Ecowood Blog

New Ecowood Country Market Products

Sat, 22 May 2010 23:27:00 GMT

Ecowood Displays is rolling out a new line of sustainable fixtures. The new Country Market line has the look and feel of a friendly farmers market. Sold unfinished and includes a great new feature, a chalkboard. Put your own flair on branding and messaging for your customers to see. Take advantage of special introductory pricing, good till the first day of summer. call 800-452-1679 or goto Ecowood Displays web site

It was 40 years ago today....

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:54:00 GMT

April 22, 1970 Philadelphia, Fairmont Park. Ground Zero - Earth Day.

I was 14 years old. I told my parents that I was going to a “science fair” that my science teacher was also attending. That was sort of true. It was about science, right? And my science teacher was attending. Just not with me.

I arrived at the breakfast table in the tie dyed shirt I had crafted the night before and was promptly told to go upstairs and change into “normal clothes”. So I did what any self-respecting teenager would do. Went upstairs, changed my clothes and stuffed the shirt in my homemade hippy bag. Off I went.

Arriving late, we had to park a mile away, so even though we missed The March, we walked some of the route along with other latecomers. We arrived at the park to a sea of people. Amazing. Estimates ranged from 20 to 40 thousand. We settled into our tiny piece of lawn and got to know our neighbors.

People were walking through the crowd handing out bags of “food”. I opened mine to find a slice of bread and an 1/8 cup of uncooked white rice. There was a note that stated “if every single person on the planet shared the existing food supply, this is what we would eat each day”.

Senator Edmund Muskie was on stage calling for “an environmental revolution”. He was criticizing government priorities, which was spending “twenty times as much on Vietnam as we are to fight water pollution…”. Sound familiar?

Up until this point, I had lived in a bubble that was my parent’s world. This day, I saw the world that I wanted to be a part of - every age, every size, every color, every, everything - all coexisting in cooperation. We were full of hope and belief that we could make a difference.

Looking back I realize the first Earth Day had nothing to do with climate change. It was all about the simple idea that we needed to change our attitude toward the land we lived on, the water we drank and the air we breathed - that we needed to show respect for the very basics that we depend on for our own survival and that remains our truth today.

For a little more history of Earth Day click on this, Earth Day History.

Colette...

New Green Retail Store or Remodel

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 22:07:00 GMT

As retailers immerge into The New Economy, new store and remodel budgets are tighter than ever. Good planning is vital to the project and successful opening.

As the winter season rolls to a close here at Ecowood Displays, the focus begins to turn to spring store openings. Early planning and ordering of your fixtures, cabinets and accessories is crucial to a smooth start up. Even if you are just doing some updating or adding a few new lines to your mix, getting every detail right and having everything ready on time is paramount to your bottom line.

When we started doing green retail interiors in 1995, there were very few options available for creating an eco friendly commercial environment. We have had the privilege of working with the true pioneers of green retailing as we all worked together to find green solutions for retailers. Today, there are green options for just about every element of a retail space. In addition to green fixtures, there are green options for flooring, lighting, signage, wall coverings and slatwall. You can even plan for green store supplies such as hangers, wrap and packaging, as well.

We have recently increased our production capacity here at Ecowood Displays. What this means to you is faster turnaround times. We are currently running about 4 weeks lead time on most items, although as we do runs of specific product lines some items may be available sooner. Bottom line, call in your order early to get on the production board for the fastest delivery possible.

And if green fixtures are not a part of your plan, still feel free to contact us for a chat. We are happy to share our past experience.

The Ecowood Team

Yellowstone, Global Warming and Ecowood Displays...

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 04:44:00 GMT

Yellowstone National Park is in trouble. Along with many other fragile ecosystems, the direct effects of climate change are real and tangible. In an effort to create an environment that educates park visitors about the potential devastation that Global Warming can and is creating, Xanterra Parks and Resorts has taken on the task of creating a retail environment at Mammoth Hot Springs unlike any other. Combining a truly green gift shop using Ecowood Displays eco-friendly fixtures and displays, and a unique short course into the fragile ecosystem that is Yellowstone, the visitor leaves enriched with memories and knowledge about the actions needed and the importance that the park plays in our battle against climate change...

Don

4 Way Instruction Sheet

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:26:00 GMT

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Ecowood goes to Old Faithfull...

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 22:08:00 GMT

Old Faithfull Snowlodge, Yellowstone National Park.

How Green Are Thy Suppliers?

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 03:48:00 GMT

The green noise has become deafening. There are over 300 green ’seal of approval’ marks that can be registered now. How on Earth can you discern what is green and what is green-washed?

It takes a bit more time and focus, but the short answer is, look at the company, not just the products.

