Researcher Suzanne Shelton says consumers are confused about the meaning of green marketing claims.
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HIGH POINT — Accent home furnishings source The Phillips Collection is introducing a new catalog for 2010.
The publication is available free to furniture retailers. It features 100 pages of introductions, along with other product images and information, and art book detailing.
It also details the company's expanded eco-friendly offerings and outdoor products. The Phillips Collection also offers accessories, wall décor and sculptures.
LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Market will continue emphasizing sustainability with new green initiatives at the next show, which runs Feb. 1-5 at the World Market Center.
The market's One Good World program will expand to include a supplier locator called One Good Guide, to help buyers find legitimate sustainable products at the event. These exhibitors will be listed in a special section of the market directory.
Companies interested in being listed will be vetted by the Sustainable Furnishings Council. Applications will require declarations about materials usage, transportation, wood sourcing, VOC emissions and foams used in upholstery cushioning. Exhibitors must also show and offer sustainable products at market and not merely have them as available options, the WMC said.
In addition to the listing, participants will receive window decals and showroom signage to call attention to their status, along with additional online marketing and public relations support.
WMC officials also said they plan to announce a "sustainability leadership congress" in early 2010 with representatives from government, environmental groups, manufacturers, retailers, interior designers and consumer media focused on wood sourcing.
"The green economy is not coming fast - it is already here," said WMC President and CEO Bob Maricich. "Being ‘green' is more than a principle and more than a trend; it is a sound business practice. Taking proactive actions to respect our environment is now a business reality and increasingly critical to our industry."
At the February market, WMC also will offer seminars on eco-issues, including an interior design symposium with participants including HGTV's Angelo Surmelis and brand icon Kathy Ireland.
The market also is hosting the SFC's GREENleaders Certified Sustainability Training, a six-hour exam course for accreditation. The WMC also offered the course in February 2009.
For more information about participating in One Good Guide, exhibitors should contact the Sustainable Furnishings Council at (919) 967-1137 or e-mail susan@sustainablefurnishings.org.
Researcher Suzanne Shelton says consumers are confused about the meaning of green marketing claims. |
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Green and sustainable product still faces an uphill battle when it comes to reaching a widespread audience of consumers, according to new market research.
In fact, they're still pretty confused about what exactly "green" means and aren't dying to rush out and be green, said Suzanne Shelton, president and CEO of the Shelton Group, a specialist in researching environmental issues.
Shelton presented some of her recent findings at the American Home Furnishings Alliance's second annual Sustainability Summit, held this week at the Proximity Hotel here.
The AHFA commissioned the research to measure the importance of environmental attributes in home furnishings purchases.
Shelton said the study sought to understand what mainstream consumers care about and respond to in green purchases. The findings are aimed at aiding green marketing messages.
Shelton said that green is a mainstream concept and there is a broad desire - by 60% of the population - for greener product. However, consumers still know very little about what green claims mean and what to believe, she added.
The average consumer knows only enough about green to get through a cocktail party conversation, Shelton said.
"They can nod their heads, they can say a few things, they might be able cough up the word green or sustainable, or talk about their carbon footprint," she said. "They can cough up a few things just enough to make you think, ‘Oh they know what they're talking about.' Yeah, not so much."
Shelton said that when mainstream consumers were asked to name a feature of a green home, only 53% were able to.
That almost half were unable to name a green feature was surprising considering that low-wattage light bulbs, flooring from sustainable woods, and solar panels are mainstream examples of green features, she said.
"We've thrown a lot out at them today, particularly as it relates to certifications. There's a whole alphabet soup of stuff out that that means absolutely nothing to consumers. So know that and know that it's your job to educate them," Shelton.
There are also widespread misperceptions about product claims, she said, citing the terms "natural" and "organic."
Consumers would rather see a product that is "natural" rather than "organic," but they don't really the difference between the two, the survey found. Lower middle class income earners believe organic is a fancy marketing term that allows companies to charge more money
"What we hear over and over in focus groups is two things: One, a giant misperception that ‘natural' is actually the regulated term, and ‘organic' is not regulated. Which is exactly the opposite of how it is," Shelton said.
She said companies hoping to market green claims need to understand their audience, and must realize that it will take significant marketing dollars to inform their consumers.
Green features, however, can serve as a tiebreaker in mature industries, she said. For example, she said that in facial moisturizers, if consumers are faced with two equal brands at the same price, sustainability features would likely help influence a purchasing decision.
In sofas, fiber typically is one of the top categories considered in product, she said. That is good news for organic fiber, which at higher price points - say $1,599 and up - would likely help sway a consumer, Shelton said.
"Green features from furniture are important. It's not most important thing, but it's important in a tiebreaker," she said. "And it commands a higher price point. So that's great news as a marketer. It's mainstream and people will pay more money for it."
BURLINGTON, Ontario — Ikea Canada is donating C$280,000 in funds raised by its recent Bag the Bag campaign to Tree Canada, a non-profit group that encourages Canadians to plant and care for trees in urban and rural environments.
