Sustainable Resources
It’s easy to see Conestoga Wood Specialties’ commitment to high quality craftsmanship; but what you don’t see in our finished product is the responsibility and care we take in the renewable and sustainable resources that are a part of Conestoga’s long standing core values. Responsible practices are built into our company’s entire operation from lumber procurement and dimensioning processes right through to the manufacturing of all products we make.
Awareness and support of the environmental responsibilities that we all share is at the heart of everything we do. These are not newly discovered values, but deeply rooted principles that reflect who we are. Our Pennsylvania Dutch heritage laid the solid foundation for good stewardship in the use of our resources. Wastefulness has never been an option.
Sustainable Resources… Conestoga is committed to supporting sustainable forestry, believing it is the key to protecting the environment and natural resources our industry depends on. The vast majority of our incoming lumber is harvested and processed by companies that embrace sustainable environmentally sound forestry practices. Most of our Cherry, Hard Maple, Paint Grade, Soft Maple, Red Oak, White Oak, Red Birch, White Birch, Hickory and Rift and Quarter Sawn White and Red Oaks are purchased from managed forests within a 500 mile radius of Conestoga factories.
Certified . . . The majority of our suppliers that provide these thirteen species are certified under one of six certified programs: the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), Canadian Standards Association (CSA), Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), American Tree Farm (ATF), and International Organization for Standardization (ISO14001). Over 70% of the lumber purchased in 2011 was certified under one of these six umbrellas. However, Chain of Custody certificates from our suppliers to Conestoga and then to our customers are not valid, as Conestoga is not certified as Chain of Custody from any of these certifying programs.
Environmental Responsibility . . . Conestoga Wood Specialties’ commitment to the environment extends much further than the sourcing of our natural resources. It includes stringent internal environmental standards and social outreach programs in areas surrounding each of our locations. There are many facets to our initiatives that encompass nearly every segment of our business and are vital components to Conestoga being a green company.
We manage our resources, not just the lumber we use to make our products.
We are constantly exploring new ways to reduce power consumption through both process improvements and equipment upgrades.
We’ve adopted an aggressive recycling policy that covers everything from scrap wood to paper/cardboard to used oil.
We purchase only composite materials that meet the California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulations for formaldehyde emissions.
We work closely with adhesive suppliers to source low-VOC glues as well as low-emitting or no added urea formaldehyde glues.
We’ve developed paperless technology to process customer’s purchase orders. Since the inception of this program, we’ve avoided using over 2 million sheets of paper.
We’ve received environmental awards recognizing our efforts in the area of pollution avoidance.
Conestoga was the first associate member of the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturer’s Association (KCMA) to receive Environmental Stewardship Program certification. ESP certification approves our practices and procedures as they relate to air quality, product resource management, process resource management, community relations, and environmental stewardship.
Our roots are deep . . . they are rooted in our heritage to be responsible with what we’ve been given and to manage it well. That makes it natural for us to embrace sound environmental practices. It’s not new to us, it’s who we are!
Michael J. Crouse
Product Manager – Kitchen and Bath Division
