Meet Meegan Czop of Great Lakes Yard in Garfield Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Meegan Czop.

Meegan, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I get asked this question a lot. The short answer is I got an art degree in college and worked construction to pay it off. I received a BFA in Painting from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo MI. As a broke art student, I was always repurposing cast-off materials. I would grab the leftover matte board from the photo department to draw on etc. When I graduated I was thinking of pursuing Historic Preservation until I realized that generally meant I wouldn’t be doing the hands-on restoration work. I started following the work trucks for a company called Building Restoration Inc. They were always parked in front of old buildings that were under renovation. I applied for a job, was hired, and quickly learned the challenges of working construction through 4 seasons of Michigan weather. The best part was, I learned something new everyday and as I have grown in the industry I find myself constantly applying that knowledge.

As the only woman on the crew, I learned some hard lessons in personal growth like when to admit I didn’t know how to do something, how to work smarter not harder, and how to utilize tools and equipment to do what my strength could not. Getting experience on heavy machinery was the most enjoyable perk and has come in handy today. I take great pride in being able to unload a semi-truck of lumber by myself and it is usually a nice surprise for the driver.

After 2 years with BRI, I moved to Chicago and worked for Salvage One, a huge architectural salvage company. There, I learned a lot about salvaging building materials and how to sell it, but I was constantly faced with the fact that it was quickly becoming a high-end market that excluded people like myself. I stepped away from the salvage scene, briefly, and worked for the Oprah Winfrey Show building sets. During this time I was approached to help start the Rebuilding Exchange, a non-profit that created a marketplace for reclaimed materials and provided job training for folks with barriers to employment.

The Rebuilding Exchange was the first place I was able to combine all of my previous job skills. I spent 6 years with the organization and I am proud to say that in that time we were able to divert thousands of tons of usable materials from landfills, train over 60 people in deconstruction and warehousing, create a furniture line made from reclaimed wood, and outgrow our locations 2 times.

While my work there was both demanding and rewarding, I wanted to focus more on lumber and give both the buyer and the seller more personal time. This allowed me to really explore and highlight the story behind the salvaged materials, which, in my mind, is the most interesting aspect of my work.

In 2015, I embarked on the one of the scariest, most thrilling journeys of my life and opened my own business, Great Lakes Yard. I built the business around the old school concept of a circle economy when a lumber yard/hardware store was the center of town. A community spot where people could gather and share skills and stories. Great Lakes Yard sources the materials locally and then fabricates locally. It is so gratifying to sell lumber to local builders and then also hire them to collaborate. It keeps people busy and happy building community.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Starting my own business challenged me to do things I could not have imagined myself doing. It was incredibly daunting to get started. For example, I could not get any funding or loans because I had no collateral and most banks and lenders I spoke to had no knowledge of this emerging industry. They also couldn’t really see the value in reclaimed materials. So, when I would say something like, “Sure I have collateral, I have close to $50,000 in beautiful old growth lumber I salvaged from demolition sites,” they would interpret it as, “So you are selling things you found in the trash?” and I would mistakenly respond, “Yes! Isn’t it wonderful?”

I also had to face many prejudiced attitudes of people that looked at me and just assumed I couldn’t manage certain tasks just because of my size and gender. I encountered many a dubious look when arriving at a demolition site. Or sometimes customers assume I am just a salesperson and ask if they should come back when someone else can cut their wood. I have come to really savor that moment when they realize what I can do, and I can walk away having earned not only their respect but also their return business.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Great Lakes Yard – what should we know?
Great Lakes Yard is a reclaimed lumber and salvage business that focuses on selling quality heritage materials. Our inventory is sustainably harvested across the Great Lakes region through deconstruction and demolition as an innovative model towards sustainable reuse.

Our warehouse is, in essence, a natural history museum that sells lumber and relics. It is a gathering place for contractors, designers, builders, artists, architectural historians, and curious people. We work to connect people who need materials with those who are storing, deconstructing or milling them.

Our passion for history comes through in the quality of our inventory. The materials used to construct our towns tell both a human and environmental history––it’s written in the steam-powered cuts in our lumber and the straight grain of trees that once competed for sunlight in the forests of Michigan and Wisconsin. These forests were used to create the first permanent structures ever built on this land, and their bones are old and powerful and solid and beautiful. They deserve a better fate than a landfill.

Great Lakes Yard operates by appointment only in order to spend quality time with our customers. I love the challenge and satisfaction of sourcing hard-to-find items based on the inspiration provided.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My Aunt Margaret and Uncle Tim were the first people to ignite my admiration of architecture and preservation by taking me on tours throughout Detroit and Chicago. They support my interests with meaningful gifts such as a book on architect Albert Kahn or a membership to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

I have always been inspired by Jan Seymour, the owner of Jan’s Antiques, one of the first architectural salvage warehouses and a former institution here in Chicago. She was a true pioneer of the salvage movement starting back in the 60’s when absolutely no women were involved. She used to take me out to scotch and sodas and let me vent to her about how men would often get paid more than me to do the same job.

Elise Zelechowski, my former boss/coworker at the Rebuilding Exchange played a major role in getting me where I am today. Together we combined 2 totally different skillsets and created a thriving workplace. I am so proud of our accomplishments at the Rebuilding Exchange. She really taught me how to get organized and pushed me to go beyond what I thought I was capable of.

Last, but not least, my biggest cheerleaders are my friends and family. When I needed to move into a new warehouse my family scraped together money to help with my security deposit and came to help clean and set up. My mother even cleaned the warehouse urinal on Mother’s Day and, somehow, was happy to do it because she was so proud I finally had a roof over my head and I wouldn’t be pulling nails in the snow. My boyfriend, Jared Metzner, has constantly supported me and never let me feel alone in the process. We have spent date nights pulling lumber out of dumpsters and vacations driving my old truck to estate sales or barns in the middle of nowhere. It is amazing that I found someone who sees the beauty in rusty metal and chunks of hand-hewn wood.

Contact Info:

• Address: 2651 W. Lake St. Chicago, IL. 60612
• Website: www.greatlakesyard.com
• Phone: 7734756202
• Email: info@greatlakesyard.com
• Instagram: @greatlakesyard
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greatlakesyard/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/great-lakes-yard-chicago

Image Credit:
Jennifer Martinez
Craftedincarhartt
Jacob HandPhotography

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