“The front section of the building was isolated from the rest of the facility, so it was originally in our plans to tear it down,” says Jon Tatooles, managing director of Sound Devices. “However, when I learned that Habitat for Humanity participates in deconstruction projects, it made sense to donate the material and divert it from a local landfill. The volunteers on site were really amazing throughout this venture and we are happy to help others in need.”
After hearing about Habitat for Humanity’s deconstruction projects through a business associate who sits on the board of directors for the Dane County Habitat branch, Sound Devices coordinated the project with the local Sauk and Columbia County affiliate. Bruce Koch, deconstruction and ReStore (Habitat’s ReStore resale outlets sell reusable and surplus building materials to the public) coordinator for the affiliate, conducted an initial visual inspection of the facility in order to determine the types and quantity of materials that were salvageable. Once the project was green lighted, volunteers worked meticulously to deconstruct the entire building over the course of seven days.
Habitat for Humanity is an international organization with local affiliates across the globe that builds housing for low-income working families. The materials collected at the Sound Devices project totaled more than six 30-yard dumpsters of either usable, re-sellable or recyclable materials, including approximately 33 40-foot trusses, 200 2x6s, 80 sheets of 4x8 plywood, 200 studs, siding, insulation, piping, wiring, doors, the furnace and air conditioners. The re-sellable items will be sold in Habitat’s ReStore in nearby Baraboo. The money raised will help Habitat build new houses and pay for overhead expenses at the ReStore.
“For a company like Sound Devices to think outside the box and let us come in to their facility to help others is amazing,” says Koch. “Wonderful things happen when a low-income family has its own home—the children flourish and the parents can better provide—it’s really a great thing to see firsthand. At Habitat, we strive to do everything we can to further that cause. When a local company like Sound Devices can see that vision with us, we’re all happy and everyone benefits.”
Sound Devices’ new facility is located at E7556 State Road 23/33 in Reedsburg.
Sound Devices, LLC designs and manufactures portable audio mixers, digital audio recorders, and digital video recorders and related equipment for feature film, episodic television, documentary, news-gathering, and acoustical test and measurement applications. The thirteen-year old company designs and manufactures from their Reedsburg, Wisconsin headquarters with additional offices in Madison, WI and Highland Park, IL. For more information, visit the Sound Devices website, www.sounddevices.com.
