Copeland debuts FSC-certified line
Company hopeful to certify all groups eventually
Heath E. Combs -- Furniture Today, April 14, 2008
AT THE MARKET — Case goods producer Copeland Furniture is introducing its first line of Forest Stewardship Council certified furniture with on-product labeling this week.
The FSC, an internationally recognized standard for sustainable harvesting and processing, grants certification through the Smartwood program of the Rainforest Alliance.
 The Sutton Bedroom Collection is made of Forest Stewardship Council-certified Vermont maple with a dark chocolate finish. The collection of three beds and two cases will feature FSC labeling and will retail for $1,400 to $1,800. |
| The Sutton Bedroom Collection is made of Forest Stewardship Council-certified Vermont maple with a dark chocolate finish. The collection of three beds and two cases will feature FSC labeling and will retail for $1,400 to $1,800. |
Copeland has three new groups made of maple that will carry FSC labeling. The Vermont-based company has a new showroom this market in Showplace, space 5200.
The labels certify that the company uses FSC pure, mixed, and credit-certified material, said Mark Burzynski, plant manager. It ensures that everyone along the chain of custody — from the forestland to timber owner, logger, sawmill, kiln dryer and wholesaler — are each FSC-certified, Burzynski said.
“They’re going to know the materials in the product came from forests that were responsibly harvested,” he said.
Burzynski said the company will continue to upgrade and hopes to become an FSC pure company, meaning every single piece in the certified products comes from FSC pure sources.
Copeland also requires suppliers of non-certified wood to show that their product comes from forests that are not threatened and do not contain genetically modified trees.
Few furniture companies have FSC certification. Copeland underwent a rigorous evaluation starting in 2005 to obtain a chain of custody certificate.
“We saw anecdotal evidence from customers for several years. We’d get direct inquiries from college towns in metropolitan areas asking about lumber origin. It just seemed interesting to us that we were getting this,” said Tim Copeland, CEO.
“As time has gone on we began to hear a lot more active interest from retailers,” he said. “As this becomes more mainstream, we hope to grab a little bit bigger piece of that market.”
To let customers know about its preference for sustainable sources, Copeland is introducing a new logo featuring some green letters and a leaf.
 Copeland Furniture’s new logo reflects its efforts to produce sustainable furniture. |
| Copeland Furniture’s new logo reflects its efforts to produce sustainable furniture. |
“Consumers are becoming very aware of the importance of buying products that make sense for the environment. We want to them quickly understand that our products absolutely do,” Copeland said.
At home in Bradford, Vt., company executives are looking at initiatives that would further optimize use of factory space to reduce heating costs, use wood waste for heating fuel and encourage efficient shipping.
The company also plans continue to lower VOC, or volatile organic compounds, emissions even further than the 50% reduction they’ve realized since 2000, Burzynski said.
Among other initiatives, Copeland has also joined the New England power pool to generate their own electricity during peak usage times and reduce the overall capacity requirements of the utility companies.
The company mainly uses solid cherry, maple, oak and walnut from forests in its home region.
“Using local wood also saves tremendously on fossil fuel. We don’t need to rely on shipping or transnational truck hauling. And it’s great way for our company to reward environmentally smart foresters,” said Copeland.
He said the company aims to create furniture that stays in style and can withstand long-term use.
“We have always focused on making fine furniture that lasts for generations, not disposable furniture,” said Copeland.
Merinos Home Furnishings opening display room, Boyles addition
HOM Furniture adds flooring to six Twin Cities stores
‘Mega vessels' likely to boost capacity, stabilize freight rates
Ernest Warsaw, founder of Sheffield Corp., dies at 91
21 companies from Turkey, Taiwan and China to exhibit at Showtime
Featured Company
-
Brandwise Inc.
Brandwise serves a model - not just an industry - by integrating, automating, and optimizing the entire sales channel, from wholesale Suppliers to their Reps and the Retailers they service. In short, our software helps Reps and Suppliers sell more and create... more
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
