Prior, Knoll claimed Mix 70% FSC certification

EAST GREENVILLE, Pa., September 23 — Knoll, Inc. (NYSE:KNL), a constellation of design-driven brands for the workplace and home, today announced that it has increased its claim from FSC® Mix 70 percent to 90 percent. This means that 90 percent of Knoll FSC® (FSC® C028824) wood comes from FSC-certified forests and 10 percent comes from Controlled Wood sources. Controlled Wood is not necessarily FSC-certified but is approved for the FSC supply chain and must adhere to its standards.

Commenting on the new claim, Benjamin Pardo, Knoll design director, said, “We’re proud to continue our commitment to sustainable design through the increase in percentage of FSC-certified wood. Knoll has been a design leader in wood products for the office and home for over eighty years, and the work we have done to maintain a sustainably-sourced manufacturing and supply chain helps to ensure that we can continue to provide our customers with beautiful wood furniture for years to come.”

Knoll has been an industry leader in sustainable wood-sourcing dating back as early as 1995, when the Company first worked with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Rainforest Alliance to develop a North American supply chain for FSC-certified wood. Since then, Knoll has progressively worked towards increasing its sustainable wood claim—be it through providing the Certification Chain of Custody in 2003 to establishing the FSC Certified Wood Standard for all Knoll general office open plan systems in 2009, and consolidating the manufacture of all wood systems and case goods to the Wood Center of Excellence Facility in Toronto, Canada.

Recognized as a leader in clean manufacturing technology, our sophisticated manufacturing processes encompass advanced finishing capacity. Our new Knoll Office finishing line delivers veneer finishes to exacting specifications for quality, consistency and integrity, while furthering our commitment to sustainable design. In our Toronto facility, all glues and stains used in the manufacturing process are water based, with virtually no VOC emissions. Our water-based 'flat-line' finishing and UV curing processes have significantly less environmental impact than the more widely used spraying method (spraying wastes approximately 50 percent of materials and curing dispenses solvents into the air). Furthermore, Knoll wood waste seldom ends up in landfills. It is either recycled for animal bedding or used for energy.

In addition, Knoll committed to providing FSC-certified wood as the standard option without additional charges or extended lead times, over ten years ago. This commitment stems from an understanding of the importance of sustainable wood practices worldwide given that forests cover over 30 percent of the Earth’s land mass, and 70 percent of terrestrial plants and animals inhabit them. The Knoll FSC Certified Standard Program covers all Knoll Office, casegoods and tables, with the exception of Toboggan®. The standard applies to the core of all Knoll products with core laminates; Cherry, Maple, Walnut, Oak, Grigio and Birch natural veneers; or Natural, Dove Grey, White Pine, and Light Walnut techwoods.

Importantly, FSC certification is recognized by multiple third-party sustainability certifiers, including: the U.S Green Building Council (USGBC) under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®), which addresses all measures of sustainability: environmental, economic and social equity; The International Living Future Institute™ Declare 2.0 labels, which highlight materials and products that are FSC-certified; and FSC-certification contributes to BIFMA LEVEL® certification.