Check out Hurricane’s profile on MarinVoices.com!

For the fourth time, Marin County Pacific Sun readers voted Hurricane Hauling & Demolition, Inc. as “Best Hauling!” Thank you all for taking the time to vote for us as providing the best debris hauling in the county! The Hauling category in the competition’s Home Maintenance section included eighteen hauling companies in Marin County of varying size, locations, and business models. This year’s many contestants prove that “locally-owned” is still valued in this community!

Hurricane also won Best of Marin three years in a row: 2009, 2010, 2011. Hauling is the only category that Hurricane was nominated in, although our services stretch to demolition, deconstruction, tree & yard services. Our other awards also include the John M. McPhail, Jr. Green Business Award from Marin Conservation League; Best of the Bay by BayList; Bay Area Green Business certification; and Sustainable 6 Award by CA Legislature Assembly Member Jared Huffman; and Finalists of the Acterra Business Environmental Award. To see other category winners, visit Pacific Sun’s website.

To celebrate our win, we met with all the other winners of 2013 Best of Marin and took part in Pacific Sun’s annual photo shoot. This year was Alfred Hitchcock-themed in honor of the famous film-guru’s anniversary. See Hurricane owners David Sherman & Paul Sonnabend shamelessly reenacting “Birds” in the photos below!

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PROMO: Mention this press release when you call for your free hauling estimate, and we will give you 10% off labor! Thanks again for your support and business!

About Hurricane Hauling & Demolition, Inc.

Hurricane Hauling & Demolition, Inc. specializes in deconstruction, demolition, debris hauling & cleanup, tree and yard services. A licensed, bonded, and fully insured Bay Area Green Business, we operate in the greater Bay Area. Since 1989, we have been salvaging materials from residential and commercial projects. Our mission is to provide high quality service at affordable rates with the goal of reducing, reusing, recycling, and re-purposing materials for the benefit of our customers, through incentives like tax write-offs, and our environment. Visit www.hurricanehauling.com.

Media Contact:

Tiffany Douglass

Hurricane Hauling & Demolition, Inc.

55B De Luca Place San Rafael, CA 94901

(415) 456-3407

office@hurricanehauling.com

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February 1, 2013 – Hurricane submitted its Deconstruction Service to the Acterra Business Environmental Awards as an Environmental Program that seeks to reduce, reuse, and recycle significant amounts of construction waste and keep it out of the Bay Area landfills. Acterra rewards a specific environmental project that has demonstrated significant leadership in a focused area, such as resource conservation (water, waste, energy), pollution prevention, or minimizing carbon footprint. Any private or public business entity, division or facility located in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara or Santa Cruz County is eligible to apply. Applicants are evaluated on the basis of:

• Leadership 30%
• Significant Environmental Benefits 30%
• Potential Model for Business Community 20%
• Demonstrated Commitment 20%

Hurricane Marketing Manager Tiffany Douglass put the submittal packet together in November 2012, including three pages of Q&A and six appendices. “It was a great opportunity to consolidate all the quantitative data that we have about our Deconstruction Service – i.e. pounds of waste we save compared to monthly trends in our sales, etc,” says Tiffany. “For example, according to CalRecycle.gov, 29.9 million tons of waste was disposed of last year in the state of California. That means in just 10 months, Hurricane diverged 1,632.22 tons or the equivalent to 5.46 x 10^-5% of the entire state’s trash! And that’s not including our sold salvaged items…” Hurricane’s Deconstruction Service Program can only get better as we more efficiently streamline our recording practices in the future.

Three committee members of the Acterra organization met with Tiffany and Owner David Sherman on Thursday January 31^st to get a tour of Hurricane’s facility and rundown of Deconstruction. All details of its financial, operational, and sustainable model were analyzed and will be considered for the finalist round.

Companies like Marin Resource Recovery, SIMS Metal Management, Ohmega Salvage, and Yokayo Biofuels – to name a few – constantly provide Hurricane with new ideas to become more environmentally conscious. “We are honored to be along side some of the most innovative and sustainable companies in the Bay Area,” states David. “Although we are a small company, we can have a big impact on how residents and contractors ‘throw away.’ And it’s thanks to our many collaborators that we’ve had such success today.”

On March 18, 2013, winners will be announced via Acterra’s website. Winners receive recognition for being innovators in their industries, positive publicity, and opportunities to expand their program’s positive impacts by publishing their best practices for other organizations to emulate. A reception will be help in May to celebrate the efforts of all the winners.

