To quote Kermit the Frog – “It’s not easy being green.”

That being true, we here at Fancher Chair are working constantly to be more green. One of the problems is what does one do to be “more green”?  There are several measures of “greenness” which include LEED, SFI, FSC, SBD and EFEC.  Are you confused yet?

Perhaps we can help with some description of acronyms:

• The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.  The LEED certification process will move to the Green Building Certification Institute in January 2009 and at this time furniture itself does not qualify for LEED certification.

• Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) program is based on the premise that responsible environmental behavior and sound business decisions can co-exist

• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)®  is a non-profit organization devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world's forests.

• Sustainable by Design (SBD) – is a macro look at a company’s environmental footprint and culture.

• Enhancing Furniture’s Environmental Culture (EFEC) – is a micro look at a company’s environmental footprint and culture.
  Both SBD and EFEC are programs sponsored by The American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA).

Fancher Chair has a number of initiatives which we are following.  Goals include the reduction of reliance on fossil fuels, utilizing lower VOC or HAPS finishes, increasing our use of certified harvested woods, waste reduction including energy, water as well as raw materials.

Examples of some of the initiatives currently underway at Fancher are listed below:

• Finish – Fancher Chair finishes meets and exceeds the “Greenguard” standards for finish. As of Sept. of 2008 we have begun product development for water based top coat system. It is our hope that by the beginning of 2009 will have implemented the water based top coat system. This will reduce our HAPS and VOC’s significantly.
  
  
• Raw Materials – Fancher Chair has “FSC” certification for “Chain of Custody” for projects this certification is required. Fancher Chair, for the most part, uses lumber from forests that are SFI certified or PEFC certified.
  
  
• Packaging – Fancher Chair uses recycled corrugated materials whenever possible. We also encourage our customers to ship their products uncartoned whenever practical. This saves the customer packaging cost as well as keeps the used cartons out of the waste stream.
  
  
• Leed Credits – Several of the products made at Fancher Chair can be used for Leed credits in the correct application.
  
  
• Waste Stream Reduction–  The sawdust generated at Fancher Chair is used for livestock bedding. The solid wood waste is used for heat and cooking in the Amish community. Our waste corrugated materials is collected and recycled.

What else are we doing?

• We are currently researching utilizing our wood waste for comfort heat in the plant.
• We are converting our lighting system to the T8 fluorescent lights to cut our energy usage.
• Whenever possible we are converting our electric motors to the new solid state energy efficient electric motors.
• We actively participate in the Energy Curtailment Program.

Fancher Chair has been sited at the same location for over 200 years. We feel a strong commitment to our neighborhood and strive to be the best environmental neighbor possible.