In addition to the C$280,000 donation, Ikea also will continue to contribute a portion of its annual Christmas tree sales, which are now available for C$20 at all 11 of the company's Canadian stores, to Tree Canada.
"Environmental sustainability continues to be anchored in everything we do at Ikea," said Kerri Molinaro, president of Ikea Canada. "It is clear that our customers take great pride in supporting Ikea Canada's commitment to responsible retailing."
The funds raised from the Bag the Bag campaign, which is geared at eliminating the use of plastic bags in Ikea stores, will be reinvested into Ikea Canada's annual partnership program with Tree Canada - Pick a Tree Plant a Tree. To date, the program has contributed to planting more than 14,000 trees across Canada. The additional funds will allow Ikea workers to plant a larger variety of trees, and to provide better maintenance such as mulch and tree guards that will improve tree survival.
"Ikea's donation to Tree Canada will be used over the next five years, taking us into our 18th year working together," says Mike Rosen, president of Tree Canada. "This generous donation will also be used towards our re-branding efforts and educational and carbon offset research."
FRIANT, Calif. — Industry supplier Dow Polyurethanes has joined the Specialty Sleep Assn.'s Green Initiative, aimed at defining standards for environmentally friendly bedding products.
"Defining what ‘green' means and establishing industry-wide ‘green' standards is a critical step in helping businesses and consumers alike make better buying decisions," said Umberto Torresan, North American marketing manager for Dow Polyurethanes. "We are thrilled to work hand-in-hand with bedding industry manufacturers, retailers and experts toward this goal."
Dow is the world's largest producer of polyether polyols and a top producer of isocyanates, which are components used to create polyurethane foam used in mattresses.
Copeland was recognized at the AHFA's second Sustainability Summit, taking place here this week. The Sage Award recognizes excellence in home furnishings through sustainable business practices.
For several years, Copeland has made case goods using wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which has helped it win Silver Exemplary Status from the Sustainable Furnishings Council, of which it is a founding member.
Copeland now has eight product groups that qualify for FSC certification. The company sources a majority of its wood within 500 miles of its plant in Vermont.
Also at the Summit, Bill Perdue, vice president of environmental affairs for the AHFA, said that Kincaid Furniture would win the organization's Environmental Excellence Award.
He also said that the AHFA's Environmental Leadership Award would be presented to Lewis Herman, corporate environmental and facilities engineer at Kincaid, a La-Z-Boy division. Herman is responsible for environmental compliance, oversight and environmental stewardship for La-Z-Boy's case goods group.
Kincaid's Sustainable by Design program was the first case goods operation to receive registration from the AHFA.
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Yarn producer Unifi's Yadkinville, N.C. plant, which manufactures Repreve recycled polyester, will be featured on CNBC's "People, Planet and Profit" series Wednesday at 8:25 a.m. EST.
The series examines moves companies are making to find ways to reduce and reuse anything along the supply chain, leading to a leaner, cleaner and greener operation.
HIGH POINT — Officials with the Shelton Group will present research commissioned by the American Home Furnishings Alliance at the group's upcoming Sustainability Summit that measures the importance of environmental attributes in home furnishings purchases.
The AHFA will hold its second annual Sustainability Summit Dec. 2-3 at the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, N.C. The program provides marketing intelligence for companies developing eco-friendly home furnishings.
Companies don't have to be AHFA members to attend. The summit is co-sponsored by Cargill's BiOH polyols business unit.
Suzanne Shelton, president and CEO of the Shelton Group, a specialist in researching environmental issues, will present the findings of its study for AHFA.
"In addition to ascertaining consumer awareness of and interest in the various environmental attributes they might find while shopping for furniture, this research will tell us which attributes are important enough to influence purchasing," said Jackie Hirschhaut, AHFA's vice president of public relations and marketing.
The AHFA plans to use results of the research to help it develop marketing materials related to its Sustainable by Design certification program.
Headlining the opening of the summit is Miriam Arond, director of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, which recently launched the Good Housekeeping Green Seal. The Institute may add furnishings to product categories eligible for the Green Seal, the AHFA said.
Other speakers include:
• Heather Gadonniex, a LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) professional and principal at MindClick, a sustainability consulting firm, will discuss green certifications in a presentation called "The Promises and Pitfalls of Eco-Labels." The presentation will untangle the web of certifications, rating standards and labels and describe the Environmental Product Declaration, a type of label that originates from ISO 14025 standards and is based on scientific data generated from a product life cycle assessment.
• Angela Nahikian, director of global environmental sustainability for Steelcase, will share the company's progress toward the goal of reducing its global environmental footprint 25% by 2012 and the role suppliers are playing in achieving that goal.
• A panel of suppliers, including representatives from Hickory Springs, Cargill, Columbia Forest Products and Leggett & Platt, will discuss their companies' sustainable business practices.
• Christie Grymes, a partner in the Washington office of Kelley Drye and chair of the law firm's Consumer Product Safety practice group, will present an update on regulatory changes in the advertising and marketing of environmental attributes.
• A retailer panel, supplier panel and three corporate case histories featuring Kincaid Furniture, Flexsteel Inds. and Hooker Furniture, complete the summit program.
