Wayland, New York – Jan. 14, 2015 – Leading contract furniture manufacturer Gunlocke is one of the first companies to successfully complete stringent certification under the new and improved ANSI/BIFMA e3-2014e Furniture Sustainability Standard.

All existing Gunlocke product lines have met the rigorous qualifications imposed by this standard, achieving a level® 2 rating valid until the end of 2017. This gives architects, designers, specifiers and dealers, as well as their clients, peace of mind in knowing that all Gunlocke products, from chairs to desk systems to conference tables and lounge seating and more, are certified as sustainable through this new standard.

“Gunlocke’s history in attaining stringent sustainability ratings for its products and manufacturing processes goes back to 2008 when it was among the first in the industry to attain level® certification,” notes Roy Green, Gunlocke’s director of Stewardship and Sustainability. “These new, more stringent standards have allowed Gunlocke to remain a leader in designing and manufacturing furniture with the environment in mind.”

The new ANSI/BIFMA e3-2014e certification process requires applicants to undergo a factory audit and provide extensive documentation from across the enterprise, including material attributes of all products produced, plant energy use, company social responsibility and more. The level ratings of 1, 2 or 3 are dependent on an applicant’s score from these evaluations.

Gunlocke's level 2 rating also ties into the LEED rating system, providing architects, designers, specifiers and contract furniture dealers with a surefire means to enable LEED Pilot Credits toward LEED environmental certification for their clients when they select Gunlocke furniture in an installation. The Pilot Credit program both recognizes and incentivizes products that have undergone third-party certification for compliance with rigorous sustainability and social responsibility standards, and includes recognition of the ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard and level® program.

All of Gunlocke’s existing products contribute the LEED Pilot Credit 80: Environmentally Preferable Interior Finishes and Furnishings, which allows project teams to earn an innovation point -- points that add toward LEED certification -- by specifying products that are designed with both environmental and social responsibility in mind.

Gunlocke’s level 2-certified products also contribute to the new LEED V4 Pilot Credit for Social Equity, which was designed to address the concept of social equity in all aspects of a building and the people it impacts. This includes construction workers, designers, engineers and other project team members; the surrounding community; and even those with a role in the building material supply chain. The supply chain credit promotes sourcing materials manufactured under ethical, socially responsible conditions.

“These contributions are important to A&D professionals when they assist customers in accruing LEED points for their projects, often resulting in such things as tax benefits and fast-track permitting. It also provides architects and designers with a way to substantiate their own commitment to sustainability,” Green says. “Sustainability certifications also easily enable government purchasers to demonstrate environmentally preferable products that keep in step with GSA and other government ‘green’ requirements.”

Gunlocke’s participation in third-party sustainability initiatives ties into the company’s overall Design for the Environment (DfE) program. This program provides the company with a platform for incorporating sustainable elements into all of its products, throughout their lifecycles.

“Our DfE-designed products are meant to be durable, repairable and upgradable,” Green says. “They truly are designed with end of life in mind.”