Since 1991, our company has been actively looking for ways to lessen our impact on the environment in order to preserve America's forests. In order to protect our environment for future generations, we have worked diligently to provide hickory furniture that rarely needs to be replaced or repaired due to the durability of the wood. In addition, we have been primarily targeting hickory wood in our harvest and production as it is one of the most prolific wood species.
In a letter written by Dr. Andrew R. Gillespie, an Assistant Professor of Silviculture at Purdue University, he stated that Old Hickory's harvest and production impacts on the environment were minimal in comparison to other forest production industries. In order to understand how our company has been working towards sustainability, it is important to appreciate the history of these forests. Hickory trees have developed resilience to disturbance over time and quickly regrow "sprouts" from the tree base that can be gathered and regenerated. This feature sustains the genetic foundation of the hickory trees as well as promotes the forests biodiversity. Because we harvest our stock in small amounts, our business practices work to improve the forest instead of depleting it. Not only is our company focusing on improving the sustainability of our harvesting practices, but we are also looking for new opportunities in our production process as well. We currently allow customers to request custom products that are FSC certified. This certification ensures that all supplies are taken from responsibly managed forests and provide economic, social and environmental benefits. In the future, Old Hickory will continue to progress in our sustainability efforts in order to protect the interests of our customers and the environment and to be a leader for other companies in this industry.
Gillespie, R. Andrew. Letter to the author. 11 Sep. 1991.