History

The Sustainable Furnishings Council was created and organized in the showroom of our founder, Gerry Cooklin, at High Point in October 2006.

For years, Gerry had pursued sustainability as a personal passion. He had an awakening moment while camping in the Sierra Nevadas when he encountered a magnificent Juniper tree at an elevation of over 11,000 feet. He was humbled, and in an instant recognized his duty to protect the rainforest, a prime source of wood for his company, South Cone. From that point, he worked to green his own manufacturing operations and to make a significant difference in his native Peru.  Further, he started to organize small meetings at the High Point Furniture Market, which eventually blossomed into the founding meeting of SFC with some 70 members present. The SFC has since grown to nearly 300 members, the largest organization of our kind in residential furnishings.

We believe our structure has been key to our success.  By reaching out to all constituencies in the industry, and including environmental heayweights like Rainforest Alliance, World Wildlife Fund, and one of the founders of the US Green Building Council as well as retailers, manufacturers, designers and suppliers, we maintain a crucial balance in perspecitve. Our mission going forward is to provide the best education, promotion, and networking opportunities available to capitalize on rising consumer interest by developing many more sustainable options. We welcome one and all to join us in doing our part for the planet!