For immediate release
Contact: Henry Gignac, president
Dooge Veneers, Inc.

DOOGE VENEERS CELEBRATES 30 YEARS BY PLANTING TREES FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

What could be more appropriate than planting trees to celebrate 30 years in the veneer business?

This year Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Dooge Veneers, Inc., will commemorate its 30th year by donating funds to establish forests for the natural resource-needs of future generations.

According to president Henry Gignac, Dooge Veneers will spread the contribution over five years, stipulating that the funds be used to plant more than 20,000 hardwood seedlings in West Michigan and other regional hardwood sites, and to support educational programs that promote sustainable forest management in tropical regions in South America, Central America, and Asia. The benefits? Cleaner air, cleaner water, less erosion, greater biodiversity, and more renewable wood resources for the next generation.

“We’ve enjoyed 30 years of success in our industry. This gift offers a way for us to give back to the trade and to promote regional and global sustainability,” says Gignac. The firm has a long-standing reputation for leadership in environmental issues. Dooge Veneers was one of the earliest adopters of the Forest Stewardship Council’s (FSC) program to certify forestry operations that harvest wood using sustainable practices that respect local communities and their environments.

Dooge Veneers provides high-end domestic and imported hardwood veneers to residential and contract furniture manufacturers, plywood and door manufacturers, and architects and designers worldwide. The company distributes more than 20 million square feet of veneer annually—from high-volume commodity veneers to rare, one-of-a kind logs scouted through the firm’s global network of suppliers.

The company’s veneer features prominently in many architectural projects in West Michigan, including the renovation of the Ryerson Building at the Grand Rapids Public Library downtown, DeVos Performance Hall, the Gerald R. Ford International Airport, and in the JW Marriott Hotel that is currently under construction in downtown Grand Rapids. Nationally, the firm has gained attention for its contribution to renowned projects including the Foley Square Federal Courthouse in New York city; Cesar Pelli’s Overture Center in Madison, Wisconsin; and the Kresge Foundation’s award-winning, LEED-certified headquarters in Troy, Michigan.

Dooge’s commemorative gift will be directed to two organizations devoted to the long-term sustainability of forests—one local, the other international.

• The Hardwood Forestry Fund (HFF) will use its portion of the funds to plant and maintain more than 20,000 oak, walnut, ash, cherry, and maple saplings in Michigan and other states where hardwoods grow best. The HFF provides grants to public natural resource partners (such as state foresters) who use the money to establish sustainable, bio-diverse forests on idle public sites. To date, the HFF has used member contributions to plant more than 2,250,000 hardwood seedlings, primarily in the United States. The Dooge gift, the first of its kind for the HFF, helps realize Dooge’s vision for creating a sustainable harvest in Michigan. Bringing about the planting requires the collaborative work of the State of Michigan, the HFF, and senior officers at Dooge.

“The hardwood industry continues to show real leadership where it counts the most – on the ground,” says Rick Philipps, chair of the Hardwood Forestry Fund (HFF). “Dooge’s commitment of funds is a great example. With their support, and the support of our other members, the Hardwood Forestry Fund is on pace to plant three million trees by 2009. We’d like to congratulate Dooge Veneers on 30 successful years and to thank them for their long-term support and confidence in our sustainable forest program.”

• The Tropical Forestry Foundation (TFF) will use its portion of the Dooge funds to support its efforts to promote sustainable forest management in tropical regions in Central and South America and Asia. The nonprofit group educates and trains timber companies in reduced-impact logging practices. By adopting reduced–impact logging practices, timber companies can cut fewer roads and trails, ensure faster recovery in logged areas, reduce wood waste, and create significantly less opening in the forest canopy—critical to maintaining the environmental value of the forest.

According to Dooge vice president Dale Smith, “These donations are a way for us to give back to the world’s forest. They’re an investment in the future and an indicator of the value we place on maintaining the integrity of our forest resources.”

Dooge Veneers is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international organization that certifies woods that are derived from well-managed forests using practices that respect the regional peoples, wildlife, and natural resources.