June 7, 2005 -- “We invite the public to hear about how we manufacture beautiful furniture that is environmentally responsible to its origin in the rainforest,” stated South Cone CEO Gerry Cooklin. The South Cone story will be presented during the ‘Think Green, Design Green’ event at Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA, Dania Beach, Florida), PPM collection, A-328 on Friday, June 10, and Saturday, June 11, at 2:30 p.m. both days. “This conference provides a forum for attendees to learn about the relationship between consumer choice and rainforest preservation.”
“ Any manufacturer can do it. It’s a matter of choice. ”
Making the presentation will be Executive Vice President Einar A. Elsner. “We will focus on the beauty of the product and the process of making it, from harvesting the wood to the final product. Beauty means more than what you see on the outside,” he explained. “It also means what’s behind the product - - from gently harvesting the fine wood in the rainforest to respecting the talented artisans and workers who make each piece.”
South Cone is a high end furniture manufacturer with corporate headquarters in California and factories in Peru and Argentina that are certified by the Rainforest Alliance in accordance to the principles and criteria of the Forest Stewardship Council. South Cone’s goal is to achieve 90% FSC certification of all its production by the end of 2007.
To further the goal of preserving the rainforests, South Cone also founded and funds PaTS, a non-profit organization that helps indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon to achieve prosperity through an ecologically-friendly business model. PaTS has been working with the Yanesha people of the Palcazu Valley in Peru’s Central Amazon region since 2001.
“It is possible to produce beautifully crafted furniture with fine tropical hardwoods and still be environmentally sustainable,” Cooklin noted. “Any manufacturer can do it. It’s a matter of choice.”
Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA) is located at the intersection of I-95 and Griffin Road, Dania Beach, Florida. For more information about the DCOTA event, contact David Granoff: Broward-954.920.7997; Dade-305.945.7496; e-mail protected from spam bots
