Timber Products addresses formaldehyde and green Issues

Company introduces new product to meet demand for sustainable wood

LAS VEGAS (AWFS booth 1238)  – Stronger formaldehyde regulations, an influx of illegally logged plywood from China and a greater demand for sustainable materials - green issues are here to stay and it’s time for the industry to sit up and take notice.
 
That was the message from Timber Products Company, a leading producer of environmentally sustainable wood-based panels, at the company’s Green to a T press event at the Association of Woodworking and Furnishings Suppliers (AWFS) Fair, July 18.

Roger Rutan, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Timber Products Company, focused on the changing green building industry and shared major trends the company is seeing in the marketplace.

According to Rutan, there is a huge knowledge gap when it comes to the green movement. A recent survey by one leading wood trade magazine found that 55 percent of respondents were not familiar at all with LEED.

When it comes to jumping into the green market, Rutan encouraged companies to set a strategy to better position themselves.

“Companies should determine what customers are asking for, take the time to learn about the green building initiative and be prepared,” said Rutan. “It doesn’t happen overnight and the time to start is now because there is an opportunity to differentiate your company.”

To help stay ahead of the curve and offer a product that meets customer’s demands, Timber Products introduced its GreenT (TM) line of hardwood plywood that meets or exceeds many of the requirements of the leading green building programs in the country, including the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED(R) program.

Low Formaldehyde Issues Set Stage
Rutan also touched on the strict requirements of the recent California Air Resources Board ruling (CARB), outlining what the regulations mean for the industry, how they will affect customers and the response from other states.

With CARB, 100 percent of products must fall below set levels for formaldehyde emissions. Rutan noted that this is in contrast to other worldwide standards that allow a certain percentage to exceed limits, and said he believes CARB will only drive more regulations across the country. Already, states on the East Coast like New York and New Jersey are beginning to look at the issue.  

Timber Products Company has introduced the GreenT line to help address these requirements and meet the increased demand for sustainable options, environmental concerns and the overall growing green movement. The plywood is available with a special no-added-urea formaldehyde resin and several core options produced with recycled wood fibers. To add to its green qualities, GreenT is produced from wood certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative(R) (SFI) program.

“With GreenT, Timber Products is aiming for even lower emission levels than are required, and the results will be panels with absolutely microscopic levels of formaldehyde,” said Rutan. “For cabinet shops, furniture suppliers and wholesalers the time to take advantage of getting out in front of the issue is now. Bottom line, formaldehyde emissions standards are here to stay and will only drive more regulation across the country.”

Green Issues Overseas
Rutan also pointed out the green movement will have an impact on the future of hardwood plywood imported from China. Federal government statistics show during the last four years imports of Chinese hardwood plywood have grown more than 1000 percent in the United States. Rutan said under-regulated Chinese imports threaten local companies that work to ensure a strong market for the sustainable wood products industry and promote sound environmental practices to protect forest health.

“As customers continue to request sustainable wood, the environmental and product quality concerns being raised about Chinese hardwood plywood will come more to the forefront of purchasing decisions,” said Rutan. “These concerns include illegal logging, lack of controls on wood sourcing and manufacturing and fraudulently labeled product.”

Concluding his presentation, Rutan encouraged the industry to be diligent when it comes to emissions, saying: “Anything to help reduce one’s carbon footprint is garnering attention. We as a wood industry have a huge opportunity to promote the many positive aspects of our business because trees are the key to the entire process of carbon offsetting.”

About Timber Products Company
Founded in 1918, Timber Products Company offers a wide range of diversified wood products and specializes in hardwood plywood. The company is one of the largest material suppliers to the U.S. kitchen cabinet industry. Timber Products owns nine state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities across the United States, a major international division, and 118,000 acres of forestland in Northern California managed under the strict standards of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) program. Timber Products was the world’s first hardwood plywood manufacturer authorized to carry the SFI label. The company also operates TP Trucking, a nationwide transportation division.