The opening day will conclude with a reception, where the winner of the 2009 Sage Award will be announced. Last month, Century Furniture, Copeland Furniture and La-Z-Boy were named finalists for the AHFA's Sage Award, which recognizes excellence in home furnishings through sustainable business practices.
A limited number of rooms at $169 per night are available at the Proximity. Attendees should call the hotel at (800) 379-8200 or (336) 379-8200 and provide the group name, American Home Furnishings Alliance, to get the reduced rate.
DUBLIN, Ga. — Flexsteel Inds.'s upholstery plant here has received Orion Energy System's Environmental Stewardship Award for significantly reducing its impact on the environment by reducing electricity and water consumption and waste.
The award recognized the Dubuque, Iowa-based manufacturer for saving enough electricity to power 100 homes, a move that saved the company about $88,000 a year in light-related energy costs.
Flexsteel's President and CEO Ron Klosterman accepted the award in front of more than 300 city and state officials, employees and utility and energy professionals.
By replacing its inefficient, high-intensity discharge lighting with Orion's technology, the Flexsteel facility is expected to reduce its light-related electricity consumption by 53%, from 1.9 million kilowatt-hours to 926,025 kilowatt-hours annually. The energy reduction will displace 682 tons of carbon dioxide annually, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, a result that's comparable to not burning more than 85,500 gallons of gasoline a year.
The effort included replacing more than 1,350 inefficient lighting fixtures with Orion's technology. The company said the replacement saves energy and also benefits employees by providing better lighting and an improved working environment.
The bedding industry's trade association, meeting here at its fall Industry Conference and Exhibition, discussed a number of green topics during its educational program and the group's board approved establishment of a task force to bring clarity to green mattress issues.
The board said that a main objective of the new task force will be to recommend how the industry should address consumer and market confusion about various claims made regarding the environmental qualities of mattresses.
ISPA said the task force will work closely with the Specialty Sleep Assn., which held a green summit earlier this year and pledged to tackle the issue of defining terms such as "green" and "natural." SSA members said at the summit that they wanted to address that issue on a voluntary, industry-wide basis rather than be forced into action by governmental agencies.
In announcing its plans to establish a task force, to consist of a cross-section of small, medium and large mattress producers, in addition to other industry members, ISPA said that the SSA expects to announce early next year the results of its initiative to define key environmental terms and identify existing green standards that may apply to mattresses.
ISPA said its task force would consider a number of issues, including:
• What terms should be defined, and how should they be defined?
• What are the pros and cons of developing a standard scoring system for green products? Who should develop such a standard?
• What are the pros and cons of existing label and seal programs? Who would administer such programs?
• How much would these different approaches cost individual companies, and how much would they cost ISPA?
ISPA addressed a number of other topics at its conference, including how the current recession has altered the American consumer's spending patterns, how to market with social media, and how to better meet consumer expectations in order to boost sales. The attendees also shared their thoughts on the future of ISPA.
ISPA Chairman Don Wright, chief marketing officer at supplier Wright of Thomasville, announced that ISPA trustee Bryan Smith, president of Southerland Inc., will chair an executive search committee that will recommend who should fill the vacant position of ISPA's president.
The formaldehyde standards affect composite panel, a commonly used product in wood furniture and upholstery frames.
Distributors, importers and fabricators of finished goods, along with furniture retailers in California, now have until Dec. 31, 2010, to clear out non-compliant inventories, an agency advisory said. Previously, the sell-through was set to end July 1.
Extended sell-through periods were granted across the spectrum of the composite panel industry affected by the new formaldehyde rule, which the state started phasing in on Jan. 1.
The extension gives some categories an additional 19 months from what was originally set as the sell-through dates.
State officials granted the extension because of the economic slowdown, which has made it difficult to clear all the inventory on hand, the advisory said.
The agency issued its first four-month sell through extension in May to composite panel distributors.
"Based on information from affected associations and specific businesses, as well as (the Air Resources Board's) distributor survey, ARB staff has concluded that the four-month delay was not long enough to solve the problem," the advisory said.
The agency said the extension only affects sell-through dates, and its delay is not meant to encourage increased import and sale of non-compliant product.
A national rule similar to California's was introduced into the U.S. Senate in September. It would give the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency responsibility for testing, certification, recordkeeping and enforcement and would add a new section to the federal Toxic Substances Control Act. It would require the EPA to enact a national rule by 2011.
The Corinth facility produces veneer core and composite core hardwood plywood.
Timber Products' Medford and Grants Pass, Ore., mills had earned Phase 2 certifications earlier this year.
Phase 2 standards for panel suppliers will start to be implemented on Jan. 1. Some Phase 1 categories of composite panel inventory manufactured before that date must be sold by April.
NEWTON, N.C. — Bassett Furniture's upholstery plant here has completed the American Home Furnishings Alliance's Enhancing Furniture's Environmental Culture program.
AHFA created the voluntary environmental management program for the residential furniture industry. It calls for companies to improve management of resources, while reducing energy consumption and waste disposal and costs.
