RENICK — Less than a decade ago, Jay Petre was a young man casting about for a fulfilling way to earn a living. At the suggestion of his father, a Monroe County machine shop owner, he took up an offer to tear down an old building for a few days’ wages, never imagining he would find a rewarding career amid the aging structure’s components.

“I tore the place down not really thinking about the wood I was hauling out, but for some reason, I stacked it and kept it, thinking I might use it some day,” Petre reminisces. “A fellow came by one day and asked if I wanted to sell it, and that was my first experience with selling old wood.”

“Selling old wood” is a huge understatement of what Petre’s company, Renick Millworks, has grown into today. Occupying 5 acres in the cradle of northern Greenbrier County’s farmland, the bustling millworks operation now employs 15 people, only six years after Petre and his father founded the firm.

The company’s products — superior quality antique flooring, beams and millwork, plus an array of antique building materials like cut stone, staircases and mantelpieces — can be found in homes and businesses nationwide. Petre ticks off a list of some of the areas that comprise his market: Charlotte, Richmond, Washington, D.C., New York City, New England, Colorado, Arizona, California.

That list will soon expand, Petre notes, saying, “We will do more exporting this winter. The international market is a whole new game for us.”

But don’t be fooled by the mill owner’s humble demeanor; this operation is already world-class, with commercial clients like Ralph Lauren and  L.L. Bean — whose flagship store in Maine boasts flooring milled in Renick — and a residential customer roster that is sure to swell with an upcoming commission to provide flooring for an episode of the television show “This Old House.”

“Everybody wants sustainable floors,” Petre says. “We work with a lot of unique projects.”

The products that leave Renick Millworks are 100 percent reclaimed, he notes.

“I got into this business by reclaiming material,” Petre says. “Now, I have a network of suppliers, from New York to Kentucky, and a few in Ohio.”

He explains that the prime structures to tear down and reuse are northern barns, which were “built heavier,” using large beams and more hardwoods than soft. The average age of the structures dismantled for re-purposing at the mill is between 85 and 120 years old.

In fact, the Renick Millworks headquarters — a striking log structure that once served as Petre’s home — was built from wood taken from two North Carolina tobacco barns.

“I’ve sold very few floors in West Virginia — some at The Greenbrier or Snowshoe,” Petre says. “But in July, I sold the largest single residential flooring order I’ve ever had — 10,000 square feet — right here in West Virginia. A man called me from Huntington. It taught me a lesson to never underestimate a client.”

Petre’s most popular flooring includes American oak, heart pine and wormy chestnut, which is particularly desirable due to its limited supply. The company also works to a lesser degree with hickory and maple.

Asked about the company’s low-key marketing strategy, Petre shrugs and says, “Customers find us. They hear about us from someone else we’ve provided products to or look at our website. The commercial side has really boosted our sales this year.

“Right now, we’re the busiest we’ve ever been.”

For more information about the products offered by Renick Millworks, visit the company on the Web at www. renickmillworks.com or call 304-497-9900.

— E-mail: talvey@register-herald.com