PORTLAND, OREGON, July 29th, 2009 – For years lumber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in the US has been hampered by poor distribution resulting in higher prices and lower demand. Portland-based AltruWood Inc has recently introduced a new “Mill to Market” strategy that reduces the retail cost of FSC Certified wood products and makes them price-competitive with unregulated wood products.

FSC was created in the wake of the 1992 UN Conference on Sustainable Development with the purpose of improving the management of the world’s forests. In the last 17 years FSC certification has set the standard for responsible forest management and is supported both by environmental groups and the commercial sector.

Since the inception of the FSC certification process, competition with unregulated wood products has been problematic due to the simple fact that unregulated wood products can be produced from clear cuts, “slash-and-burn” projects, and other environmentally destructive techniques. “With responsibility comes regulation and, at least during the adoption phase, regulation has resulted in higher costs for the consumer.” says David Steinberg, founder and President of AltruWood. According to Steinberg, the US market is beginning to accept the necessary premium on FSC certified wood products as both green building and sustainable development become a priority.

“We saw this change in the market as an indication that there was enough of a demand to support the leveling of the playing field between FSC certified products and unregulated products in terms of pricing,” explains Steinberg. The end result is AltruWood’s “Mill to Market” strategy and now many FSC certified wood products are the same price as their unregulated counterparts and, in some cases, they are less expensive.

About AltruWood:

AltruWood, Inc is based in Portland, Oregon and is a manufacturer and distributor of FSC Certified lumber, shakes, shingles, decking, and flooring. Along with FSC Certified products AltruWood also offers reclaimed product line including reclaimed Doug Fir beams, reclaimed hand hewn beams, reclaimed flooring and the innovative dead standing timbers.

Source: AltruWood, Inc

Website: www.altruwood.com
Email: press@altruwood.com

AltruWood Contact :
Colin Wilson – 503-542-7463 x6

Press Contact @ Quaro, Inc:
Aaron James – 503-719-8486