It is becoming more important to consumers to be able to make environmentally savvy choices when it comes to home and office. The "green" movement is educating manufacturers and consumers on the importance of better choices for our environment and even for our health. As you might expect, The Custom Shoppe has long embraced the principles of conservation and continues to make advances in becoming more green as well.

Several factors influence an organization’s "green" rating. Distance, as it relates to suppliers and consumers is an important "green" concept. Obviously the the shorter the distance raw materials have to travel, the lower the impact on our environment (not to mention the cost) because shorter distances equal lower emissions in transit. Our Midwest location is central to both our key suppliers and our retailers. Furniture grade hardwoods are harvested from sustainable forests in northern Wisconsin and Michigan and Pennsylvania and shipped to our factory for processing. Our proximity to our retailers nationwide is small in comparison to furniture companies shipping from overseas.

Efficiency and waste reduction are also key "green" components. Our skilled engineers and craftsmen, using computer aided equipment, are able to optimize the material used without compromising the consumer’s custom designed product. Our Dust Collection System removes sawdust and wood chips from the machines and filters the air before it is released back into the atmosphere, providing a cleaner and safer factory and environment. The sawdust and scrap wood generated by our factory takes on a secondary life, providing fuel, small wood projects and animal bedding for local farms.

Our hardwood suppliers are devoted to sustainable forestry practices which attempt to balance three forestry segments: Managing a segment of forests for biological diversity, recreation and other social and environmental values, managing another segment of forests for the production of wood and fiber and a third segment to maintain more natural qualities, both to meet global needs for wood and to maintain local environment.

When you buy a piece of furniture, bring it home, and set it down in a room, it doesn’t just sit there. No matter what it’s made out of, chances are, it’s offgassing (or releasing substances into the air). The Custom Shoppe uses both water-based adhesives and low VOC emitting products which are healthier to use, better for the environment and non-toxic to customers. One of our key plywood veneer suppliers has even taken the lead in marketing 100% formaldehyde-free panels. Through a combination of water based pre-stains and low VOC clear coats, the total emissions are about 1/12th of our annually permitted levels. All finishing products are lead-free.

A high quality piece of Custom Shoppe® furniture can also be easily repaired and refinished when damaged which makes it a greener choice compared to furniture that falls apart due to use of inferior low cost materials and poor quality craftsmanship, reducing the chances of it winding up in a landfill. The higher the quality, the longer the useful lifespan. The bottom line is that a well-manufactured piece of solid wood furniture should outlast its owner and be useful for many generations.