CHICAGO – Bretford Manufacturing Inc., manufacturer of dependable furniture products that improve how people work and learn, recently announced that dozens of its widely used workstations, tables, shelves and desks are now recognized as GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Certified® by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI).
Used primarily in schools and offices, these models have earned the stringent GREENGUARD standard for low-emitting products and for the Children & SchoolsSM product certification program. The GREENGUARD-certified models can now be specified to help commercial facilities achieve Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED®) points, the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of green buildings.
According to a recent research paper by Air Quality Sciences Inc., titled “Green, High- Performance Schools,” many elements of sustainability, including good indoor air quality, affect the performance of both schools and students. High-performance schools, as outlined by the United States Green Building Council, create a “healthy environment that is conducive to learning while saving energy, resources and money.”
“There is [now] more emphasis on keeping the environments we learn and work in healthy,” says Tad Petrick, director of marketing and product development for Bretford. “Our customers continue to ask for Bretford GREENGUARD-certified products because they understand the value of the designation and how good indoor air quality can contribute to the performance of students and employees.”
The latest round of certified models includes many of Bretford’s Free brand laminate oval and round tables; Basics brand conference tables; Tru brand laminate and painted base conference tables; and Legacy brand steel library shelves, frames and accessories. Various Basics brand multimedia workstations, instructor desks, and printer and fax stands have also been certified. View a complete list of Bretford’s GREENGUARD-certified furniture.
To learn more about Bretford’s GREENGUARD-certified products, call (800) 521-9614 or go to www.bretford.com.
About the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI)
Founded in 2001, GEI is an industry-independent, nonprofit organization that oversees the GREENGUARD Certification ProgramSM. The Institute's mission is to protect human health and quality of life through programs that improve indoor air that people breathe. As an ANSI-accredited Standards Developer, GEI establishes acceptable indoor air standards for building materials, interior products, furnishings, electronic equipment, indoor environments and buildings. The more than 200,000 GREENGUARD-certified products must meet stringent, third-party standards for low chemical emissions based on established health standards and undergo rigorous testing and verification processes on a regular basis. GREENGUARD Certification is broadly recognized and accepted by a number of "green" building programs, including the United States Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED program. An online guide to GREENGUARD-certified products is available at no charge at www.greenguard.org.
About Bretford Manufacturing Inc.
Bretford designs and manufactures dependable furniture products that are built to last for decades and are created to improve how people work and learn. Founded in 1948 and headquartered in Franklin Park, IL, Bretford holds more than six decades of expertise dedicated solely to the design and manufacture of furniture solutions. With nearly 400 employees and 450,000 square feet of production space, the company offers smart furniture designs that support evolving technology, enabling institutions, organizations and corporations to increase productivity and efficiency. Bretford’s superior workmanship and environmentally compliant manufacturing and operation practices ensure dependable products, many of which are GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified®.
