Ethan Allen launching eco-friendly furniture line

Will hit stores in January

Heath Combs -- Furniture Today, September 10, 2008

DANBURY, Conn. — Furniture retailer and manufacturer Ethan Allen will release a line of eco-friendly furniture items to its retail network next month as part of its introductions for 2009.

The items may be released under an American Hardwoods or American Woods umbrella name and feature some 30 to 40 items, said Farooq Kathwari, chairman, president and CEO of Ethan Allen.

"One of the questions that are frequently asked of me by our 2,500 interior designers is what steps are we taking on this issue under this umbrella of green, how environmentally friendly are we?" Kathwari said.

The collection features water-based finishes, organic bed coverings, products containing recycled materials and eco-friendly linens and upholstery fabrics. The items will be released to Ethan Allen's retail network next month and hit stores in January.

Ethan Allen is one of the few furniture companies that still operates domestic wood manufacturing plants. It also operates two sawmills to supply them. The company switched to water-based finishes in upholstery plants about five years ago, an easier task because the wood is a smaller component in upholstered furniture, Kathwari said.

The company now has a good understanding of how to apply the finishes and would like to apply water-based finishes to most of its programs, he said.

The company is also utilizing more efficient lighting in nearly all of its distribution and service centers and has been switching to more efficient lighting in its design centers. The company has spent close to $2 million in bringing more efficient heating and air conditioning systems to its Danbury offices to reduce electrical usage.

"This is just a good beginning -- there is a long way to go still," Kathwari said.