June 20/27, 2016; Volume 30, Number 26
St. Louis—American OEM, a private-label hardwood flooring supplier, has joined the National Wood Flooring Association’s Responsible Procurement Program (RPP). The program is a joint initiative between leading environmental groups and wood flooring manufacturers committed to producing products obtained from environmentally and socially responsible sources.
“It is gratifying to see the progress that has been made since the NWFA RPP was originally conceived,” said Don Finkell, president of American OEM. “Recent changes with the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program now allow recognition of RPP as does the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) green building standard. These are significant enhancements to the marketing of American-made wood flooring.”
RPP has been accepted into the 2015 edition of NAHB’s ICC/ASHRAE 700 National Green Building Standard (NGBS), the only residential green building rating system approved by ANSI as an American National Standard. Certification to this green building standard provides a credible pathway for the design and construction of sustainable residential buildings, with the goal of minimizing their environmental footprint. Participating manufacturers commit to continuous progress within the RPP framework.