Mullican Flooring started working towards getting their products to meet the certification standards of the Forest Stewardship Council in 2007. By 2009, they became the first American hardwood manufacturer to produce a solid domestic floor that was certified by the FSC.

Since then, Mullican’s plants hole FSC chain-of-custody designations and have more than 30 products in the market with FSC certification which includes their solid domestic, engineered and exotic floor selections. That FSC logo means that all entities in the supply chain is from the Appalachian forestlands where they harvest their raw materials to their distributors holding the FSC certification credentials and FSC standards.

Mullican’s products can be used for LEED projects since 50% of their wood-based materials are FSC-certified. The LEED certification has a rating system that was created by the U.S. Green Building Council that gives builders credits and points on their projects if they meet the specific environmental standards, such as when they use FSC wood products.

For more information on the FSC and the certification process, visit www.fsc.org or www.usgbc.org.

Mullican has also partnered with the National Wood Flooring Association to the Responsible Procurement Program for hardwoods which recognizes the consumers need to have products that have been manufactured with care and concern for the environment.

The label has a clear, two-part message that states:

 1) Based on the U.S. Forest service data, the growth of hardwood exceeds the loss and removal from hardwood forests at the state level

2) The wood, timber and logs have not been illegally harvested from a controversial source for production of products.

The U.S. Renewing Forests label guarantees the flooring industries position in domestic markets while giving them a better position in the global market.

They have always been aware of their responsibility with forest management which was affirmed with the U.S. Forest Service data for the Appalachian Mountains which specified that an average of 2.29 new trees were steadily growing with every tree that had died or was harvested.

Due to that result, Mullican earned the right to place that Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers, Inc. verification label on all their prefinished domestic products which has made them the first domestic hardwood producer to promote this wood.

For more information on the AHMI Verified Sustainable program, visit www.appalachianhardwood.info.

Mullican has shown their full support of the 2008 amendment to the Lacey Act which controls the illegal importation of harvested timber into the United States. U.S.-based buyers could face serious legal prosecution if they harvest or transport illegal timber even if they have no knowledge of it being obtained illegally.

The certifications from organizations such as FCS or RPP of the National Wood Flooring Association is one way that the flooring manufacturers can protect themselves from inadvertent violations.

For more information, visit www.worldwildlife.org/what/howwedoit/policy/WWFBinaryitem11270.pdf

Mullican’s engineered and solid products also meets the standards of CARB with the emissions of formaldehyde for their plywood. They are also approved to be an ultra-low-emitting formaldehyde resin manufacturer of composite wood products.

Mullican has been dedicated to producing the highest-quality hardwood that is manufactured through environmentally sound practices while strongly supporting the termination of all forms of forced and compulsory labor, child exploitation, slavery and human trafficking.

Mullican makes sure that it as a company along with its employees follow all laws, rules and regulations of each country and jurisdictions that they conduct business in. They also expect employees, suppliers, vendors and contractors to conduct business in an ethical manner while they depend on the suppliers to follow all applicable laws.

They occasionally conduct their own audits and verifications within its supply chain to ensure the compliance of laws, rules and regulations and ethical conduct. They typically do not hire a third party to conduct these audits or verifications.

Mullican encourages their suppliers to carry the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification. This standard requires the adherence to the protection of workers’ rights and welfare while safeguarding the basic right of workers. PEFC also requires that certified members acknowledge the principles of free, prior and informed consent, the UN Declaration on Indigenous Peoples’ Rights and ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples.

They also routinely look for ways to improve its company’s operations which include ways to protect again human trafficking in their supply chain.

For more information please contact us at (877) 966-3983 or [email protected].