Hurricane Hauling’s other awards include the John M. McPhail, Jr. Green Business Award from Marin Conservation League; PacificSun Best of Marin in 2009, 2010, and 2011; Best of the Bay by BayList; Bay Area Green Business certification; and Sustainable 6 Award by CA Legislature Assembly Member Jared Huffman.

About Hurricane Hauling & Demolition, Inc.

Hurricane Hauling & Demolition, Inc. is a local, family owned business specializing in deconstruction, demolition, debris hauling & cleanup, tree and yard services. A licensed, bonded, and fully insured Bay Area Green Business, we operate in the greater Bay Area. Since 1989, we have been salvaging materials from residential and commercial projects. We employ experienced crew and biodiesel fueled trucks and equipment to handle both large and small jobs. Our mission is to provide high quality service at affordable rates with the goal of reducing, reusing, recycling, and re-purposing materials for the benefit of our customers, through incentives like tax write-offs, and our environment.

Media Contact:

Tiffany Douglass

Hurricane Hauling & Demolition, Inc.

55B De Luca Place San Rafael, CA 94901

(415) 456-3407

office@hurricanehauling.com

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For the fifth year in a row, Hurricane Hauling & Demolition, Inc is nominated as “Best Hauling” in Marin County by Pacific Sun readers. We need your votes again! Please do the follow steps to show your support:

1. Vote here.
In the Home Maintenance category, 
select “Hurricane Hauling & Demolition, Inc.” from the drop down menu 
in the Best Hauling section.

2. You must vote for at least 15 categories.

3. Submit your vote!
(Voting ends January 27, 2013 at midnight.)

 4. Go to your email and confirm your votes.
(Your ballot will not be counted until you activate it by responding to
a confirmation e-mail from jwalsh@pacificsun.com.)

The Hauling category in the Home Maintenance section includes eighteen hauling companies in Marin County of varying size, locations, and business models. Hurricane won this category three years in a row: 2009, 2010, 2011. But in 2012, the competition opened to non-local corporate companies, like winner 1-800-Got-Junk, to participate. Being awarded and “locally-owned” is difficult when infinite resources are not readily available as they are for nationwide enterprises. This year, Hurricane is trying to change that. Vote local!

Hauling is the only category that Hurricane is nominated in, although our services stretch to demolition, deconstruction, hauling, tree and yard services. Our other awards also include the John M. McPhail, Jr. Green Business Award from Marin Conservation League; Best of the Bay by BayList; Bay Area Green Business certification; and Sustainable 6 Award by CA Legislature Assembly Member Jared Huffman.

Please call our office if you have any troubles with voting. Thanks for your support!

About Hurricane Hauling & Demolition, Inc.

Hurricane Hauling & Demolition, Inc. specializes in deconstruction, demolition, debris hauling & cleanup, tree and yard services. A licensed, bonded, and fully insured Bay Area Green Business, we operate in the greater Bay Area. Since 1989, we have been salvaging materials from residential and commercial projects. Our mission is to provide high quality service at affordable rates with the goal of reducing, reusing, recycling, and re-purposing materials for the benefit of our customers, through incentives like tax write-offs, and our environment. Visit www.hurricanehauling.com.

Media Contact:

Tiffany Douglass

Hurricane Hauling & Demolition, Inc.

55B De Luca Place San Rafael, CA 94901

(415) 456-3407

office@hurricanehauling.com

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We feel especially blessed that we are able to salvage many items that can help others who are less fortunate.  Between the employees’ contributions and clean items that come in, we donated four bulging bags of sleeping backs, sheets, towels, shoes, jackets, and warm clothes. The bags were brought to the Marin Interfaith Street Chaplaincy and the San Rafael Salvation Army to be distributed to Marin’s homeless population for the winter months.

Thank you to our loyal employees, customers, suppliers, and business contacts. And to our family and friends who get to experience the tailwinds after hours!

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November 2012 – This month, Thumbtack.com is featuring Hurricane in the Spotlight, a premier space on their website dedicated to giving a more intimate introduction of a selected business for customers.

Thumbtack isn’t like typical local search directories; it actually gives you the ability to vet, contact, and book service professionals the moment you find them. For a customer, it’s like shopping for services and asking companies to bid on their request. Quite frankly, it’s the new way to do on-line shopping for homeowners!

