C.R. Laine First Company Certified With Sustainable By Design

October 1, 2008  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Upholstery on October 2008 Custom upholstery manufacturer C.R. Laine, Hickory, N.C., is the first company to achieve Sustainable by Design certification from the American Home Furnishings Alliance.

One of C.R. Laine’s first steps toward certification was to register its headquarters and manufacturing facility under AHFA’s environmental management system, EFEC (Enhancing Furniture’s Environmental Culture). EFEC requires a company to analyze and better understand the environmental impact of its processes, raw materials and finished products on a facility-by-facility basis. As a result of this analysis and subsequent improvements, C.R. Laine has made measurable environmental improvements over the past nine months, including:

• Reduced energy consumption by 8 percent.

• Reduced fresh water consumption by 5 percent.

• Reduced waste disposal costs by 20 percent through new alliances with local organizations for the recycling and repurposing of fabric, foam, cardboard, metal and wood scraps.

To attain Sustainable by Design certification, C.R. Laine was required to conduct a rigorous evaluation of its corporate environmental footprint, as well as its global climate impact. For each key area on a lengthy checklist, the company established numerical goals and a system for evaluating annual achievement and establishing new goals. These key areas include:

• Energy conservation, water conservation, recycling and solid/hazardous waste minimization.

• Use of low VOC/low HAP coatings, renewable fuels, certified lumber (minimum of 5 percent), low-emitting UF resins.

• Greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint.

In September, C.R. Laine’s documentation of the above systems and measures was audited by the Sustainable by Design Board of Examiners. The company also will be subject to an annual maintenance audit in order to maintain its certification.

“As a family-owned and operated company, we have always been committed to the preservation of the environment and community for future generations,” said C.R. Laine CEO and President Sonny Roseman Jr. “Our nine-month journey through the Sustainable by Design certification process provided us with a realistic structure for implementing sustainable business practices into our everyday processes. It has equipped us for a future of continuous environmental improvement.”

C.R. Laine now may include the “Sustainable by Design AHFA Certified” logo in its marketing materials. The company also will be promoted on AHFA’s consumer Web site, www.findyourfurniture.com, in a new section designed to educate consumers about environmentally-friendly companies and products in the home furnishings industry.

“At the heart of EFEC is a corporate culture of conservation and environmental stewardship,” said Bill Perdue, AHFA vice president. “Sustainable by Design extends that culture throughout a company’s entire supply chain.”