Zeeland furniture maker offsets its 389-metric-ton carbon footprint

By: Deborah Johnson Wood

Industrial Woodworking Corporation President and co-founder Brad Davis, has offset his home's carbon footprint for the last four years. A passionate environmentalist, Davis and his business partner Greg Raczok extended the offsetting process to their business in January.

Zeeland-based IWC designs and manufactures office, heath care, and high end residential furniture with an eye to conserving energy and reducing waste. In September, the company will launch its own line of eco-friendly home office furniture, Knú.

"In the US, direct mail accounts for the deforestation of Rocky Mountain National Park every four months," Davis said. "So we're doing only web business."

A California-based company that operates solely on solar power hosts their Web site.

So, it makes sense that IWC would make up for their 389-metric-ton carbon footprint by purchasing carbon dioxide offsets through an organization called Carbonfund.org.

With Carbonfund.org's carbon calculators, carbon emissions can be determined. When carbon offsets are purchased, Carbonfund.org uses the money to fund clean energy production to offset, or "balance," the emissions.

For example, their Web site www.carbonfund.org states that a zero CO2 wind farm in Kansas produces energy in a manner that will offset the carbon emissions of a coal-fired power plant in another area.

"We invested in wind power," Davis said. "We don't know of anyone else in the furniture industry who is offsetting their whole carbon footprint. Our green story is second to none out there."

IWC is growing, just like their commitment to the environment. Sales last year were $8 million, up from $5.5 million the previous year. They are building a 10,000-square-foot addition to their existing facility, increasing it to 33,000 square feet. And they've hired seven employees since January, bringing the total to 50.

Source: Brad Davis, Industrial Woodworking Corporation