The AHFA said Bassett has cut its energy costs at the plant by 8% and has a goal of achieving another 4% by next July. Recycling measures have reduced landfill waste by 50%, and consolidation of two product wrapping areas has cut natural gas consumption.
Maegan Hubbard, Bassett's project manager for store development, is an accredited professional in the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program and is in charge of the company's EFEC implementation.
Bassett also is working to have its wood assembly plant in Martinsville, Va., and corporate headquarters in Bassett, Va., registered through EFEC.
Other manufacturers that have achieved EFEC registration for some or all of their facilities include Fairfield Chair, La-Z-Boy Residential, Flexsteel (including DMI), Hooker (including Bradington-Young and Sam Moore), Century, American Drew, Bernhardt, C.R. Laine, Hickory Chair, Kincaid, Lea Inds. and Vaughan-Bassett.
 David Farley |
Farley, an engineer by training who is known for speaking his mind, will head the SSA's effort to identify, define and standardize how mattress manufacturers and retailers label "green" and "natural" sleep products.
"We are excited to welcome David as chairman," said SSA President Dale Read. "He provides a unique combination of engineering and bedding industry experience that will provide the SSA Green Initiative Governing Board wonderful insight and leadership."
Farley has more than 25 years of experience in the foam industry and holds 27 patents on the anatomic uses of foam. He has an MBA from Pepperdine University.
Anatomic Global, established in 2007, is an OEM supplier of memory foam products on the Internet. The company is now expanding distribution to brick-and-mortar retailers.
Farley joins Jeff Scorziell, president of Anatomic Global, on the green initiative's initial governing board.
AHFA officials said Tuesday that a panel of judges had pared the list down from 10 nominees.
High-end manufacturer and importer Century was cited for its focus on encouraging suppliers in foreign countries to seek third-party certification to avoid illegally harvested timber.
Case goods manufacturer Copeland has product using third-party Forest Stewardship Council certified wood, which helped it win Silver Exemplary Status from the Sustainable Furnishings Council.
Full line manufacturer and importer La-Z-Boy has introduced moderately priced, ecologically friendly foams and fabrics, while implementing extensive water and electric conservation practices.
The winner will be announced at a reception on the opening day of the AHFA's Sustainability Summit, set for Dec. 2-3 at the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, N.C.
A limited number of rooms at $169 per night are available at the Proximity.
Attendees should call the hotel at (800) 379-8200 or (336) 379-8200 and provide
the group name, American Home Furnishings Alliance, to get the reduced rate.
Registration for the Summit is $500 per person, or $450 per person if more than one from the same company is attending. The registration form is online at www.ahfa.us. From the home page, click on events, then scroll down to Sustainability Summit.
AT THE MARKET - Mattress entrepreneur Dave Young has a new R&B mattress line, as in "rolled and boxed" mattresses.
Young, the CEO of VyMaC Corp., the parent company of Verlo Mattress Factory Stores, is introducing his new EcoSleep mattress line at the market here. EcoSleep is produced by Durable Products Co., another of Young's bedding companies.
The EcoSleep line, as the name suggests, emphasizes greener bedding components, including castor oil-based foams, charcoal-activated base foams and sustainable covers. The line of conventional and specialty beds is compressed and rolled to about one-third the normal size and is then shipped for a fraction of the normal shipping costs, Young said.
The beds are made in Whitewater, Wis., a fact that the company promotes with "made in the USA" messaging.
EcoSleep, showing with Gold Bond in the International Home Furnishings Center, space M-610, began distributing its products to Internet retailers and is now offering its line to all types of bedding retailers. The decision to show in High Point reflects the expanding distribution base.
Young said the eco-friendly nature of the mattresses is resonating with consumers, who are interested in better-quality products that offer strong margin potential. "Consumers are starting to learn more about their sleep environment and sleep products," he said.
The mattresses in the line retail from about $1,000 to about $1,900.
The models include memory foam and latex beds, as well as a new encased coil offering designed specifically to be compressed and rolled. EcoSleep also includes a number of airbeds, which are not rolled before shipping.
One of the new beds, Healthy Living, is designed to help athletes recover from strenuous workouts. It features Cool-Contour memory foam to conform to the body and better support and relieve sore muscles. The open cell structure and heat absorption properties of the foam help regulate body temperature. A polyester strip around the mattress also helps promote cooler sleep, as does the Coolmax high-performance fabric in the cover.
AT THE MARKET — Jeep Home, which markets a variety of products under the iconic Jeep brand name, is launching its first upholstered furniture line.
The line, which features sofas retailing for $999 in fabric and bonded leather, is designed to leverage the trustworthiness and durability associated with the brand name, said Duane Utt, vice president of sales.
"Jeep has a global presence that is huge," Utt said. "It's all about branding and marketing."
The sofas, which are built in Mexico, feature a lifetime warranty on the frame and foam, as well as fabric protection from Stoneguard. The line is being marketed under the "Live Without Limits" tagline.
Jeep Home's new showroom is space E-101, on the first floor of Union Square. The showroom also is displaying the successful Jeep line of office chairs, as well as prototypes for a second upholstery line called Jeep Conservation.
