & Cover Care is not crying over spilled milk.
The full-service awning dealer founded in 2005 at 3 Production Drive in Brookfield recently expanded its offerings by becoming the exclusive New England dealer of lawn furniture made out of recycled milk and water jugs by By the Yard Inc. of Jordan, Minn.
"The reason why I took this on is because I was trying to round out my store with something different and exclusive that people would go `Wow' about," said owner David Will, who was impressed by the durability of By the Yard's maintenance-free outdoor chairs, stools, tables, benches and accessories. "It's the only recycled product that I've found that has a 35-year warranty."
By the Yard also offers a portable bar, coffee tables, trash receptacles, an outdoor podium and signs in their line of products that are 94 percent made up of recycled milk and water jugs. The products gain their durability and strength from the plastic's thick gauge and use of an ultraviolet-ray inhibitor to deter wear and tear from prolonged sunlight, Will said.
"There's no weight limit to this furniture," said Will, whose business employs four workers. "If you can sit on it, it can hold you."
By the Yard's 48-inch Chippendale Glider bench -- its most popular piece at Professional Awning & Cover Care -- sells for $499, while a standard Adirondack chair costs $299.
"Sure, that sounds a little pricey, but that's the last time you'll buy it," Will said.
Since bringing the product, which comes in nine colors, into his 2,000-square-foot shop in February, about 500 units have sold, in great part because of exposure at home shows and fairs throughout the state, Will said.
"When people see it, they buy it," he said, adding that about 85 percent of sales come from residential customers. "Commercial is picking up because more businesses are seeing it."
Professional Awning & Cover Care's commercial focus for By the Yard is on medical facilities, hotels and condominium complexes with a pool. A local hospital is considering the use of By the Yard furniture with memorial engravings done by his company, Will said.
By the Yard makes its products out of high-density polyethylene, which gives them a high degree of strength and flexibility, said Ann Holzer, By the Yard's marketing manager.
"We use 250 clear milk and water jugs in every chair," said Holzer, who declined to give any sales numbers for the privately held company. "We're not struggling in this economy."
More companies are making their wares from recycled materials as consumers look to buy more environmentally friendly products, said Lynn Rubinstein, executive director of the Northeast Recycling Council in Brattleboro, Vt.
"There'd be no recycling programs if there weren't any entrepreneurial efforts to use recycled plastic," Rubinstein said. "Having plastic diverted from the landfills is critical."
