SFC reaches out in tough economic climate
Interest in sustainability movement continues to grow
Heath E. Combs -- Furniture Today, October 29, 2008
HIGH POINT — Jerry Cooklin, who owns Peruvian case goods manufacturer South Cone and is president of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, can attest to how tough it has been this year.
Six months ago, he was uncertain about the future of his company as several big dealers closed. Cooklin said at SFC's general meeting held during the October market here that his company was coming to market alive, but could well have been dead.
"People are putting sustainability as a low priority. It's a symptom of the real problem - not practicing sustainable consumption," Cooklin said.
 Jerry Cooklin, Sustainable Furniture Council president and owner of Peruvian case goods source South Cone, speaks to an audience of about 40 people at the SFC’s annual meeting during the October High Point Market. |
The meeting took place under the dim lights of South Cone's showroom on the top floor of the Union Square building, with few seats and a standing audience of about 40 people encircling Cooklin, SFC Executive Director Susan Inglis and SFC Marketing Chair Jeff Hiller, asking questions.
The meeting marks the council's two-year anniversary. With close to 300 members, six have earned exemplary certification status for their operations this year.
To become a member, organizations must have a statement in the public domain aligning their companies to sustainability. For members who want to use the SFC logo for marketing, the organization certifies practices and ranks companies from silver to gold to platinum status.
Another six members are currently awaiting certification, said Inglis.
Even with the economy drawing the focus recently from sustainability, Inglis said the housing downturn will show that homes built with greater energy efficiency, such as those built to U.S. Green Building Council standards, will retain their value.
Bernadette Upton, a partner in Eco-Décor, an eco-friendly interior design firm based in Florida, said one of the keys to the SFC's success will be to maintain its integrity, much like the U.S. Green Building Council.
She added that although the group struggled for decades, it now enjoys widespread support.
"There is nothing like the SFC in this business. This is it," Upton said.
Although it enjoys broad-based industry support and support from trade journals, the organization needs more support from bigger companies, Hiller said.
And Inglis added that it needs to forge closer ties to retailers.
The council announced that for its 2009 requirements it will require that 15-20% of wood products meets SFC benchmarks, a less stringent standard than its former standard of satisfying the tougher Forest Stewardship Council rules.
David Mahood, an SFC board member and founder of Olive Designs, said the organization is broadening its scope and working on standards for rapidly renewable resources and foam.
Karin Urquiza said her company, Andes International of Boulder, Colo., has been practicing sustainability since the late 1980s.
She attended the meeting with a hope of finding out whether the organization was more of a marketing group or one whose members were legitimately concerned with practicing sustainability. She said she was convinced the organization is interested in increasing sustainability, but wanted to make sure any commitment isn't diluted or just used for marketing.
