Shaw Industries Receives Certification from NWFA Responsible Procurement Program

Shaw Industries Receives Certification from NWFA Responsible Procurement Program

St. Louis, Missouri (August 3, 2012) -The National Wood Flooring Association has announced that Shaw Industries' hardwood division has become certified under the NWFA's Responsible Procurement Program (RPP). The certification verifies that all domestic lumber being utilized in Shaw facilities is being sourced from US renewing forests.

"This is an important development." says NWFA President & CEO, Michael Martin. "With the addition of Shaw to the program, the NWFA's RPP now represents 60-65% of the entire US marketplace. This is a huge step toward responsible forestry."

The NWFA established the RPP to recognize wood flooring companies that work to sustain our world's forest. The program is supported by the Forest Stewardship Council-US and the FSC Family Forests Alliance, which recognize the NWFA RPP as a valid incremental approach toward socially responsible forestry. The program is transitional to higher levels of environmental responsibility based on tiers of increasing voluntary participation and associated certification. Anderson Hardwood Floors, a subsidiary of Shaw Industries, became the first company to receive NWFA RPP certification in 2008. Additional members of the program include Augusta Flooring, Mannington Floors, Mullican Flooring and Sheoga Hardwood Flooring & Paneling.

To become certified under RPP, Shaw underwent training at its facilities and participated in a comprehensive audit process. The audit was conducted by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), a leading third-party provider of certification, auditing and testing services. SCS is an accredited certifier with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which is recognized in the US as setting the highest standard of environmental and social performance in the forest products industry.

"This certification is a result of our ongoing commitment to sustainability and responsible environmental practices meant to promote and foster the ongoing sustainable management of our American forests," said Scott Sandlin, Shaw's vice president of hard surfaces. "With the NWFA's RPP program, Shaw Floors is further educating today's customer and empowering them to choose environmentally concious, American-made hardwood products that will best represent their values in the home."

Shaw Industries Group, Inc. is composed of six manufacturing operations and 40 sales and distribution centers in 26 states, including Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.

For more information about the Responsible Procurement Program, contact NWFA.

The National Wood Flooring Association is a not-for-profit trade organization, with more than 3,000 members world-wide, dedicated to educating consumers, architects, designers, specifiers and builders in the uses and benefits of wood flooring. NWFA members receive the best in educational training, benefits, technical resources and networking to advance their professionalism and success. The NWFA is located at 111 Chesterfield Industrial Boulevard, Chesterfield, MO 63005, and can be contacted at 800-422-4556, or on-line at www.nwfa.org.