Martin Guitar has recently confirmed an order for FSC®-certified African blackwood.
The order is in line with the company’s firm policy of only buying wood from legally verified, sustainable and independently cerified sources.
These environmental principles have been communicated via a series of Wood Summits hosted at Martin Guitar headquarters in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.
Tom Roche of Sound & Fair partner, Just Forests, attended the last Wood Summit in May 2011 and was left in no doubt of Martin Guitar’s intentions with regards to sustainable wood sourcing:
“There was no doubt whatsoever that Martin meant ‘business as usual’ was not part of their plans.
“They told the North American and European timber traders gathered at the Wood Summit that unless they can prove without any shadow of doubt that all woods supplied to Martin Guitars is both legal, sustainable and independently-certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, Martin Guitars would not do business with them.
“They also emphasized the importance of all their timber suppliers complying with the US Lacey Act and the new EU ‘due diligence’ timber regulations, due to come into force in 2013, which makes it an offence to trade in timber and wood-based products from illegal and questionable sources.”