The Jeep Conservation line includes upholstered pieces built with Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood, soy-based foam and organic fabrics, Utt said
EDINA, Minn. — On the lower level of Room & Board's flagship store here, near the clean and casual furniture sold by the Top 100 company, is something that doesn't seem to fit.
It's a display of empty gallon milk and juice jugs suspended in rows from the ceiling by what looks like fishing line. Beside it is a sign that says this represents the amount of petroleum that could be saved with the purchase of 700 sofas with cushions made using Cargill's BiOH soy-based foam.
Cargill and Minneapolis neighbors the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and Room & Board partnered for a weekend consumer educational event called "Experience Soy Style: Be in the Knoh!" It drew consumers and got the point across that "small choices that add up to a large environmental impact."
The group is holding a press conference at 9:30 a.m. Monday in the International Home Furnishings Center's 11th floor Green Wing, Ballroom B, to discuss the program and conduct a roundtable discussion with some of the designers.
The campaign centers on a new SFC DesigninGreen Leadership Team of designers who are committed to promoting sustainable practices. SFC officials said the effort will be the nonprofit industry coalition's first big, concentrated effort to reach consumers since it was created in 2006.
Designers taking part will include Alexander Julian, who has a collection with Vaughan-Bassett; Thom Filicia of the Style network's "Dress My Nest," who has a line with Vanguard; Vladimir Kagan, an award-winning product designer; Angelo Surmelis of HGTV's "Rate My Space," who has the angelo:Home line with Handy Living; and brand icon Kathy Ireland, who has home furnishings lines with several companies.
Julian, Filicia and Kagan will take part in Monday's roundtable.
All the designers have agreed to allow their names and images to be used with a personal profile and statement about green issues. Full-page ads will appear later this year in shelter books such as Architectural Digest, Veranda, Traditional Home and Country Living, as well as trade publications.
"It's our first major effort with consumers to raise awareness and drive Web site traffic, which already is at 4,000 unique visitors a month with no effort," said Jeff Hiller, SFC President.
Hiller said the group has kept up its visibility by taking part in markets, including a recent one in Shanghai and an upcoming exhibit at the Cologne, Germany, show.
In China, the SFC took part in a conference on legal wood sourcing that drew some 380 registrants, including some Chinese government officials. The event was organized by the Rainforest Alliance, the World Wildlife Fund and the Nature Conservancy.
The SFC has added about one new member a day in recent months, Hiller said. The group also continues to focus on education, and upwards of 125 people have taken its Greenleaders program, a sustainability certification exam course, with more set to attend upcoming sessions.
"In total, we expect to have well over 200 go through this year and at least another 500 next year," Hiller said.
The SFC is also rolling out educational efforts with the New York School of Interior Design and Savannah College of Art and Design, he added.
Also recently, the group reported on its second national consumer survey, sponsored by World Market Center, with results that helped confirm last year's initial findings, Hiller said. The share of customers buying sustainable furnishings was still low at 8%, he said, although it was twice the level of last year.
Hiller said the survey found that purchase interest has significantly
increased, but more than 50% cite a lack of awareness and availability as a key
obstacle. The survey also found that 50% of consumers automatically assume that
a green product will cost more.
The survey also found almost 80% of consumers who would consider using an
interior designer have at least some interest in working with a "green"
designer, though 75% had never heard of one.
The program provides marketing intelligence for companies developing eco-friendly home furnishings. Companies don't have to be AHFA members to attend.
The summit is co-sponsored by Cargill's BiOH polyols business unit.
Headlining the opening day program is Miriam Arond, director of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, which recently launched the Good Housekeeping Green Seal. The Institute may add furnishings to product categories eligible for the Green Seal, the AHFA said.
Other speakers include:
• Suzanne Shelton, president and CEO of the Shelton Group, who will present custom research commissioned by the AHFA exploring how home furnishings companies can motivate mainstream consumers to make sustainable choices.
• Heather Gadonniex, a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED-certified professional and principal at MindClick, a sustainability consulting firm, will discuss existing certifications in a presentation called "The Promises and Pitfalls of Eco-Labels."
The presentation will untangle the web of certifications, rating standards and labels and describe the Environmental Product Declaration, a type of label that originates from ISO 14025 standards and is based on scientific data generated from a product life cycle assessment.
• Angela Nahikian, director of global environmental sustainability for Steelcase Inc., will share the company's progress toward the goal of reducing its global environmental footprint 25% by 2012 and the role suppliers are playing in achieving that goal.
A panel of suppliers, including representatives from Hickory Springs, Cargill, Columbia Forest Products and Leggett & Platt, will discuss their sustainable business practices.
The AHFA will also include an update on regulatory changes in advertising and marketing environmental attributes from Christie Grymes, a partner in the Washington office of Kelley Drye and chair of the law firm's Consumer Product Safety practice group.
The AHFA is assembling a panel of retailers for "Bridging the Gap: Communicating Green at Retail." Among the participants will be Andy Thornton of LaDifferénce in Richmond, Va., and Peggy Burns of Circle Furniture in Boston.
