GreenSage E-zine 02/2008

Armstrong Plant Gets FSC Certification
by Jon Dougal

Time was when Armstrong world Industries was the largest flooring company in the world. In 1998 their stock was at $92/share. Then they filed for bankruptcy to avoid asbestos litigation and it was a downhill slide from there on until their stock was delisted. Then they brought in a CEO to manage the bankruptcy, a former GE disciple of Jack Walsh, a person who knew nothing about flooring and he in turn stocked the ranks with accountants who also knew nothing about the flooring industry.

Armstrong was one of the founders of the US Green Building Council, but missed the green building paradigm shift, lost a whole lot of good people that could have kept them on top of the flooring pile, and went blundering on.

Finally, the company has seen the light and is making some moves to green their image. Their headquarters building achieved LEED EB Platinum status last year. They started to make market entry of some greener products and WOW here is another first for them.

Armstrong announces that its Vicksburg, Mississippi engineered hardwood manufacturing facility has been awarded Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody certification through the SmartWood Program of Rainforest Alliance. This first step certification opens the door for Vicksburg to produce FSC-certified products.

“This is an important first step, and yet another move in continuing to make Armstrong's strong environmental practices transparent to our customers.” says Dick Quinlan, general manager of Bruce® Hardwood Flooring.

According to Quinlan, while specific products are not yet certified, Armstrong anticipates that this is the next evident step. Primary products produced at the Vicksburg plant are from the Capella® portfolio and the popular Bruce Westchester™ Plank, a 3/4-inch engineered plank that offers the overall thickness of a solid floor in an engineered structure while providing the benefit of increased dimensional stability.

Armstrong is further ramping up its environmental profile by sponsoring the planting of over half a million trees through a new Hardwood Forestry Fund program. The trees, which will be planted in North America, will replace more than the number of trees Armstrong uses annually for hardwood production.

Even though Armstrong has a substantial exotic hardwood business, North American species still account for about 97% of its hardwood revenues. The firm is addressing its imported exotics business through its year old partnership with the Tropical Forest Foundation.

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a not-for-profit organization that accredits certifiers whose programs conform to its internationally recognized Principles and Criteria, thereby providing a consistent and credible framework for independent certification efforts worldwide. It sets environmental, economic and social standards to be met by forest companies.