Columbia, MD - American Wood Fibers, Inc. (AWF), a leading producer of wood pellet fuel and the largest manufacturer of wood shavings and wood flour products in the U.S, announced that the company has earned industry qualification under the Pellet Fuels Institute (PFI) “Pellet Fuels Standards Program”. AWF is the first company to qualify both hardwood and softwood fuel pellet products and is one of only three companies to earn the designation, which indicates compliance with the most rigorous standards in the industry. AWF is now authorized to display the new PFI quality mark on their fuel pellet products.

“American Wood Fiber’s qualification to the PFI Standards Program is another milestone in its longstanding commitment to consistent, high quality products and delivering the best value available in all the markets we serve,” said AWF President and CEO, Ed Leland.

The PFI Standards Program is an independent third party auditing and qualification program which, for the first time in the pellet industry, provides uniform standards for manufacturing process control, quality assurance and product performance. The program was established in 2012 as a mechanism to assure consumers and retailers that pellet fuel consistency and quality matches the manufacturer claims.

The qualification, which applies to both AWF pellet producing sites, in Circleville, OH and Marion, VA, is the culmination of work done in conjunction with the PFI and Timber Products Inspections (TPI) over the last year. "We're pleased that American Wood Fibers has joined the PFI Standards Program, demonstrating their commitment to producing quality fuel and supporting increased consumer awareness and satisfaction about the products they are purchasing from the pellet fuels industry” said PFI executive director Jennifer Hedrick. Chris Wiberg, manager of Biomass Energy Services at TPI said "American Wood Fibers has gone to great lengths to put in place a very robust quality management system within their facilities. As a result, their pellet production plants are now compliant with the PFI Standard and have been qualified by Timber Products Inspection. I offer my congratulations to the management and staff of these facilities for a job well done."

“A lot of work has gone into this process and we’re very proud to have achieved independent verification that we are delivering wood fuel pellets that are among the best available,” said Rich Whiting, vice president of Equine, Pet and Pellet Sales and Marketing for AWF. American Wood Fibers was founded in 1966 and is a leader in the field of specialty forestry products. In addition to the AWF fuel pellet division, the company offers industrial wood flour and natural bedding and litter products for large and small animals. AWF also contract manufactures for a large group of well-known private label partners. Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, AWF has ten manufacturing sites across the continental U.S.

Source: AWF