High Point, NC (October 21, 2008) – The American Home Furnishings Alliance and Cargill BiOH® polyols today announced the three finalists in the inaugural Sage Award competition: Cisco Brothers of Los Angeles, Calif.; Hickory Chair Company, Hickory, N.C.; and Valley Forge, Pompano Beach, Fla.

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.”

Fourteen entries were received representing retail companies, manufacturers and suppliers to the industry. “This is an extraordinary group of companies,” observes Yusuf Wazirzada, business unit leader for Cargill’s BiOH polyols business. “They share a belief that environmental excellence is an ongoing journey, but their stories highlight how different that journey can be for individual companies. Their successes required flexibility, insight and a sustained commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility.”

Cisco Brothers was founded in 1990 to design and manufacture high-end sustainable furniture using natural materials. Product components include Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified hardwoods; upholstery fabrics from natural materials such as hemp, flax, jute or yak blend; water-based glues; and reclaimed hardwoods for a collection of case goods. These sustainable products are the natural outgrowth of a company anchored by a strong sense of social responsibility.

After the 1992 Los Angeles riots, founder Cisco Pinedo decided to remain in the heart of South Central Los Angeles. It was a risky business decision for the fledgling company, but Pinedo saw the need to revitalize his ailing childhood neighborhood. The success of Cisco Brothers has been a critical component in the redevelopment of the entire area surrounding the business, providing training programs and secure employment for many families.

In 2006, Pinedo looked out over a dilapidated, 300,000-square-foot industrial building in High Point and once again saw an opportunity for renewal. The 100-year-old Mill Village building sits on 23 acres of land containing a stream, a forest and natural wetlands. Largely abandoned for 40 years, Cisco Brothers gave the structure a new life supporting art and design. Now home to the company’s High Point showroom, Mill Village represents thousands of pounds of regenerated wood, steel, brick and other raw materials.

In contrast to young Cisco Brothers, Sage finalist Hickory Chair is a 97-year-old company. Through an extraordinary level of employee involvement at all levels, this company has thrived while all around the region furniture factories have been shuttered. And, when this group of 570 dedicated and passionate workers turned their attention to environmental stewardship, the results were sure to be nothing short of remarkable.

Employees implemented more than 1,200 improvements in 2007. Most dealt with better machine utilization, reduced energy consumption, process improvements that eliminated rework or wasted materials, elimination of non-value-added operations, improved productivity and reduced energy and material usage. So far another 900 ideas have been submitted in 2008 – and 92 percent have been implemented. Specifically, in 2007-2008:

• Waste reduction has eliminated the rental of one 40-yard container and one 8-yard container and reduced the number of “pulls” made for the remaining containers. In 2007, Hickory Chair reduced its landfill waste by 178 tons; in 2008, another 125-ton reduction is estimated.
• A wood grinder has improved use of wood scrap as boiler fuel and resulted in a $450,000 savings in fuel oil expenses last year.
• Recycling programs now reuse, repurpose, recycle or reclaim the following waste streams: cardboard, fabric, leather, plastic, string, aluminum cans, plastic drink bottles, paper, metal, wood, cotton, ink toner, electronic equipment, fluorescent lamps, batteries, pallets, packaging materials, tooling, foam and equipment containing mercury.

Hickory Chair has implemented these and many more effective environmental programs and practices while growing its profitability. No plant closings or layoffs have been necessary in the past five years. In the past three years the workforce has grown by an average of 30 employees per year. Prices have been held for over five years while employees have still received raises and bonuses.

The third Sage finalist, Valley Forge, is a textile manufacturer for upholstery, bedding and drapery to hotels, furniture manufacturers and cruise ships. A family-owned and operated business since 1977, Valley Forge has made the preservation of the planet and its resources a top priority since 2002. In 2007, after several years of research, the company launched FRESH – Fabrics Redefining Environmental Standards for Hospitality. FRESH fabrics are made from synthetic yarns derived from pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled products (mostly post-consumer PET plastic beverage bottles). FRESH fabrics are 100 percent recycled content.

Because of their unique construction, FRESH fabrics are recyclable, so Valley Forge established a reclamation program to transport FRESH fabrics to a recycling facility at the end of their life cycle – which is surprisingly short. In fact, hotels replace their upholstery every five to seven years and, until FRESH was developed, they threw away bedding every 18-24 months. The decorative textiles that fill a hotel room – from upholstered furniture to draperies, bedding, shower curtains, cushions and throws – now have the possibility of being diverted from landfills.

Valley Forge works on more than 1,100 hotels per year out of its Pompano Beach, Fla., headquarters. Each hotel ranges in size from 100 rooms to 5,200 rooms – making the potential impact of FRESH fabrics on the environment tremendous. FRESH fabrics keep millions of pounds of waste from entering landfills. The used fabrics are simply picked up from the property’s loading dock, delivered to the closest fabric recycler, then chopped up and melted down into plastics for the automotive industry or foam for upholstered furniture cushions. Life Cycle Assessments are underway for various products in the company’s line at this time.

The panel of 10 Sage Award judges included representatives from the home furnishings and bedding industries, from environmental and social organizations, and from both the trade and consumer press. They included: Ray Allegrezza, Editor-in-Chief of Furniture/Today; Seth Bauer, Vice President, Editorial Director of National Geographic’s Green Guide; Derick Belden, Executive Editor of Southern Living Magazine; Steve DeHaan, Executive Vice President of the National Home Furnishings Association; Richard Doyle, President of the International Sleep Products Association; Daphne Hewitt, Project Manager for the Rainforest Alliance TREES Program; Susan Inglis, Executive Director of the Sustainable Furnishings Council; Bill Perdue, Vice President of Environment, Health and Safety, for the American Home Furnishings Alliance; Leanne Powell, Manager of National Corporate Leadership for United Way of America; and Powell Slaughter, Senior Editor for Home Furnishings Business.

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

The three finalists will be spotlighted and the 2008 winner will be announced at a reception on November 13 during AHFA’s Sustainability Summit at the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, N.C., also sponsored by Cargill’s BiOH Polyols.