Imagine eating breakfast on the lane of an old bowling alley.

SixTwevle Salvage & Restoration allows its clients to do just that.

The founder of SixTwelve Austin Brenneman and his team travel throughout the Midwest to reclaim the wood used for bowling alley lanes that have been closed down.

The lanes are often made of hard maple and old southern yellow pine, making them sturdy materials to build with. Austin sells raw to DIY hobbyists, contractors, and sometimes other bowling alleys. 

He and his team also refurbish the wood in-house to furniture such as conference tables, dining room tables, kitchen islands, coffee tables, wall cladding, and more and sells to architects, designers, corporate workspaces, and homeowners.

The beauty of SixTwelve is that every bowling alley lane has a story. Austin and his team document the history and rebirth of each lane for their clients to enjoy and share with others, giving each piece of wood a deeper meaning and connection. In fact, Austin has sold tables and wood made from lanes that his clients have gotten perfect scores on, or that his clients’ parents bowled on in their youths.

In addition to sharing the unique story of each lane, SixTwelve is also committed to their environmental impact. The nature of their work has prevented hundreds of thousand of pounds of landfill waste since SixTwelve’s inception. Additionally, Austin only uses VOC free finishes on the tables and sells materials locally at each job site.

And, of course, you can’t beat the quality, uniqueness, and aesthetic pleasure of a lane refurbished into a table for your dining room. Because of this, Austin has over 140 clients in 35 states and Canada.

Austin wants to continue to connect with customers who have personal ties to the lanes and alleys that SixTwelve reclaims wood from, recognizing the significance for people who have fond memories associated with their local bowling alleys.

He hopes to do this through expanded production capabilities and marketing efforts with help from his grant from the Fortitude Fund.