With sustainablilty at the forefront of concerns today, woodworkers continue to seek new ways to lower emissions, green their products and reduce their carbon footprint.    

OFM Inc., Holly Springs, NC — Office and school furniture manufacturer OFM has announced plans to install a second 250-kilowatt solar farm on the rooftop of its headquarters, scheduled to be complete by the end of 2011. OFM installed its first 250-kilowatt solar farm in 2010, which consists of 1,042 solar panels generating 322,500 kilowatts of energy each year. The energy is sold to Progress Energy, as part of its SunSense Commercial Solar PV program.

Already, the company has been producing more energy than it can use, said Abel Zalcberg, co-founder and CEO of OFM. “We have been very happy with the success of this initiative which has certified us as carbon neutral and a renewable energy facility,” he says.

GREEN PROFILES

Watson Furniture Group, Poulsbo, WA
The contract furniture maker reduced its PVC usage by 25% by converting to 1.5mm edgebanding in its Watson Desking brand products. According  to Greg Kooistra, vice president of engineering, Watson also will continue to exploit niche markets. Sales in 2010 grew 44.4%.

The Routers Edge Woodworking Inc., Dania, FL
On the heels of its 17.9% growth, plans call for the custom cabinet and mouldings manufacturer to continue improving  its efficiency and increasing the usage of green materials. “Green products are becoming the new craze here in Miami,” says Thomas Siculietano, president.

Martell Wood Solutions, Guadalupe, Mexico
With environmental concerns in mind, the wood products company is investing in equipment to control VOC emissions and wood dust, says Jose Martinez, engineer.

Designcore, Brooklyn, NY
Sales grew 2.6% in 2010, and the millwork company is looking to continue its growth by improving its production efficiency and using green materials “to save the environment,” says Frank Ianno, president.

Gunlocke, Wayland, NY
The Green Calculator tool, located on Gunlocke’s website, enables customers to quickly calculate the benefits of using its wood contract furniture in a LEED project.

Steelcase, Grand Rapids, MI
The office furniture giant was named a Michigan Green Leader for its efforts in sustainability and environmental innovation. Steelcase began shipping products using EcoCradle packaging in 2010.