Furnitureland South plans eco-friendly gallery

Will include goods made with sustainable materials

Tom Russell -- Furniture Today, June 8, 2009

JAMESTOWN, N.C. — Top 100 store Furnitureland South is opening an eco-friendly gallery featuring products made with sustainable materials and vendors that employ environmentally friendly business practices.

The Eco-Link gallery is a 3,600-square-foot space that will include product from members of the Sustainable Furnishings Council. Among them are Bassett Mirror, Classic Leather, E.J. Victor, Elite Leather, French Heritage, Harden, Jensen Leisure Furniture, Lazar, Padma's Plantation, Palecek, Seco Furniture, Stanley, Vanguard Furniture, Vaughan-Bassett and West Bros.

Furnitureland South also recently joined the SFC, a nonprofit that helps educate the industry about environmentally friendly materials and practices.

The gallery is set to officially open June 20 with an event called "Green: More Than a Color."

"This links us to the earth and to our vendors that have a green story," said Jason Harris, executive vice president of Furnitureland South. He said the space will include signage that explains how these vendors embrace eco-friendly business practices.

"This is about us sticking a stake in the ground that says we support this kind of thing," Harris added. "We want this product to be available for people who are passionate about it."

- Thomas Russell