Smith & Fong To Produce World’s First FSC-Certified Bamboo Architectural Plywood And Flooring
SMITH & FONG
Press Release
For Immediate Release
September 9, 2008
Contact:
John McIsaac
503-481-9621
SMITH & FONG TO PRODUCE WORLD’S FIRST FSC-CERTIFIED
BAMBOO ARCHITECTURAL PLYWOOD AND FLOORING
San Francisco, Calif. – Smith & Fong Co., manufacturer of Plyboo® bamboo architectural plywood and flooring, has secured certification according to the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and established a responsibly managed bamboo forest resource, enabling the company to produce the world’s first range of FSC-certified bamboo plywood and flooring.
Smith & Fong will exhibit at this year’s West Coast Green, a large residential green-building tradeshow that is scheduled for September 25-27 in San Jose, California. The company will display its products on the show floor in booths #262 and #264.
“The independent European FSC-certifier Institut für Marktökologie (IMO) was impressed with our forestry practices and agreed that if we could meet the same FSC standards for a tree forest, it would certify our bamboo source,” Smith & Fong president and founder Dan Smith said. “We have been working with the bamboo forests and telling our story for more than a decade now, and we’re grateful to both FSC and IMO for validating our efforts.”
“We are pleased that Smith & Fong has expanded the North American marketplace for certified products by offering bamboo plywood and flooring with the FSC label,” FSC-US president Corey Brinkema said. “FSC is the world’s most highly respected certification for forest products. Whether a product is made of a traditional wood species, or a less traditional non-timber forest resource like bamboo, it is important for consumers to know that the forest is being managed to high social and environmental standards.”
Smith & Fong’s certified Plyboo products will qualify for the FSC Pure designation, as they are 100-percent FSC material from an FSC-certified forest and have been sold and/or processed by an FSC chain-of-custody certified company. Smith further stated that the company’s sources use no irrigation, pesticides or fertilizers in growing their bamboo. “This is not only a success for the forests and the farmers who grow our bamboo,” he said. “It’s a victory for everyone who believes in an environmentally responsible future.”
Smith & Fong’s chain of custody (COC) certificate is from the SmartWood program of the Rainforest Alliance: SW-COC-003124.
Founded in 1989 and headquartered in San Francisco, Smith & Fong Co. was the first U.S. company to manufacture bamboo flooring in China for sale in North America, offering its initial product under the brand name Plyboo® in 1993. In 1996 the firm began producing bamboo plywood, followed by coconut palm flooring and plywood products in 2000. Smith & Fong is committed to sustainability through innovation. For information call 866-835-9859 or visit http://plyboo.com.
