by BASSETT, Va. – Bassett Furniture recently marked a corporate sustainability milestone, when Rob Spilman Jr., chairman and chief executive officer, planted its 250,000th tree in a field beside the company’s BenchMade warehouse here. The planting marked the culmination of the 11th Annual BenchMade event to celebrate Arbor Day and the United States 250th anniversary this year.
For nearly 125 years, Bassett has been at the forefront of domestic wood furniture manufacturing and has a long-standing dedication to sustainability through purposeful and responsible tree planting and harvesting. BenchMade is Bassett’s Made in America, solid wood program of customizable products that can be scaled for spaces of all sizes and delivered to retailers in 30 days or less.
Bassett established the BenchMade tree planting event in 2015, following the guidelines of the American Home Furnishings Alliance’s EFEC initiative (Enhancing Furniture’s Environmental Culture.) This year, a contingency of 32 associates from Bassett facilities across the Eastern United States, led by Chief Operating Officer Jeb Bassett, joined in an immersive two-day program into the history of the American hardwood trees, craftsmen and artisans throughout the Appalachian region that contribute to the ongoing success of BenchMade.
The event included team-building exercises, tours of local sawmills and multiple woodworking operations that produce wooden components for BenchMade furniture. The tree planting further promotes the company’s sustainable business practices and ensures the availability of these vital resources for future generations.
According to Spilman, Bassett currently produces more than 80% of its furniture in the United States.
“Sustainable practices are a cornerstone to our overall business approach, and getting out into nature with our team opens everyone’s eyes to the importance of this work and why it matters so much to what we do at Bassett,” Spilman said. “We are steadfast in our commitment to the environmental health of this region and to the proper harvesting and carpentry that has been integral to how we produce our American-made wood furniture.”
The Appalachian region of the U.S. has a long history of sawmill operations and is where American hardwoods like red leaf maple, silver leaf maple and white oak, are harvested to produce a majority of the BenchMade product line. “Since the launch of BenchMade, we have been planting two trees for each solid wood bedroom or dining suite sold to help restore the land, supporting long-term healthy and sustainable tree growth,” said Bassett. During the event this year, the Bassett team planted 29,550 red leaf maple, silver leaf maple, white oak, red oak and walnut trees.
“When I look at one of our BenchMade pieces of furniture in a retail setting, I get an immense sense of pride that we are still producing solid wood furniture domestically, the same way it has been constructed by hand for more than 100 years,” Spilman said. “BenchMade furniture is rooted in a foundation of quality and craftsmanship and when I look at the live edges of our BenchMade solid wood tables, I still feel a sense of awe and humility about what nature and our talented artisans are able to produce.”