Ecowood Displays has been providing green retail displays since 1995. We started out with the exclusive use of reclaimed wood and we were the first fixture company to add formaldehyde free panels into our list of materials. These panels are produced 90 miles from our plant, which qualifies them as a local product. That was over five years ago. Now everyone is using these types of materials and saying, ”Hey, look how green we are!”. Trade magazines are so full of green colored advertising, printers must be running out of green ink!

So let’s look at ECOWOOD as a company. From the beginning we have embraced the Triple-Bottom-Line business model and have incorporated it into our vision and mission on a day to day basis. We live it and breath it. In addition to green operating practices, our programs include:

*1% For The Planet – One percent of our sales is donated to approved environmental groups. Customers over a certain sales level are encouraged to choose who we donate to. All other donations go to local environmental groups chosen by our employees.

*Green America (formally Co-op America) approved Green Business. This is the real deal and has been for over 25 years. Ecowood was nominated for the 2008 Green Business Leadership Award.

*Sharing The Wealth – program for employees that includes wages & benefits above the local average and paid time for community service of their choice.

*The Green Library – We have assemble a collection of books, articles and other media that can be borrowed by our staff to help them learn about living greener lifestyle.

*Local First – all material purchases are made within 300 miles whenever possible.

*Blue Sky wind power program with Pacific Power – 100% participation for our power use.

We are planning to build a 100% energy independent facility on our current corporate campus so we can bring our production facility home (it’s one town away). The design includes a geothermal radiant heating system, solar power and a rain collection system to supplement our well use.

We believe in putting the planet first, because without it, there are no people, nor profit, for anyone.

We are living proof that green can be done. So ask your vendors about theirprograms and what those programs entail. It won’t take much to see who is truly green.

Is Green Going Backwards

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:56:00 GMT

The current economic condition is causing shifts in just about everything right now. There is a shift in green that no one is thinking, much less talking, about. That is that green is taking a couple of steps back. Six months ago it was all about green. No one could get enough. Now we are finding that everyone is so consumed with lack of the other kind of green, that they are abandoning the forward movement that we in the ‘green world’ were experiencing.

I had a customer the other day tell me that I was too expensive and should consider manufacturing our fixtures in China. Whaaat?

A supplier of mine told me that the market has gotten so flooded with reclaimed wood inventories that market prices have fallen below what demolition companies are willing to take. So now the demo guys are bulldozing and sending refuse to the landfills again. Whaaat?

I guess I should not be surprised. Our own needs for materials have fallen significantly. Many retailers are not putting money into updating or expanding their retail environments. Consumers are not buying furniture. Housing and commercial building starts are in the toilet. State contracts are being paid with IOU’s.

As much potential as there is for us to move forward, right now we are moving backward.

Still, we at Ecowood continue to search for new opportunities to keep demolition materials out of the landfill. It is our mission. After rescuing over 100,000 board feet of lumber from landfills, our goal is to rescue another 100,000. So I’m curious to know…do you have any creative ideas to increase the demand for reclaimed materials and stop the backslide into our landfills?

Don’t be shy. Our eyes, ears and hearts are open.

Ecowood is proud to supply fixtures for Half Moon Outfitters

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:56:00 GMT

ECOWOOD Retail Displays is proud to supply fixtures for Half-Moon Outfitters stores while they continue their “green” renovations at their ninth store opening in North Charleston, S.C.

ECOWOOD Retail Displays is a member of 1% For The Planet; we donate 1% of our quarterly sales to environmental groups who have been approved by 1%. As a way to get customers involved in this process ECOWOOD allows the customers who have reached a set spending amount each quarter to help choose the organization who will benefit from a donation garnered by their recent purchases. Half-Moon Outfitters was one of these customers and chose to donate to the Coastal Conservation League (CCL) who focus on the most efficient and effective ways to protect the natural habitats of South Carolina coasts, the wildlife that depends on them, and the variety of benefits they bring to South Carolina. Half-Moon also made donations to CCL during the grand opening of their new location in Charleston, South Carolina on November 19th.

Half-Moon Outfitters has been in operation since 1993 providing outdoor clothing and products to their customers. Since 1993 Half-Moon has opened 7 more locations as well as their web-based store. In their rapid growth Half-Moon also decided to renovate an old retail space to create a green fulfillment center in North Charleston, S.C. Their goal was to receive the US Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Award for greenest business practices as well as to leading by example not only for their customers but other businesses.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) was developed in 1998 with the goal of reducing the environmental impact of new construction. Since 1998 the program has grown to encompass multiple areas of reducing environmental impact, including stores forgoing major green renovations. LEED certification is obtained by submitting an application and fees documenting compliance with the requirements of the rating system: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Innovation & Design. Half-Moon Outfitters received the highest level of certification, Platinum.