GREENleaders Certified Training Receives Coveted LEED Curriculum Approval

CHAPEL HILL, NC – The Sustainable Furnishings Council GREENleaders course has been approved for credit in the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Continuing Education, the world-renowned certification system. The 6-ceu GREENleaders exam course, the first and most comprehensive certified sustainability training in the home furnishings industry, was created in 2009 by a LEED-AP and SFC founding member, and vetted by the Sustainable Furnishings Council board including ranking staff of World Wildlife Fund, Rainforest Alliance, and Founder of USGBC/LEED.

“LEED started the ball rolling by setting the standard for commercial buildings and sustainability education. GREENleaders represents a tremendous effort put into initiating, developing and delivering equally valuable education for the home furnishings industry that didn’t exist before,” says Mike Italiano, Founder of USGBC/LEED and CEO of Market Transformation to Sustainability.

LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, promotes sustainable building and development practices with strict rating systems and a curriculum. These courses offer credit toward the credential maintenance requirements of the LEED Green Associate and LEED Accredited Professional, with specialty professional credentials. The Sustainable Furnishings Council’s GREENleaders contributes an essential piece within the Education Review Body-approved continuing education courses. While most of the LEED programs focus on the building shell itself, GREENleaders is unique in exclusively focusing on furnishing the interior.  It is also distinguished by the practical business-building recommendations it provides.

“It has been wonderful to see how the SFC has developed in such a short time, from setting standards and sharing best practices to providing first class education, particularly in sensitizing the industry to the importance of verified legal wood sourcing,” adds Mark Comolli, Director of Markets in the Forestry Division for Rainforest Alliance.

To date, over 600 home furnishing professionals have been certified by GREENleaders as Accredited Professionals in green residential furnishings, with many more on the way. The six-unit program is worth 6 continuing education credit hours for ASID and LEED, covering a wide-range of topics including the factual basis for environmental issues affecting our industry, consumer awareness and behavior, sourcing products and components, design issues and showroom operations.

“The response to the program has been terrific from the start,” says Jeff Hiller, current SFC President and chief developer of GREENleaders, “We have graduates from leading raw materials suppliers, manufacturers, importers, retailers, product and interior designers, literally every point in the supply chain. This is a major part of our plan to keep the industry growing through greening.”

The Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) just celebrated its 5th anniversary as a professional, non-profit coalition of suppliers, manufacturers, retailers and designers formed to promote sustainable practices within the industry. The SFC is considered the leading organization in green home furnishings with the best opportunities for education and networking.

For those interested in GREENleaders certified training, the course is offered online as well as live in various locations throughout the US. To register, please contact admin@sustainablefurnishings.org or 919-967-1137.

Pure LatexBliss To Be Owned By Latex International

Yesterday our trade magazine for the furniture and mattress industry announced the aquisition of Pure Latex Bliss by Latex International.While Neither Pure Latex Bliss or Latex International openly admitted any kind of ownership by the other to us, it seemed there was a strong working relationship between the two companies.

Pure Latex Bliss Will Soon Be Owned By Latex International

 At Las Vegas World Markets of the past Latex International was know to refer customers looking for Talalay Mattresses over to Pure Latex Bliss just across the hall. We had also noticed that caller ID from Pure Bliss was showing up as Latex International and when attending the 2011 August Las Vegas World Market the two companies had swapped show spaces. Whatever was going on wasn’t being shared with this dealer. It has always seemed like there was some kind of relationship between the two companies since the Pure Latex Bliss begining, but never appeared to do not harm to the company. As a matter of fact product development happened at a rocket’s pace and quality never seemed to suffer. Their focus has always been on building a better product for the consumer for a reasonable price. This morning STL Beds recieved the following email from President and CEO Dave Fisher which suggests this deal has indeed went through: 

Good morning,

Champion and mattress industry advocate BEDROOM magazine makes announcement.

The 17 year magazine publication “Bedroom” has kept people, industry professionals including manufacturers and retailers informed about the latest industry technologies, sleep products and have kept us educated and informed. They recently sent out the following email.

BEDROOM Magazine Launches New Website

BEDROOM is excited to announce the launch of our new website!

Complete with the latest news and updates. Bedroomretailers.com offers retailers and industry professionals alike a user friendly, informative point of reference.

As a continuation of the magazine, which is also available in full format, www.bedroomretailers.com is written for sleep retailers and focuses on products and technology available to help them succeed yet expands to also cover the latest industry news such as management changes, product promotions in addition to retailer successes and showroom news.   Our website provides bedding retailers with the knowledge and tools they need to stock their showrooms and warehouses.

