Ferche Millwords – April 2012

Ferche Millwork recently conducted a full-scale test of the Laminated Core Fire Rated Door Frame at the Intertek Testing facility in Middleton, WI. Being tested was the aforementioned frame sized at 72″ (6/0) wide by 96″ (8/0) high. The test resulted in the frame being approved for a paired door application, in sizes up to 6/0 x 8/0, for 45 and 60 minute ratings. Prior to this test, the Laminated Core door frames were only certified for single door applications.

Ferche Millwork is committed to responsible management and use of the forest products resources used to produce the beautiful millwork products we manufacture.  Our commitment begins at the Ferche Mt Pleasant lumber concentration facility where we receive random width and length lumber from sawmills, many of which are located in the Appalachian region of the United States.  The Appalachian region is recognized by the United States Forest Service as a “Sustainable Hardwood Forest”.  This lumber is air-dried for an appropriate period of time and then kiln-dried in kilns powered by sawdust from near-by sawmills.

Kiln dried lumber is then ripped in our manufacturing facilities where technology
enables us to “optimize” each individual board to maximize its use.  Each “optimized” board will yield moulder blanks of various widths.  These blanks are chopped into a variety of lengths eliminating any natural or manufactured defects.  Longer lengths are processed into mouldings and shorter lengths find their way into component parts, edge trim or finger-joint core for our veneer operations.  Sawdust, shavings and fines are burned to produce steam to power the Minnesota kilns and to heat the manufacturing buildings.  Excess residues are sold into the agricultural and fuel markets resulting in no waste.

At Ferche we embrace “green” with processes that greatly reduce waste and sustain valuable natural resources. We buy lumber from sawmills which selectively harvest trees from the forest. Our “lean” manufacturing philosophy has nurtured the development of processes which give a higher yield of finished goods from the raw materials. We have implemented the use of minimal amounts of material for set-up.  The template production system along with operator-set precision tolerances assure that our profiles match, allowing our customers to use short lengths of material (casing heads will match casing sides) and not just long lengths that potentially can result in waste on the job site.  Ferche’s philosophy of “100% usable” material means less waste on the jobsite since we remove defects and channel this residue into the most appropriate use before it reaches our customer.  Our commitment to responsible resource management predates 1985 when Ferche Millwork received a National Award for Energy Innovation for its proactive approach to recycling wood byproducts for fueling its boilers to heat kilns and buildings.

In April of 2009 Ferche Millwork was granted Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody Certification by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) who is accredited by the FSC to certify companies to their international standards.  While many certification systems provide assurances that the resources are responsibly managed, FSC is the only system currently accepted under the United States Green Building Council’s LEED program.

Here’s how FSC works:

• The process starts with the landowner achieving certification from FSC that the
  forest will be managed according to FSC standards.
• Each entity involved in the processing of timber harvested from FSC forests must apply and be approved with “Chain-of-Custody” certification to guarantee that products made and labeled as FSC are truly made from that resource.  This certification requires an audit and proof that systems exist to keep FSC materials separate from non-FSC materials. Simply stated, each entity that takes ownership, from the forest to the builder, including all successive stages of processing, transformation, manufacturing and distribution need to be “Chain-of-Custody” certified.  Only operations covered by an FSC CoC certificate are allowed to label products with the FSC trademarks.  Ferche’s certificate number is SCS-COC-002319.
• There are a variety of FSC labels.  Ferche will offer “FSC Pure” products and “FSC Mixed” products.  “FSC Pure” labeled millwork will be made from 100% FSC lumber, particle board or veneer. “FSC Mixed” labeled millwork may be made from a mix of FSC certified raw material and non-FSC raw material (i.e. FSC certified particle board and non-certified veneer).
• When you place an order for FSC labeled products, Ferche will acquire certified raw materials from authorized Chain-of-Custody providers.  We will keep those materials segregated and controlled and you can be assured that your FSC labeled millwork comes from a forest managed according to FSC standards.