A-1 Builders

Sustainable Connections, Bellingham, Washington

When Rick Dubrow moved from the east coast to Bellingham in the 70's, he chose the small city for its size and nearby wilderness. He had a background in science and environmental activism and had decided to teach biology. But when jobs in that field were not forthcoming, Rick joined friends who were doing home remodeling.

Rick learned by doing and asking questions. He called A-1 Builders one day for some advice on a foundation repair project. He got advice, and also a job offer in the course of that first phone call. When he called back to accept the job, the owner asked if he would be interested in buying the whole business. Six months later, Rick paid $5,000 for the business.

Rick altered the focus of A-1 Builders from foundation and repair work to remodeling. A-1 Builders began to thrive, but Rick felt internal conflict. "Here I am, a deep ecologist and environmentalist, doing more and more projects that felt incongruous: $100,000 kitchens with two dishwashers and three sinks; three-car garages. As A-1 Builders became more successful, my personal values and my business values spread further apart.

"I came close to deciding to sell the business just because the incongruence was too strong. Then someone asked me: 'Why don't you bring those two together? Why don't you start walking your personal talk? You have a great opportunity to do that because you are a well-known builder in the community and builders don't talk about sustainability.'” Rick took the advice to heart, and about a decade ago A-1 Builders took on a new dimension.

"I started questioning everything: 'Where does this wood come from?' I started learning about certified wood that is being sustainably harvested. That led to me approaching the lumber yard I was working with to say, 'Will you bring in certified wood?' They said, 'No, we don't believe in it.' So I went to another lumber yard and said 'If you bring in certified wood, I'll bring all of my business to you.’ They decided to do it."

Rick does not believe bigger is better, and he's willing to turn down jobs that counter his values. "I'm a firm believer that a McMansion isn't green. Yes, you can use all of the right products and high-efficiency this, and high-efficiency that, but for me, a 6,000-square-foot home by definition is not green. So I wouldn't build it. Our specialty in new construction is, therefore, small, efficient, green, responsible homes.

"The biggest no-brainer for sustainability is to build things right the first time. The majority of this industry is basically building so that it lasts 366 days: Get past the one-year warranty. More and more of our work has been repairing new construction. The environmental and economic costs of such short-sighted behavior is simply staggering."

Most remodeling projects start with demolition; the A-1 crew is trained to sort used building materials into several categories. "If there is anything that we have been known for, it is how we deal with waste," says Rick. "I am sorting from the minute I meet a client: 'Have you thought about what you're doing with that stuff?'

In 2001, A-1 Builders reduced its landfill bill by an average of 80 percent. A local used building-supply store, the RE store, receives the best of A-1's salvaged materials. The rest of the usable building materials are recycled or set out in the parking lot for free salvage.

The A-1 Builders' office and showroom exemplify Rick’s approach to remodeling. A modest residential bungalow has been transformed to an efficient and stylish multipurpose structure. The grounds are all xeriscaped, virtually eliminating the need for irrigation, herbicides, and pesticides. A noticeable sign offers quotes that make clear where the company stands: “Things you throw away do not just disappear - recycle, reduce, reuse. Just do it!”

In 1990, the design division of A-1 Builders was created, called Adaptations, offering clients a spectrum of interior products such as flooring, cabinets, and countertops from sustainably sourced building materials. Says Rick, “Our continued focus on sustainable practices has attracted a stronger and stronger alignment between projects, coworkers, and clients who care to address triple-bottom-line thinking. Our traditional marketing decreases year by year as we bring more attention to community and the environment.”

Growth remains an interesting challenge for the business, but not in the traditional sense. When Rick bought A-1 Builders in 1976, gross sales were around $50,000 a year. Now the company brings in about $1.5 million a year. “The opportunity and pressure to grow are enormous," says Rick. "My heart, however, desires a company that remains human scale. This is my greatest challenge: a steady state of being while sustaining a vital, creative organization… Much like attaining a relaxed face while being engaged in an intense yoga stretch.  Deep steady breathing instead of a race toward business as usual.”

Future goals? “A stronger and stronger focus on sustainable business practices – be they the buildings we alter or the vehicles we drive to serve them. This includes a continued focus on being publicly verbal about the subserviousness of our business - all business and consumption – as a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment.”

Portions of this story are taken from an article by Ingrid Dankmeyer for Founders of a New Northwest, 2003.