Waukegan, IL -- (SBWire) -- 09/18/2012 --North Carolina’s Fayetteville State University has chosen Illinois student furniture manufacturer Ecologic Industries to furnish a new 338-student campus residence hall. Ecologic Industries has provided student desks, beds, chests, wardrobes, study carrels, lounge chairs, loveseats, end tables, coffee tables, and cafe chairs manufactured to exacting eco-friendly specifications for the university’s new LEED Silver-certified Renaissance Hall.
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to recognize building owners and operators which have implemented practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building, home or community was designed and built using sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
Ironically, although the Ecologic Furniture products were going to be used in a LEED-certified facility, the “green” aspect wasn’t as important as the furniture’s cost, appearance and construction. “We had a certain amount allotted for our FF&E budget,” said Larry Herringdine, Jr., the school’s student affairs operations manager. “We knew furniture was going to take up 75% of that budget, so we were concerned about the costing part. We got bids from six student furniture manufacturers in addition to Ecologic Furniture. Everybody else’s prices were considerably higher. And there was really nothing on the green side at all. It was all the same old traditional-style dorm furniture.”
Herringdine continues, “I’m more concerned about how the residence hall furniture looks, and how long it’s going to last...The green stuff was a bonus. The look of the furniture was really important to us, and first and foremost we felt that Ecologic Furniture looked good. Schools are really having a problem of retention. We had this great-looking new high-end residence hall, and we just couldn’t put the same old traditional-looking furniture in it. And you can’t tell by looking at it that Ecologic Furniture is ‘green’ or ‘sustainable.’ You don’t have to sacrifice style to be sustainable.”
“Going through the whole construction process in a LEED Silver facility,” says Herringdine, “you’re constantly thinking about what you can use and what you can’t use, and working with Ecologic made it really easy for us. Once we chose Ecologic Furniture, sustainability was a factor we just didn’t have to worry about.”
Ecologic Industries products are manufactured from environmentally friendly materials, using ecologically sensitive manufacturing processes. The company uses recycled plastic, steel and leather throughout its furniture lines. Ecologic strives to offer the most sustainable laminates, glues and adhesives to enhance its position as a leader in sustainable furniture for student housing.
About Ecologic Industries
Ecologic Industries, LLC, manufactures furnishings for the Residence Life Market using environmentally friendly materials and sustainable business practices. Ecologic products, including student desks, loft beds, storage units and lounge furniture, are designed and constructed for the demanding needs of college and university dormitories and residence halls.
Ecologic offers ECO-CARE™ on all products – a commitment to service excellence ensuring all products are received on time and without issues.
For more information, visit http://www.EcologicFurniture.com or call (847) 234-5855.
