A company that was established in 1953 in Flores de Cunha, Brazil, called Fábrica de Móveis Florense is a leading example in a business that thrives on sustainability.
Fábrica de Móveis Florense, or more commonly known as simply Florense, is an international company with over 60 stores found throughout Brazil and others located in New York, Miami, Mexico City, Monterey, Santo Domingo, Panama City, Asunción, Montevideo, Punta del Este and in Luando. In 2008 their newest American showroom opened in Chicago.
Florense is a furniture manufacturer and producer of high quality wood veneers. Their kitchen remodels are well known and the final designs are stunning, modern, and always eco-friendly.
They are the first furniture manufacturer in Brazil to receive the ISO 14001 Environmental Managing Certificate. They also hold the ISO 9001 Quality Control Certificate.
These two certificates are earned when a company meets set business standards and requirements through the International Organization for Standardization. It is different from LEED certification because there are no levels or requirements that one can obtain, but an all or nothing systematic business approach.
The ISO 14000 essentials are environmental impact, continued environmental performance, and a systematic approach to setting objectives and goals of sustainability.
“The intention of ISO 14001:2004 is to provide a framework for a holistic, strategic approach to the organization’s environmental policy, plans and actions.”
Florense’s three core principles as a practicing business are:
- Green
- Contemporary
- Flexible
They want to give their clients a less expensive yet more sustainable design alternative in interior furnishings and finishes.
How is Florense different than other sustainable furniture manufacturers? The answer is how their business is conducted:
- All of their industrial processes and products are ecologically correct.
- All raw materials that are used are obtained from renewable sources.
- They have no indirect disposal of chemicals (all hazardous chemicals are robotically applied and controlled).
- All of the water that is used in their manufacturing processes is recycled and reused.
- The production plants have pollutant gas filters which use the heat produced to create clean energy throughout the plant.
Florense is a business that has been dedicated to their success and the environment’s continued sustainability since they opened more than 50 years ago. They even produce a quarterly-released magazine that was the first Brazilian carbon-free magazine.
Florense is a company that knows the importance of saving the earth and is doing their share to reduce the footprint that the design industry so often leaves pretentiously unnoticed. Being eco-friendly and environmentally aware should not be a bonus when choosing a product or company, it should be the standard that all design choices start at.
Resources:
Chicago Home + Garden, Everything Furniture, International Organization for Standardization, and Florense