Through the website, visitors can also connect to our Facebook page which offers highlights from the industry, further product information, and our staff’s take on the bedding industry with a lighter, more conversational approach.

The new website and Facebook page demonstrate how BEDROOM remains true to opening the conversation between retailers and industry professionals.  Publisher, Christopher Schriever elaborates, “By being more connected with our readers and advertisers online we are able to better serve the industry and report on products and technologies faster and more effectively to our readers.”

Please feel free to visit www.bedroomretailers.com website for yourself.

I can tell you as a retailer “Bedroom” magazine has personally been a great source for information.  I look forward to utilizing the new site and hope many of my customers will do the same. This is why I published the announcement under our “Mattress Industry News” tag.  I think it’s important for shoppers to see the latest industry trends and sales tactics so they are better prepared to make a smart purchasing decision when the time comes.

Savvy Rest is now Global Organic Textile Standard certified.

Savvy Rest Got GOTS! Organic bedding and organic mattress manufacturer Savvy Rest is excited to announce they are a GOTS-certified company.  This means that stringed manufacturing and production requirements have been met within their facility where they build the organic products we buy. The name Global Organic Textile Standard or GOTS assures that not only Savvy Rest’s manufacturing facility but others like them have passed the most demanding requirements for products or manufacturers to meet organic standards. The inclusion of a GOTS certification guarantees that organic textiles have been correctly labeled manufactured and harvested.

Savvy Rest Got GOTS Certified!

 
It is true that products can be bought that include a GOTS-certified textile and may even attach a GOTS logo in a proper manner, however only a small number have been manufacturing certified. The most respected and valued organization in organic certifying Oregon Tilth, has certified that the Savvy Rest facility where their manufacturing takes place meets the GOTS standard.

For years the food industry ran ramped with claims or organic that were often not backed up by any independent third party to guarantee the claims of safer grown foods for our families to consume and by 1990 (OFPA), the Organic Foods Production Act was approved to make sure that agricultural and food products for the USA were met. In the same way the food industry was revolutionized, people realized importance of no pesticides or harsh chemicals in the production processes in our fabrics and fibers. They wanted to make it a part of daily life and be assured of both a healthier earth and healthier family.

So what does it mean for a product to carry a GOTS certification?

Well according to the organization they wanted to instill consumer confidence and offer manufacturer credibility. They do this by putting forth a certification that sees to it that manufacturers and textile processors  are allowed to export their organic garments and fabrics with one universally accepted certification that would be accepted in all major world markets across the globe.

GOTS makes sure that natural material that Savvy Rest uses meets those worldwide accepted standards throughout the entire production process. This begins with the raw materials that are harvested up until the final packaging and labeling. STL Beds is very proud to be an authorized Savvy Rest dealer.

ABC World News launched their Made in America Challenge this week –

LA: "Keep It Made in America" tour, Shreveport, 5/14/09 Photo by aflcio

a 3 room house makeover with 100 percent American-made products.

A Texan family agreed to have anything not made in America removed from their home.

At the end, only a vase was left in the living room and the sink in the kitchen.

Then ABC began approaching many of the Sustainable Furnishing Council Members to fill the home.

HARDEN FURNITURE is providing the kitchen table.

Click on highlighted link to view this segment.

The coffee table in the living room comes from GAT CREEK.

Click on the logo to view a video by the local ABC7. 

The living room sofa, loveseat and three chairs come from LEE FURNITURE.

Click on highlighted link for an article in Furniture Today.

VAUGHAN-BASSETT will also be featured, probably Thursday night.

They were chosen to provide the American-made bedroom for this home.

Click on highlighted link for an article in Home Furnishings Business.

ARE YOU AN AMERICAN MANUFACTURER?

If so, be sure ABC knows!

ABC World News is providing an interactive map on their website

to help people locate products made in the US.

BKIND3 and CENTURY FURNITURE are on their map.

The Sustainable Furnishing Council shared this email with us and told us  that if you are not on the map, email them at abc.worldnews@abc.com!
ABC tells us that if we all spent an extra $3.33 on US-made goods every year,

it would create nearly 10,000 new jobs in this country.  On their show and

on their website, they ask Americans to take the pledge to purchase products

Made in America. On a personal note STL Beds has accepted this challenge we hope you all will do the same in your home and in your businesses.