Second Use

What Second Use does

Second Use Building Materials and Salvage is a Seattle-based retailer of reclaimed and salvaged building materials founded in 1994 (firmographic record indicates 1993) and operated as Second Use, Inc., a privately held Washington corporation under co-owner and president Dirk Wassink. The company sells a broad category set of salvaged and reclaimed items — appliances, architectural pieces, cabinets, doors, electrical, flooring, furniture, hardware, heating and cooling, lighting, lumber, masonry/tile/stone, plumbing, tools, and windows — alongside curated themed collections (Mid-Century Modern, Craftsman, Art Deco, School House, Industrial, and others) and a specialty sub-brand called The Royal Hunter that focuses on higher-priced vintage, antique, and designer items. Its underlying technology is a WordPress-based e-commerce site with online inventory browsing, search, category filtering, and theme curation, supplemented by in-store hand-pricing; there is no public API, SDK, or disclosed developer integrations.

The business operates a retail-first, direct-to-consumer model across two storefronts (Seattle at 3223 6th Ave S and Tacoma at 2328 Fawcett Ave), plus a Shoreline drop-off collection site (2300 N 165th St) for community material intake and a separate Royal Hunter presence. Revenue is generated through one-time retail sales of hand-priced individual items (ranging roughly from $5 smalls to $1,295+ for premium vintage pieces, with per-linear-foot pricing on lumber) and through professional salvage services — including salvage assessments, material pick-ups and strip-outs, lighting restoration, and a recycled-paint program. Distribution is single-country and single-metro; there is no delivery or shipping service. Customers are segmented across DIY homeowners (primary), professional contractors, designers, and schools/institutions requiring deconstruction services.

The operating model is anchored by a 27-year partnership (since 1997) with Habitat for Humanity of Seattle/King County and Tacoma/Pierce County, through which donated materials are resold to generate Habitat funds (over $4 million by 2020) and supply inventory. A supplementary supplier relationship with Urban Timber Recovery (since 2011) channels milled salvaged lumber into the store. Marketing blends content (blog, email newsletter), organic social (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), and a recurring community-event calendar including the annual Handmade & Reclaimed Market, Fall Fest anniversary sale, monthly Artisan Pop-Up Series, and free DIY workshops. The company is independently owned with no evidence of external investment, parent entity, or acquisition activity in the available record.

Name

Second Use

Legal name

Second Use, Inc.

Website

https://seconduse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Second Use is a Seattle-based reclaimed building materials retailer operating two retail stores in Seattle and Tacoma plus a Shoreline drop-off depot. It serves DIY homeowners, contractors, and designers with salvaged vintage construction materials and professional salvage services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reclaimed Building Materials Retail

NAICS

Used Merchandise Retailers (459510)

SIC

Retail-Home Furniture, Furnishings & Equipment Stores (5700)

akta.pro primary industry

Reclaimed Materials & Fixtures Retail (Cabinetry, Sinks, Faucets) (CRAIANAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Refurbished/Upcycled Home Furnishings Retail (CRAIANAN)

Keywords

• Reclaimed building materials
• Salvaged construction supplies
• Vintage architectural salvage
• Deconstruction salvage services
• Reclaimed lumber retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales of Reclaimed Materials: Direct retail sales of salvaged and reclaimed building materials including appliances, architectural items, cabinets, doors, flooring, furniture, lighting, lumber, and other building materials through physical store locations and online inventory browsing.
2. Salvage Services: Professional salvage services including material pick-up, strip-outs, deconstruction assessments, and drop-off handling for materials donated through Habitat for Humanity partnership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Second Use operates retail stores that sell salvaged and reclaimed building materials including appliances, architectural items, cabinets, doors, electrical, flooring, furniture, hardware, lighting, lumber, masonry, plumbing, tools, and windows. It complements retail sales with professional salvage services such as material pick-ups, strip-outs, deconstruction assessments, lighting restoration, and a recycled paint program, serving DIY homeowners, contractors, designers, and institutions in the Seattle/Tacoma metro area.

Product overview

Second Use Building Materials and Salvage operates as a reclaimed building materials retailer with a platform of physical retail locations across the Seattle/Tacoma metro area. The core offering consists of salvaged and reclaimed building materials sold through retail stores, complemented by salvage assessment and material pick-up services for deconstruction projects. The business is organized into distinct retail locations (Seattle, Tacoma, Shoreline Drop-Off Depot) and a curated specialty brand (The Royal Hunter) featuring high-end vintage and antique items. Additional services include lighting restoration, recycled paint sales, and gift cards. The inventory is organized by material categories (appliances, cabinets, doors, electrical, flooring, furniture, hardware, lighting, lumber, masonry, plumbing, tools, windows) and curated theme collections (Mid Century Modern, Craftsman, Art Deco, etc.).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Reclaimed Building Materials Retail Retail sales of salvaged and reclaimed building materials across categories including appliances, architectural items, cabinets, doors, electrical, flooring, furniture, hardware, lighting, lumber, masonry, plumbing, tools, and windows, for DIY homeowners, contractors, designers, and institutions.
• The Royal Hunter

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $4 million raised for Habitat for Humanity from material donations

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Urban Timber Recovery (Jack Bergquist)minorOthers · 1 January 2011Urban Timber Recovery supplies salvaged lumber to Second Use from fallen trees on private property. The business mills wood to sell as lumber or makes yard furniture from it. Over 50 items have been sold to Second Use, with most inventory selling in less than one week.
• Habitat for Humanity of Seattle/King CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Since 1997, Second Use and Habitat for Humanity have built a productive relationship based on shared values of helping the community build affordable housing. When Second Use sells materials donated through Habitat, they generate funds for Habitat and support their own operations. As of 2020, over $4 million had been raised for Habitat through material donations made through Second Use.
• Habitat for Humanity of Tacoma/Pierce CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Since 1997, Second Use and Habitat for Humanity have built a productive relationship based on shared values of helping the community build affordable housing. Both organizations help people exercise and strengthen their skills in home building and renovation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/seconduse
• Facebookfacebook.com/SecondUseBuildingMaterials
• Instagraminstagram.com/secondusebuildingmaterials

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Second Use