Manufacturer Kincaid Furniture will present a case study on policies and programs the company has used to reduce its environmental footprint.
The opening day will conclude with a reception where the winner of the 2009 Sage Award will be announced. The award recognizes excellence in home furnishings through sustainable business practices.
A limited number of rooms at $169 per night are available at the Proximity. Attendees should call the hotel at (800) 379-8200 or (336) 379-8200 and provide the group name, American Home Furnishings Alliance, to get the reduced rate.
 Scott Frisch |
Springs Creative is the 10th company to join the board, SSA officials said.
Frisch is the sales and merchandising manager in the Specialty Fabrics division of Springs Creative. Before joining the company, he spent 10 years as a consultant in the textiles and mattress industries, and was vice president of Sclavos USA, a textile machinery company.
"Having a representative of the textile component of our industry on our governing board will be extremely helpful as we create and set definitions, terms and standards of green products in the bedding industry," said SSA President Dale Read.
HICKORY, N.C. — Hickory Springs will promote its EarthCare Inside retail marketing program with a new consumer campaign that will play out like a reality game show, with a twist.
The major supplier to the furniture and bedding industries will kick off its "EarthCare Challenge" at the High Point Market, which opens Oct. 17.
That first-of-its-kind nationwide contest will chronicle, in a reality game show environment, the challenges of six contestants aspiring to live more sustainable lifestyles. The twist is that the game show will take place not on a TV set but on the Internet on social media sites. The online sites include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and EarthCareInside.com, the site that promotes Hickory Springs' line of eco-friendly components for upholstered furniture.
The contest provides a variety of promotional opportunities for retailers and manufacturers looking to promote their brands to the growing number of consumers interested in eco-friendly lifestyles and sustainable furniture, the company said.
"In creating our EarthCare Inside campaign for furniture dealers, our mission is to show consumers how positive change is possible - from the inside out," said Dwayne Welch, executive vice president of Hickory Springs. "We can't think of a better way for consumers to experience this message than by taking the EarthCare Challenge."
The nationwide call for entries runs from Oct. 17, the opening day of the
High Point Market, to Nov. 15. On Dec. 1, Hickory Springs will announce six
regional finalists, who will embark on a 45-day makeover.
The EarthCare Inside program was developed by Hickory Springs to offer furniture
manufacturers a range of environmentally friendly components, including seat
cushions made from its soy-based Preserve foam, springs forged from recycled
steel, webbing woven with 100% recycled Repreve yarn from Unifi and back cushion
fibers fashioned from recycled content.
A panel of EarthCare Inside green lifestyle experts will guide the finalists
toward their own sustainable lifestyle. The contestants' progress will be
chronicled through the social media sites, while the public at large is invited
to participate by voting for their favorite contestant and registering on
designated online sites for a chance to win special discounts and prizes.
The grand prize package, which will include a shopping spree of eco-friendly furniture, will be awarded in early 2010 to the contestant who has made the most dramatic makeover.
"The aspiration to live greener lifestyles inspires people of all ages to express themselves in a positive way," said Welch. "The EarthCare Challenge is a chance to share real experiences within a community that we're creating with our partners in the furnishings industry. It's a place where consumers can learn how to make more sustainable choices in their everyday lives."
For more information on the EarthCare Challenge, and to learn about promotional opportunities for home furnishings manufacturers, suppliers and retailers, contact Catherine Sarreal of Steinreich Communications at csarreal@scompr.com or at 201-498-1600, extension 107.
The initiative will incorporate environmentally friendly components from Hickory Springs throughout the Craftmaster line, which includes sofas, loveseats, chairs and sleepers. The effort will include the company's branded Better Homes & Gardens and Paula Deen product lines.
Craftmaster will start phasing in the EarthCare Inside program immediately, and the components will be part of its October introductions.
"As individuals and manufacturers, we all have a responsibility to do what we can to be good stewards of the environment," said Roy Calcagne, Craftmaster's president and CEO. "With the help of Hickory Springs, we are now building a product that will help reduce our environmental impact."
The EarthCare Inside program was developed by Hickory Springs to offer furniture manufacturers a range of environmentally friendly components, including seat cushions made from its soy-based Preserve foam, springs forged from recycled steel, webbing woven with 100% recycled Repreve yarn from Unifi and back cushion fibers fashioned from recycled content.
Preserve, the world's first bio-based foam, is a major component inside Craftmaster cushions. It replaces a portion of petrochemical-based ingredients with a reaction material made from a sustainable, renewable soy-based formula that provides cushioning quality and performance comparable to oil-based foam, the company said.
"Since our testing confirms that EarthCare Inside components perform as well, if not better, than the previous materials used, our customers can continue to count on the same level of quality and performance they've come to expect from Craftmaster," he said.
The Sept. 8-9 conference, organized by the Rainforest Alliance, the Chinese Academy of Forestry and the World Wildlife Fund, is called "Legal & Certified Forests and Forest Products in Asia Pacific: Harmonizing Policy and Practice."
This is the second annual event of its kind organized by the Rainforest Alliance, a nonprofit that promotes sustainable forestry practices.