In the last few months, Hurricane has being experimenting with Thumbtack to enhance our list of customer leads in the Bay Area. To see Hurricane’s Spotlight, click here and see the right column entitled “Thumbtack Spotlight.”

Or read the whole thing here:

How did your business/company start, and what was the greatest challenge that you encountered along the way?

Paul Sonnabend started a hauling business in 1989 and his brother, David Sherman, signed on as co-owner a few years later. Originally, Hurricane Hauling & Demolition, Inc. serviced only Marin County but with extra manpower and a growing need for demolition, we added the deconstruction, demolition, tree and yard services for Marin, San Francisco, Contra Costa, Alameda, San Mateo, Napa, and Sonoma Counties. We saw an opportunity to keep everything we were hauling out of the landfill by recycling or repurposing items.

Besides maintaining our own family-business during a fluctuating economy, the greatest challenge we encountered along the way has been competing against non-local, corporations in the same industry. For any small company, corporate franchises with nationwide support and unlimited, financial resources are a realistic threat. We have managed to keep our loyal customers and reach new ones with personal service, efficient work, and competitive prices.

How would you describe your usual clients in terms of status, needs, and level of satisfaction toward your services?

Our commercial clients are often general contractors looking for subcontractors to do large-scale demolition or deconstruction projects in the Bay Area. They can also include restaurant, gallery, school, museum, and store owners.

Our residential clients are homeowners, property owners, real estate agencies, or renters who are doing remodels, renovations, or site cleanup. Their needs usually peek during the summer or fall months when they need us to do the heavier, seasonal debris hauling.

Not many other demolition companies can offer specialized deconstruction or the ability to recycle 80%-100% of the materials that are hauled away, in bio-fueled trucks no less. Homeowners can receive a tax dedication for 30% of the value of the salvaged materials, which is usually assessed by a professional appraiser. Although deconstruction costs are higher than those of demolition because of time and labor, that cost is offset and sometimes surpassed with the tax deductions in the end.

What do you think is the most effective strategy to keep your customers happy and satisfied with your service?

Our most effective strategy to provide high quality services is to be professional throughout our entire relationship with our customers. To us, this means maintaining responsibility for our crew and site; showing up and finishing on time; being responsive to requests; and communicating clearly with clients. And most of all, it means leaving a site cleaner than we found it! We value having our residential clients tell us how they love having our friendly crew around their house! The best compliment they can give us is referring us to their friends and family.

What was your most favorite and successful project? 

One of our most favorite projects was the recent deconstruction of a 3,500 square foot house in Mill Valley with James Josephs Construction. All the lumber, fixtures, appliances, and other salvaged items were donated to charities or salvage yards. The fact that hardly anything ended up in the landfill was validation enough that deconstruction really does work and that there is a true need for demolition companies to rethink their idea of “unusable.”  The homeowner even ended up getting a significant tax break because he didn’t demolish the house. Plus, it’s always a success when everything runs smoothly, on time, and without injury. The space we cleared was even more beautiful without the house.

In a short line, how would you entice your potential consumers to book your service?

  “We are in the business of sustainability.” We approach our services with the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit. Every time a potential customer contacts us, we see it as an opportunity to keep waste out of the landfill and educate others about ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

We’re fun guys! Check out our clip on Eye on the Bay – The Bay Area’s Unique Jobs!

Hurricane’s booth was prime for foot traffic in the Conservation/Recycle section. A beautiful wall of Hurricane’s salvaged 100-year-old redwood lumber was constructed and displayed in the booth. “This weekend was very valuable for us in terms of networking, lead building, and of course, spreading awareness of the benefits of deconstruction,” said Hurricane’s Marketing Manager who spearheaded the event. “It’s an empowering experience when like-minded people with a shared passion for the environment are collaborating under one roof!”

This year, over 25,000 people attended. The Festival also featured engaging DIY demonstrations, provocative cinema, renowned keynote speakers, and non-stop “eco-edu-tainment”. Thematic pavilions and stages focused on green business, green building, renewable energy, fair trade, healthy lifestyle, sustainable home, organic gardening, do-it-yourself modern homesteading. Other features included a Green Kids Zone, Community Action Pavilion, Organic Cooking Stage, Organic Food Court and Organic Beer & Wine and Garden.

Did you know:

• Recycling one aluminum can saves an amount of energy equivalent to half that can filled with gasoline?
• Every Sunday, more than 500,000 trees are used to produce the 88% of newspapers that are never recycled?
• North Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour?

