High Point, N.C. – The American Home Furnishings Alliance and Cargill BiOH® polyols today announced the three finalists in the second annual Sage Award competition: Century Furniture, Hickory, N.C.; Copeland Furniture, Bradford, Vt.; and La-Z-Boy, Monroe, Mich.

The award program was launched to recognize environmental accomplishments within the home furnishings and bedding industries. “A sage is someone who is widely respected for wisdom, experience and judgment,” explains AHFA CEO Andy Counts. “This award was created by AHFA and Cargill BiOH polyols to seek out, discover and recognize true industry innovators from whom all of us can learn.”

The competition was open to retail, manufacturing and supplier companies in both the furniture and bedding industries. Ten entries were received. “This year’s entries highlight how pervasive the quest for environmental excellence has become within the home furnishings industry,” observes Bill Perdue, vice president of environmental affairs for the AHFA. “Some entries represented very large companies, others very small ones. Some were public companies; others were privately-held and family-owned. Some were manufacturers, and some were retailers. What they shared was a belief that environmental excellence is an ongoing journey. Their successes required flexibility, insight and a sustained commitment.”

Century Furniture is a family-owned furniture manufacturer in business for more than 60 years. The company has recently implemented a comprehensive environmental management system within each of its domestic manufacturing plants, and this has resulted in dramatic reductions in energy use, water consumption and waste disposal. Aggressive recycling and resource conservation have become part of the corporate culture as a result of this program.

In addition to instilling the core values of conservation and environmental stewardship throughout their entire manufacturing operation, Century also has begun incorporating sustainability into its product design.

In addition to manufacturing in the United States, Century also procures goods from around the world, both as component parts and as finished products. Among the accomplishments noted by the Sage Award judges was Century’s efforts to push sustainable practices throughout its global supply chain.

Copeland Furniture engaged in “green” manufacturing practices long before eco-friendly became a trend in the residential furniture industry. The company holds a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain of custody certificate and currently manufactures eight product groups that qualify for FSC on-product labeling. They are one of the founding members of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, and one of only eight companies worldwide that qualify for the Council’s silver exemplary status.

Their environmental initiatives touch every aspect of operations. Sustainably-grown raw materials come from within 100 to 500 miles of the plant. Ninety percent of the electricity used to power their manufacturing equipment comes from sources that are low emission. They are converting their heating plant from oil-fired hot water to wood-fired and using their own waste scrap as fuel. They are taking steps to reduce the use of non-recyclable materials in product packaging and are working with finish suppliers to formulate finishes that use water as the primary solvent. They’ve stopped printing their catalog and now post it entirely on the Internet. Despite all of these accomplishments, this company views sustainability as an ongoing process of improvement, rather than as a finite goal.

As part of La-Z-Boy’s core values, they have adopted a strong commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable business practices. Altogether, 11 different domestic manufacturing facilities all across the country have implemented a comprehensive environmental management system to both systematize and accelerate sustainable practices throughout the corporation.

La-Z-Boy’s sustainability initiatives are helping them accomplish significant improvements in energy and water conservation, as well as in waste reduction. In 2008, they used almost 27,000 tons of renewable fuels. They reduced water consumption by more than 6 million gallons, and they recycled or reused more than 50 million pounds of material that previously would have gone to a landfill. Importantly, La-Z-Boy also is now introducing moderately-priced, eco-friendly products under a brand name that millions of consumers recognize.

In addition, La-Z-Boy has a retail group of 68 company-owned stores that have also taken steps to minimize their environmental footprint by implementing energy and waste conservation measures. Across this retail network, the company is in the process of replacing 27,000 light bulbs with eco-friendly alternatives. The store merchandising team has even started a “Go Green!” newsletter to encourage further conservation and recycling efforts.

“What an incredible opportunity this industry leader has to demonstrate the effectiveness of structural changes and strategic initiatives that are dedicated to continual environmental improvement,” said Perdue in announcing La-Z-Boy as the third finalist.

The panel of seven Sage Award judges included representatives from the home furnishings and bedding industries, from environmental and social organizations, from the trade press and academia. They included: Nancy Butler, Editor-in-Chief of Sleep Savvy Magazine, a publication of the International Sleep Products Association; Jerry Epperson, managing partner with Mann, Armistead and Epperson; Mary Frye, Executive Director of the Home Furnishings Independents Association; Susan Inglis, Executive Director of the Sustainable Furnishings Council; Leanne Powell, Manager of National Corporate Leadership for United Way of America; Sheila Long O’Mara, Editor-in-Chief for Home Furnishings Business; and Steve Walker, of the Furniture Manufacturing and Management Center at North Carolina State University.

Judges scored the entries on their sustainable practices, social responsibility and profitable growth.

The three finalists will be spotlighted and the 2009 winner will be announced at a reception on December 2 during the all-industry Sustainability Summit at the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, N.C., also sponsored by Cargill’s BiOH Polyols.