Last year's event was held in Beijing. This year it is being held in conjunction with the Furniture China trade show, which runs from Sept. 9-12 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center.
The conference largely aims to explore public policies and business practices designed to bring legal and certified wood products to the marketplace.
This year's event is expected to draw more than 350 attendees, not including organizers and speakers, said Jeff Cao, a Rainforest Alliance representative who helped organize the event.
"The agenda is designed to reflect what is actually happening in the global forest products industry - including furniture," Cao told Furniture/Today. "So we will have government people come to speak on policy frameworks as a mandatory approach to combat illegal logging and promote sustainable forestry. We also have invited industry people to share their perspectives on these new laws and policies and how they respond to these regulations."
SFC President Jeff Hiller will present as part of a panel discussion called "Factory to Store: Marketing Legal and Sustainable Timber." He will discuss the marketing of sustainable furniture in the U.S. and how the issue is approached by suppliers, manufacturers and retailers.
"We see it as an opportunity to provide our point of view to these incredibly important manufacturers over there," Hiller said. "We want to reach out and communicate with these people and bring our message out to them.... Since the U.S. is an important market for these manufacturers, we hope they are interested in these issues."
After the conference, Hiller will visit manufacturers at the trade show to discuss the SFC and what it is doing to educate the industry about sustainable furniture and how it is helping to promote the marketing and sales of such products in the U.S.
The award honors sustainable business practices in the home furnishings and bedding categories. Manufacturers, designers and retailers are eligible to apply for the award, which is sponsored by Cargill's BiOH polyols business unit.
Nominees must demonstrate significant accomplishments in reducing a company's environmental footprint.
The original deadline for entries was Sept. 4.
Three finalists will be announced during the fall High Point Market, which runs Oct. 17-22. The winner will be presented with the Sage Award Dec. 2 at the AHFA's Sustainability Summit in Greensboro, N.C.
Entries will be judged by a panel of experts from the home furnishings industry and environmental and social organizations in a blind evaluation - company names will be removed from the applications and will not be shared with judges during the process.
Applicants do not have to be AHFA members or use Cargill's BiOH polyols.
Furniture manufacturer Hickory Chair won the first Sage Award last year.
The SFC and Koelnmesse Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of show organizer Koelnmesse GmbH, will co-organize the exhibit.
The SFC is a nonprofit industry coalition formed in 2006 to promote sustainable furniture production practices among manufacturers, retailers and consumers.
The SFC Pavilion at IMM Cologne will aim to reach retailers, architects, designers and consumers with educational information about sustainable practices in the home furnishings industry. As part of that effort, it is looking to recruit around 10 member companies to show a variety of their sustainable products.
The SFC also will organize a seminar called "Green Sell," which will address how to market and sell sustainable home furnishings.
For information on the SFC exhibit, contact Koelnmesse's Ken Dickerson at (773) 326-9926 or k.dickerson@koelnmessenafta.com.
The producer, based here, will host a "Tweet Up Event" in its World Market Center showroom (A-950) at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15.
"The organic, green community is already so vibrant and so strong, and our retailers have really done a great job in reaching out to this community to make a very impactful presence for our brand as the leader in natural bedding and mattresses," said Julia Rosien, Natura's communications director.
The Tweet Up will begin with a cocktail reception and will be followed by a panel of Natura dealers, who will discuss the importance of connecting with the organic community through the use of social media such as Twitter.
 Leslie Carothers |
 Kelly Peterson |
 Jessica Koster |
 Manoj Nigam |
 Lillian August |
 Susan Inglis |
The award was among several presented at an evening gala here in conjunction with WithIt's annual Education Conference.
The organization develops leadership, mentoring, education and career opportunities for women in the home furnishings industry. The President's Award is given to a member whose leadership, willingness and passion for WithIt and the furniture industry is instrumental to the success of both, a WithIt press release said.
Four recipients were honored with the organization's annual WOW Awards:
• Jessica Koster, marketing manager for soy-based cushion product supplier Cargill's BiOH Polyols, was given The Future Leader Award, for someone under 40 years old whose has demonstrated potential to become an industry leader. Others nominated in the category were Renee Loper of Aspenhome and Monica Hill of Simmons Co.
• Manoj Nigam, CEO and president of software supplier MicroD, received WithIt's Mentoring Award, given to an executive or organization that has fostered the development of women in their company. Other nominees were Catherine Morsell of the International Textile Market Assn. and Karen Tucker of Furniture Transport Group.
• Susan Inglis, executive director of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, received the Education Award. The award is given for the creation of programs to educate associates, retailers or consumers about home furnishings. Sharron Bradley of the Western Home Furnishings Assn. and Jerry Epperson of Mann, Armistead & Epperson also were nominated.
• Lillian August, director of design licensing for her company, Lillian August Designs, won the Legacy Award, given to a woman who has made significant lifetime contributions to the home furnishings industries.
WithIt also recognized Kelly Peterson, group advertising director for Hearst Corp., for her years of service on the board of directors.
Alix Marissa Bulleit, a student at the University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture, was recognized as the 2009 Jena and Stephen Hall Scholarship recipient.
