FSC is the international standard setting body for defining and measuring a well managed forest and providing traceability through chain-of-custody certification. FSC trains and monitors other designated third party certifying auditors, including the Rainforest Alliance, which provide the actual certifications based on FSC criteria.

Commenting on the FSC program, Art Graves, Knoll Executive Vice President for Sales and Distribution, said, "Once again, Knoll is pursuing industry-leading standards for environmental sustainability with an initiative that makes it easier for the design community and Knoll customers to blend environmental responsibility with workplace planning."

Lou Newett, Knoll Environmental, Health and Safety Manager, said, "Each year Knoll sets key initiatives in our journey to sustainability and takes a leadership position in establishing universal environmental standards for our industry. As a leading advocate of independent third party certification, our work with FSC is a natural extension of the Knoll Sustainable Wood Policy, which is targeted to protect endangered forests and promote sustainable harvesting of wood resources."

"FSC certified wood as the standard for Knoll products is part of a continuous improvement process that recognizes that sustainable wood harvesting can contribute to reversing environmental and social trends—and that Knoll can be part of the solution," he added.

Effective December 1, Knoll is providing FSC certified wood without asking, at no surcharge and at standard lead times on office systems, casegoods and tables with the exception of certain veneers as well as products from the KnollStudio collection. The FSC Certified Standard applies to all Knoll products with laminate and North American cherry, maple, oak and walnut natural veneer surfaces and related Knoll finishes.

The Standard encompasses the following Knoll open plan office systems—AutoStrada, Currents, Dividends Horizon, Equity, Morrison, Reff, Template—as well as the Graham Collection, Interaction Tables, Magnusson Desks and Upstart Tables.

About Knoll

Since 1938, Knoll has been recognized internationally for creating workplace and residential furnishings that inspire, evolve and endure. Today, our commitment to modern design, our understanding of the workplace and our dedication to sustainable design has yielded a unique portfolio of products that respond and adapt to changing needs. Knoll is aligned with the U.S. Green Building Council, the Canadian Green Building Council, the Forest Stewardship Council and can help companies, healthcare organizations and educational institutions achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) workplace certification. Knoll is the contract furniture industry's first member of the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX®) and is the founding sponsor of the World Monuments Fund Modernism at Risk program.

Contact:

David E. Bright
Knoll, Inc.
212 343-4135
dbright@knoll.com

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