Environmental Statement
Marshall Furniture Inc is a furniture design firm with a manufacturing arm. All of our products are made in the USA. Our production is entirely wood and wood products (except hardware) and conforms to all current environmental laws. Our clients determine the environmental specifications for each job primarily by choosing the solid woods, veneers, laminates, substrates and often, sources. Because of our small size and the variable nature of our work, it is not currently practical for us to be certified. However, we are working towards higher environmental standards in all that we do and expect the certification process will become available to smaller companies like us, over time.
We are making progress in the following areas:
Energy Use
Our 26,000 sq. ft. facility is being retrofitted with high efficiency lights which will reduce our lighting energy use by 30%. Our building was recently fitted with R22 rated roof insulation and a white membrane roof. High efficiency windows and doors will be added this fall to reduce HVAC usage by another 13%. Our new gas-fired boilers are highly efficient. One boiler heats the building most of the time with the second boiler coming on line only in severe weather. The heated air from our dust collection and air compressor systems is filtered and returned to the shop area to provide 80% of heating in the shop.
Reduction of Waste
New CNC machinery installed this year has reduced our material waste by more than 20% by optimizing sheet goods laid up at the mill to our specifications.
Recycling
Our conversion to using only CARB II compliant medium density fiber board (MDF) substrate will allow us to recycle most of our sawdust. The material will either be reused to make MDF board or will be pelletized for use in boilers. All the skids we use are recycled from neighboring businesses. Internally, we recycle office paper and aluminum cans.
Air Pollution Controls
We have removed 90% of dust from the shop environment using multistage filters in our HVAC system along with new dust collection equipment controls. HEPA filtered vacuum equipment is on order to reduce dust from our shop floors and electrostatic air filters will be installed in 2012 to further reduce dust exposure to the technical minimum. For safety, our dust collection system has explosion prevention detectors in every branch. Our new, over-the-road, diesel delivery truck has lower total emissions than most cars.
Low Emitting Materials
All of our substrate materials have no added formaldehyde. Some of our substrates are formaldehyde free. All meet or exceed the CARB II standards. Our adhesives are 95% water based. All adhesives, finishes and backing materials meet or exceed Federal standards.
Supplier Commitments
All our materials suppliers for hardwoods, substrates and veneers are AWI members and are FSC certified. Solid woods and veneers are sourced according to the specifications of our clients, always from prominent and reputable suppliers.
Marshall Furniture Inc. 