By Andrew Mollenbeck

Bruce Reuser built a business from dust — sawdust, to be precise. The father of four was raising his children on his own in Santa Rosa, California when the need to provide for them led to a new venture, one whose humble beginning in 1978 eventually led to the innovative landscape materials company that continues to bear the family’s name: Reuser Inc. 

In the late 1970s, disposal methods for wood by-products were changing in the timber business. No longer could they be burned or taken to a landfill. At that time, an acquaintance asked Bruce if he wanted free sawdust. The budding businessman owned a truck, and his character and work ethic ensured a “yes” response. He took the sawdust and figured out how to sell it.

“He couldn’t afford to lose,” says Merle Reuser, Bruce’s son and current president of Reuser Inc. “Everything he did had to be very careful, very thought out.”

That DNA permeates the operation to this day, which has since relocated to Cloverdale and now includes the third generation of the Reuser family. The 13-acre facility along the 101 Freeway in Northern California continues to set itself apart not only for its product but also for its methods.

“We’re always focusing on the horizon as far as environmental constraints and regulatory things that are coming our way, and we build them into our business plan early instead of having them dropped in our lap late in the game,” says Merle, whose home state is often at the forefront of issuing new regulations. “Whether you agree with them or not, it is the reality of the business.”

Power Play

Among Reuser Inc.’s many distinctives, none shines brighter than its solar panels. Seven years ago, the business installed them on top of its processing facility, and they now generate 80% of the operation’s power demands. 

“We have 500 electric horse power that’s running inside that facility most of the time,” Merle says. “Instead of relying on power generated somewhere else, this makes us more independent and helps offset expenses.”

The grid tie system works especially well with the wood grinders, which were all converted from diesel to electric to coincide with the installation. That switch also resolved concerns about dust, fire risk and noise at the facility. 

Streamlining the power supply reveals another hallmark of the operation: the pursuit of efficiency.

Inner Workings

Mulch production is done entirely inside the operation’s 140,000 square feet of industrial buildings. That enables work to continue throughout the year regardless of weather conditions. In November of 2024, a weather system known as an atmospheric river dumped more than 10 inches of rain in the region over two days. Reuser Inc. continued work as usual.

“We're in a Mediterranean climate, so we don't get rain six to nine months out of the year,” Merle says. “Then our spring market can be very wet when our customer base is really clamoring for material. So, if we're handicapped by weather early in the year, it's problematic for us. That’s why we put up the industrial buildings.” 

Inside the facility, Reuser Inc. custom-built all its machines to align with the unique indoor configuration. Over the past four years, Merle has worked closely with colorant manufacturer Colorbiotics to tailor the production to the specifics of his operation.

Efficiency and consistency are well-worn words around the operation. The business takes in three or four raw product codes, and it ships 250 product codes. Uniformity is essential. What started with two color offerings — bright red and black — has expanded to include shades of brown, cinnamon and others at the request of customers.

“I know that I can hit the same numbers every single time with the product,” Merle says. “The thing about consistency is if you have the same product every time it comes in, you can adjust your operations, you can adjust your machinery, you can adjust your crew and your equipment to that product. If I deliver a hundred yards and the next hundred yards looks different, that's going to create a problem for my customers with homeowners or landscapers.”

Business Logistics

While dialing in the appropriate pounds per yard is a key component of an effective operation, the full scope includes thinking through every aspect of the business, just as Bruce established from the beginning. To that end, Reuser Inc. keeps its material covered to make it light. The site is paved to extend the life of its equipment. Trucks are loaded to 80,000 pounds on axle scales inside the buildings. Procurement and deliveries are scheduled during off hours to avoid California’s notorious traffic. Even the location right next to the 101 Freeway was intentional to expedite time in transit.

Load Factor

Currently, Reuser Inc. moves about 1,500 tons of landscape materials every day at its facility. The business procures wood by-products — chips, sawdust, bark — primarily from local sawmills. After processing, a fleet of 16 company-owned trucks delivers the finished product to retail yards and landscapers in the San Francisco Bay Area and as far away as Colorado. 

The truck fleet also reflects the company’s pillars of sustainability and efficiency. Since 2015, the entire fleet has run on renewable fuel. The change preceded state regulations and ultimately met the rules of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) well before they took effect. More recently, Reuser Inc. started using vegetable oil instead of hydraulic oil to safeguard against the impact of a spill.

“Instead of fighting regulations or hiring lawyers or engineers or any of that stuff, we just buy the truck. We buy the loader. We make the improvement to our facility, and then it's ours,” Merle says.

Community Commitment

About 15 years after relocating to Cloverdale, Reuser Inc. truly put down roots in the community. Ever since it arrived, the business kept buying pieces of property to expand whenever possible. In the early 2000s, it annexed itself into the city, built the city street around the operation and helped establish the industrial park on the southeast edge of town. Its investment in the community and consideration of its neighbors led to a Spirit of Sonoma County Award, which recognizes those who contribute to the economic development and enhancement of communities. 

Keep it Simple

Reuser Inc. has developed a reputation in the business for doing a good job for a good price, with customer service as the driving force. If a customer calls the office, they’ll get a real person on site. Merle doesn’t like to reach an automated voice, and he assumes his customers feel the same. 

When asked about what makes him most proud of the operation, Merle doesn’t hesitate in the slightest with his response: it’s the 34 employees who make it all happen. It is not an attempt at flattery when he says any one of them could be the lead in most operations.

“We really value people, whether it’s our customers, our employees and their families, the public — we work very hard to do a good job,” Merle says. “That sounds very simple, but it’s very complicated to accomplish.”