Bob Schoenfeld, quality control manager
for Scandinavian Designs, has been working to gain support for one sell-through
period for floor samples and has been in talks with officials from the
California Air Resources Board.
Click here to read a letter he wrote to a CARB official in May.
New California formaldehyde limits took effect in January. The regulation sets caps on emissions allowed from composite panel products including hardwood plywood, particleboard and medium density fiberboard (MDF) - materials commonly used in furniture.
As the rules are currently written, furniture retailers will have to sell off their floor samples twice - once when the deadline for Phase I hits on July 1, 2010, and again by the lower-emission Phase II deadline on July 1, 2011.
But instead of having to sell off non-compliant inventories twice, Schoenfeld suggests that furniture retailers sell non-compliant floor samples at the beginning of the rule's second phase. Because of weak economic conditions, Schoenfeld argues that stores should be able to keep their current floor samples until the Phase II deadline in 2011.
He said in his May letter to CARB that if the rule remains unchanged, Scandinavian Designs will have to sell off $8 million in floor samples and back-up inventory twice. The retailer's parent, which operates Scandinavian Designs, Plummers and Dania stores, operates 39 stores including 22 in California.
CARB has already extended some deadlines for compliance with formaldehyde rules, as they apply to distributors of composite panel. But it hasn't amended the deadlines for retailers of finished goods.
Schoenfeld added that he also is encouraging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which is considering adopting California's rule, to take a close look at issues that arise as part of CARB's sell-through dates to avoid similar problems with any potential national formaldehyde rule.
AHFA created EFEC more than 10 years ago, but says the program has gained momentum in the past two years as the industry has taken a greater interest in environmentalism, and in savings that usually arise from efforts to conserve energy and recycle.
"La-Z-Boy Inc. has always placed a high level of importance on the environment and, over the years, has adopted numerous practices and principles throughout its facilities to help preserve it," said Kurt Darrow, CEO. "The AHFA's EFEC program has helped us gain momentum in our environmental stewardship, and we are continuing to instill a culture throughout our organization to be an environmentally-responsible citizen."
La-Z-Boy's largest upholstery plant is its 1.2 million-square-foot facility in Dayton, Tenn. From 2007 to 2008, the EFEC team in Dayton reduced energy usage by 12%, and trimmed electrical costs by 1.3%, even with a 23% rate hike. Natural gas consumption dropped by 50% and water consumption decreased by 23%.
But the most dramatic numbers in Dayton's report were dollars earned rather than dollars saved. Improving efforts to sort and segregate recyclable materials from the solid waste stream - and to identify sales opportunities for those recyclable materials - resulted in $1.9 million in recycling revenue in 2008. Landfill waste was reduced by 214,000 pounds (8.7%), while 9.5 million pounds of recycled materials were used as a fuel source for on-site boilers.
In addition to the Dayton facility, La-Z-Boy operates upholstery factories in Newton, Miss.; Redlands, Calif.; Neosho, Mo.; and Siloam Springs, Ark. Aggregated results for the entire division included:
• Reduced electrical use by more than 9%;
• Decreased natural gas consumption by nearly 25%;
• Reduced water consumption at three plants totaling 6.68 million gallons;
• More than 2 million additional pounds of waste diverted from landfills (14.7 % reduction); and,
• More than 50 million pounds of material recycled or reused.
"We allowed the EFEC teams within each plant the flexibility to create their own programs tailored to their site-specific needs," said Rod Miller, La-Z-Boy's director of environmental affairs.
La-Z-Boy Residential joins a growing list of furniture manufacturers that have EFEC-registered facilities, including Sam Moore, a division of Hooker Furniture; American Drew, Lea Inds., Kincaid Furniture and Hammary, all part of La-Z-Boy's Casegoods Division; Bernhardt Furniture; C.R. Laine; Fairfield Chair; Hickory Chair; and Vaughan-Bassett.
The Green Initiative is aimed at developing common set of definitions, terms, standards and processes to reduce consumer confusion about the environmental impact of specific bedding products. The goal arose from the first Green Initiative Conference the SSA held in Florida in May.
"This group of nine top industry executives from prominent bedding companies will appoint and direct the recruitment of the working committee to carry out the Green Initiative," said Dale Read, president of the SSA, who will serve as a 10th, ex-officio member. "Our goal is to bring on board at least 40 to 50 top mattress industry manufacturers and suppliers to serve as the real working committee to create these definitions, terms and standards."
Members of the Green Initiative governing board are:
• Ralph Rossdeutscher, president and CEO, Natura World
• Jeff Scorziell, president, Anatomic Global
• Martin Rawls-Meeham, manager, Reverie
• Anne Kozel, specialty sleep brand director, Simmons
• Bart DeHaerne, president, Deslee Textiles, USA
• Jim Wall, general manager, I Care Sleep Products
• Mark Larusso, vice president, Jeffco Fibres
• Gerry Borreggine, president and CEO, Therapedic
• Kevin Stein, vice president marketing/R&D, Latex International
In addition to recruiting the working committee, the board will determine outside sources needed to carry out the mission of the Green Initiative.