The local nonprofit group Sustainable Fairfax does! They are spreading the word of responsible consumerism when it comes to trash. And they are doing it by getting the public to ‘trash talk’ – like last week’s event: Trash Talk: Panel & Discussion.

Hurricane Hauling & Demolition, Inc. was there to support the movement and educate listeners about Deconstruction, the eco-friendly version of demolition, and the benefits of re-purposing materials. Not only do we practice zero-waste on our job sites but also in the office. Click here to learn more about our Sustainability practices or our Deconstruction service.

Attendees included Moderator Pam Hartwell-Herrero, Mayor of Fairfax, and Panelists Kim Scheibly, Outreach and Communications Coordinator for Marin Sanitary District; Andy Peri, Founding Member of Green Sangha and Rethink Plastics; Rebecca Burgess, Founder of the Fibershed and Author of Harvesting Color; Carrie Bachelder, Owner of The Away Station in Fairfax. The zero waste movement seeks to minimize the common, yet needless, practice of waste disposal in our dumps, landfills, and incinerators by changing the practices and policies of government, producers and individual households.  Thanks to the collaboration of Sustainable Fairfax and the Marin Sanitation Service, the residents and businesses of Fairfax will reduce waste, reuse as much as possible, and recycle what’s left. Read more information about Sustainable Fairfax’s Zero Waste initiative.

All Marin residents and businesses are applicable for either Deep Green or Light Green, 50% renewable energy. According to Marin Clean Energy, “Deep Green renewable energy is purchased entirely from non-polluting, renewable wind farms located in Washington State. It’s Green-e Energy certified so you know that Deep Green contains only new renewable resources that are independently verified.” Using 100% renewable energy is a step in the right direction to reduce global warming and severe pollution.

The additional cost of Deep Green 100% renewable energy is just a penny more per kilowatt-hour. Here in the office, we use an average of 350 KwH per month, which means we’re paying just $3.50 extra. How easy is that?!

Read more about Marin Clean Energy.

SAN RAFAEL, CA, June 6, 2012 — Hurricane Hauling & Demolition, Inc. owners David Sherman and Paul Sonnabend attended the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) San Francisco’s Chapter Meeting on June 5, 2012. The meeting featured Sherman and Marin Resource Recovery Center Founder Joe Garbarino speaking about Recycling and the Remodeler: From the Site to the Recycler. About thirty different companies attended, mostly all NARI Building EPIC Contractors.

Sherman’s presentation, entitled Employ Long-Term Thinking Regarding Deconstruction vs. Demolition, explained the similarities and differences between the two services. The categories also included:

• How to be Sustainable? Diverting materials from the landfill for re-purposing and reducing carbon footprint
• How to make Investments? Adding time with Federal Tax Incentives as potential profitability for your clients’ remodels
• What can be Salvaged? Deciphering between salvageable and re-purposing items and valuing those materials
• Where to make Partnerships? Finding and working with appraisers, salvage yards, 501(c)(3)s, recycle centers, etc. in the deconstruction sector
• What is EPA’s Lead Safety “Renovate Right Protocol” Rule? Having a broader understanding of the rules, deciphering applicable projects, recognizing the benefits of subbing
• How to comply with Regulations? Adhering to federal, state and local recycling and reuse ordinances

“Presenting at the Chapter Meeting was a great experience for Hurricane Hauling,” says Sherman. “It was reassuring to see how many contractors are committed to ethical, informed business. These small steps for businesses add up to big steps for the industry as a whole.”

To see the contents of the whole meeting, click here.

About Hurricane Hauling & Demolition, Inc.

Hurricane Hauling & Demolition, Inc. specializes in deconstruction, demolition, debris hauling & cleanup, tree and yard services. A licensed, bonded, and fully insured Bay Area Green Business, we operate in the greater Bay Area. Since 1989, we have been salvaging materials from residential and commercial projects. Our mission is to provide high quality service at affordable rates with the goal of reducing, reusing, recycling, and re-purposing materials for the benefit of our customers, through incentives like tax write-offs, and our environment. Visit www.hurricanehauling.com.

Media Contact:

Tiffany Douglass
Hurricane Hauling & Demolition, Inc.
55 B De Luca Place
San Rafael, CA 94901
(415) 456-3407
marketing@hurricanehauling.com

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