Posts tagged 'Leadership'
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January 25, 2021Sustainability Story - Converting Wood Waste Into Heat
At Gat Greek, we get a warm feeling inside knowing that part of our sustainable story is making the most of the lumber we purchase. Through no small effort, 90% of the heat for our facility is provided by wood scrap that would otherwise end up in the landfill. During those crisp late fall days or in the middle of a West Virginia winter, we are reminded of the benefits every time we enter the shop to find it toasty warm. Sometimes, we even take the time to reflect on how this simple idea contributes to conserving natural resources and reducing our carbon footprint. -
July 19, 2020Where To Find Sustainably Made Furniture? Right Here
In just 14 years, the Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) has grown from a seed of an idea into one of the industry’s most influential voices for environmental responsibility. Credit the rapid growth and impact to two things: consumers’ awareness of and desire for safer, more sustainable products, and a leadership group wholly dedicated and committed to sustainability.
Hundreds of domestic and international manufacturers, designers and retailers comprise SFC’s membership. Gat Creek is proud to be a founding member with Silver Exemplary status. For a complete list of Sustainable Furnishings Council member companies visit sustainablefurnishings.org.
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June 6, 2020Do You Know Where Your Furniture Is Made?
Would it surprise you to learn that 86% of the wood furniture sold in the U.S. is not made here? That means the majority of America’s most familiar and famous furniture brands have chosen to export furniture manufacturing jobs. If given a full accounting, the price tags on off-shored products don’t fully reflect their costs in illegal harvesting, unsafe factories, abused workers, and environmental damage.
Our customers value the reassurances that the hardwood we use is sustainably harvested from regional forests; that our workers earn a good wage, receive benefits, have a safe and supportive workplace; that quality control is 24/7/365 to ensure their furniture is extraordinarily crafted, properly finished and is safe for their home and family; that their custom order can ship quickly with the smallest possible carbon footprint.
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April 5, 2020Crazy Enough To Make Wood Furniture In The USA
Almost 25 years ago, Gat Caperton bought the Tom Seely furniture factory in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. It had operated since the 1950s and was struggling to compete with brands that had moved their production to low-wage factories in China.
The Gat Creek story appeared in this 2018 Washington Post story. It’s an excellent portrait of Gat and the company. If you saw the story when it was first published, it is worth revisiting for the reader comments!
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November 12, 2019Forest Stewards: Gat Creek Is Certified Sustainable & Legal by AHMI
It is simply a fact of life that not everything is what it appears to be. And that can be especially true with the furniture you buy.
“In furniture manufacturing, lumber is quite often purchased from around the world,” says Tom Inman, president of Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers, Incorporated. “Unfortunately, that lumber could have been harvested illegally, with little or no consideration for the long term health of the resource and the environment that sustains it.
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November 7, 2019Youth Movement: Gat Caperton’s AHFA Leadership Reflects Industry Evolution
At its annual meeting last November, the American Home Furnishings Alliance elected Gat Caperton chair of the board of directors. Gat has sat on the board since 2013 and replaces 2018 chair, Bill Wittenburg, CEO of Klaussner Furniture.