Panel Source International:Sustainable Building Materials

Panel Source International (PSI), headquartered in Alberta, Canada, has been in the panel products business for more than 60 years. About five years ago PSI committed itself solely to the manufacturing and sales of sustainable building materials. As part of that, PSI received FSC certification in 2003.

James McLeod, Project Manager, said they sought out FSC certification because it is, “the only certification program that is truly independent of the forest products industry and able to provide unbiased information and direction. It is also the only certification program that is accepted by the US Green Building Council’s LEED program. We were very impressed with FSC’s holistic approach to forest management, the chain-of-custody system, and the certification by independent third parties. With these reasons, we believe that FSC will be the program of choice for the future.” Scientific Certification Systems granted PSI’s certification.

PSI is engaged in the manufacture and distribution of building materials that offer key environmental attributes, and are suitable for use in the LEED program. These attributes include products that are urea-formaldehyde free, moisture resistant, recycled and/or rapidly renewable raw materials, and products that are FSC-certified. Although headquartered in Canada, their manufacturing and warehouse operations are centralized in Tacoma, Washington for convenient shipment to customers throughout North America.

The warehouse in Tacoma stocks FSC-certified particleboard, MDF, sanded plywood, concrete forming plywood and other plywood grades including sheathing, subfloor, and underlayment. They have also begun to stock Hem/Fir and Western SPF dimensional lumber, and will soon carry FSC-certified OSB (Oriented Strand Board). They also produce Pyroblock Class A Fire Retardant panels on a variety of substrates including particleboard, MDF, and plywood.

“PSI prides itself on having product in stock and readily available without long lead times, as well as having extensive knowledge of the FSC and LEED programs, as well as panel products,” said McLeod. “This makes us one of only a few companies in the market that can supply a wide range of FSC panel products.”

Their serious commitment to the manufacture of sustainable products not only gives them a clear conscience, but has also been a good business decision. At the beginning of 2004, just after receiving their FSC chain-of-custody certification, FSC-certified products comprised only 5% of their total sales. Now, at the end of 2004, that figure has increased to 25%, with projections of 40% in 2005. With many of their customers working on LEED projects, approximately 95% of their sales are into the U.S. market. However, PSI anticipates that sales in Canada will increase as the Canadian Green Building Council (CAGBC) begins regular operations.

www.panelsource.net

From FSC-US News & Views, a SustainableBusiness.com Content Partner