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“Since the company’s inception, we have been creating furniture that is as healthy for our customers as it is for the planet,” says founder of Cisco Home, Cisco Pinedo. “We believe that health, happiness and one’s home are inextricably linked.” The company also strives to keep production local, working with master artisans such as Conan Castillo, who creates beautifully crafted pieces from such found objects as old factory conveyor belts and vintage trunks.
Mr. Pinedo has also said that the most diverse wood basket on earth is the streets of New York on the day the city picks up bulky items. He started his workshop there, training citizens returning to society to 1) pick up all the solid wood trash that is put out; 2) identify species as nearly as possibly without a lab; 3) refurbish what is refurbishable and; 4) design and manufacture new items with everything else.
When Cisco Brothers Furniture (which manufactures Cisco Home products) was founded in 1990, they were planting a tree with a non-profit organization for every piece of furniture they made. In 2006, Cisco became FSC certified and has continued to provide products that are good for the health of people and the environment.
Cisco Brothers Furniture avoids wood from unacceptable sources, such as:
- Illegally harvested or traded timber;
- Timber harvested in violation of traditional or civil rights
- Timber harvested from areas in which high conservation values are threatened by poor forest management
- Timber harvested from areas being converted from forests to plantations or non-forest use;
- Timber from forests in which genetically modified trees are planted
Cisco recognizes the value of forests and only uses FSC Certified wood in its frames and furniture. All other used wood has been recycled or reclaimed.
Early on, Cisco faced the challenge of having a limited number of FSC certified suppliers. But the retailer learned that “once you give them your strategy, commitment and projections of the business they are missing, it is much easier to convince them in moving the sustainable needle. There is always a way!”
Cisco’s customers are making conscious commitments to both the environment and the company. By supporting Cisco, shoppers are helping to protect the earth. The makers of Cisco Brothers Furniture believe consumers should have access to healthy/organic furniture that does not off-gas toxins, the same way there are organic foods. To that end, Cisco builds with FSC certified wood AND uses Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified cotton and natural dyes in its fabrics. For more information about Cisco Home and its commitments to sustainability, please visit its website. Here, you will find a series of videos that offer insight into who these folks are, what they do, and why they do it.
Congratulations to Cisco Home for earning one of the highest scores on this year’s Wood Furniture Scorecard! The Sustainable Furnishings Council is proud to have Cisco Brothers Furniture as a Silver Level Member of the organization. We hope you will use this information to make more informed choices about your next furniture purchase.