From Bakery, To MRF! An Adaptive Reuse Story.

Refurban Memphis — Refurban acquired the historic *Kroger Bakery Manufacturing Plant* built in in the 1940’s and vacant since 1999.

2019 Adapt/Opportunity Zone Award Winner.

Adaptive Reuse/Opportunity Zones Influencer

In a phase-based approach, Refurban improved the warehouse space to launch the Material Recovery division and become the State of Tennessee’s largest and first Business Incubator/Accelerator to support minority-owned startups and businesses
that focus on zero-waste innovations and education communities to “rethink” waste.

This led Devin James being recognized by GlobeSt.’s Real Estate Forum Adapt/Opportunity Zone Awards as a 2019 Opportunity Zones Influencer.

https://www.event.globest.com/adapt/class-of-2019

Established Public-Private Partnerships

Partnered with the State of Tennessee, City of Memphis and Shelby County to host a city-wide tire collection event that recovered over 60,000 waste tires in 2 days.

Partnered with the State Parks division to store up to 30,000 tires for the “Tire to Trails” project to create the State’s longest walking trail made out of scrap tires at T.O. Fuller Park.

Partnered with the Downtown Memphis Commission to host recycling collection events (with 14 tone diversion rate per event) to activate vacant lots and buildings and became the premier vendor offereing ethical disposal options to the city’s leading developers to reduce landfill depposits from new construction, renovation and pre-demolition sites.