HIGH POINT, NC – The American Home Furnishings Alliance announced the winners of the 2011 environmental leadership awards last month at the 2012 Sustainability Summit in Raleigh, NC. The awards recognize both individuals and companies that have helped develop environmental and safety solutions within the home furnishings industry.

“AHFA presents these awards, because we know we could not effectively advocate for our industry if we didn’t have individuals to provide ‘the face’ of home furnishings manufacturing to legislators and regulators,” AHFA CEO Andy Counts said in a statement.

The 2011 recipients of the Environmental Leadership Award are Barry Branscome, vice president/ director of engineering and environmental compliance at Vaughan-Bassett, and Mike Zimmerman, innovation and sustainability scientist for Sauder Woodworking.

Branscome and Zimmerman were recognized for their dedication to AHFA, the residential furniture industry, as well as to their respective companies. Both also participated on trips to Washington, DC, in 2011 to educate legislators and regulators about the compliance challenges presented by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), formaldehyde emissions standards, the Environmental Protection Agency’s boiler rule and other environmental and safety regulations. In addition, Branscome serves on the Board of Examiners for AHFA’s environmental management programs, EFEC and Sustainable by Design.

Century Furniture received AHFA’s Environmental Excellence Award for its "exemplary environmental management and an ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship." All three of Century’s domestic manufacturing facilities were registered in the EFEC environmental management program in 2009, and the company completed Sustainable by Design registration in 2010, thereby extending sustainable practices throughout its supply chain. The company’s vice president of global logistics, Roger Jones, participated on a committee that helped develop and review AHFA’s new Responsible Sourcing Manual.

Barbara Nuckles, director of regulatory affairs for Ashley Furniture, received the new 2011 Product Safety Leadership Award. Nuckles was cited for her work “above and beyond the normal call of duty,” including participation in face-to-face meetings with EPA, CPSC and CARB staff.

AHFA also recognized Assured Products Group as environmental Supplier of the Year. In addition to its participaton in association summits and webcasts, in July, AHFA announced a strategic partnership with APG on an industry-specific “compliance advisor” software program that helps companies maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation for chain of custody, general conformance certificates, Lacey Act compliance and more.