Whether you’re selecting furniture for your hotel, dorm, or senior living community, eco-friendly commercial furniture can provide a healthier environment for your residents, company, community, and country.

Here Are Four Reasons Why You Should Choose Eco-Friendly Commercial Furniture:

1. Supports Job Growth in the United States

Supporting job growth in the United States has been a political priority for several administrations, but that doesn’t mean businesses can’t take the reins into their own hands. Though many furniture suppliers have moved their manufacturing operations overseas—in large part due to low production costs and equal trade agreements—those that continue to keep their manufacturing facilities in the United States have done much to support the U.S. economy.

In 2013 it was estimated that the United States employed 14 million workers overseas. That’s almost double the 7.5 million workers that remain unemployed in the United States. Assuming that those 14 million jobs could return to the states, that would allow all unemployed workers and even all part-time workers to accept full-time jobs, thus boosting the economy and supporting job growth. Though returning manufacturing jobs to the United States is easier said than done, there is a lot that American-made businesses can do to support job growth at home.

Northland Furniture, for example, designs, builds, and ships all commercial furniture from our 42,000 square foot facility in Central Oregon. We employ hundreds of employees and have for more than forty years. Not only do we strive to manufacture all of our commercial furniture domestically, but we also take extra measures to source materials from North America. In this way, Northland Furniture is proud to support job growth in the United States by creating hundreds of jobs in the Pacific Northwest.

2. Produces Less Waste and is Better for the Environment

Not only does eco-friendly commercial furniture mean more jobs for our country, but it also means less waste for our environment. Just as “fast-fashion” transformed the retail industry by providing disposable clothing at a heavily discounted price, the furniture industry has followed suit. Many of today’s major furniture manufacturers provide poorly constructed furniture at a lower cost, anticipating that their buyers will need to replenish furniture regularly.

Far from being sustainable, this method produces products that do not last more than a few season and end up in a landfill when they don’t. The EPA estimates that 9.8 million tons of furniture waste make it to landfills each year—that’s waste that will take decades if not centuries to biodegrade, and millions if not billions of dollars to replace in our hotels, student housing, and senior living facilities.

The only way to combat this trend is to produce furniture reminiscent of the craftsman era. By providing quality furniture designed and built to be handed down for generations, Northland Furniture guarantees that your hospitality furniture won’t need to be replaced, even with substantial wear and tear. We even offer a 10-year warranty to prove it.

3. Is Healthier for Your Residents

For a long time, the furniture industry took its queue from the fashion industry: coating wooden furniture items such as beds, tables, nightstands, and bookcases with flame-retardant chemicals now known to cause cancer, fertility problems, and neurological defects. Daily exposure to these hazardous furniture items resulted in higher than normal levels of carcinogens in the residents who owned them. For this reason, it’s important to consider what finishes are used on your commercial furniture.

Northland Furniture uses only LEED-applicable stains and finishes. This means that all of our furniture is made according to the eco-friendly standards established by LEED—and they do not emit hazardous chemicals into their surrounding environments. For this reason, be sure to use eco-friendly commercial furniture to provide a safe and healthy environment for your residents.

4. Is Good for Business

Whether you need furniture for hospitality, student housing, or senior living facilities, eco-friendly commercial furniture is not only good for residents; it’s good for business. By investing in quality, durable furniture that is guaranteed to last for decades, you’ll lower your maintenance costs, decrease your annual replenishment costs, and provide a safe and healthy environment your residents will want to return to.

Northland Furniture provides hospitality furniture for Marriott, Hilton, Best Western, Wyndham, and BHG hotels as well as many student housing and senior living facilities nationwide. To learn more about how you can use eco-friendly commercial furniture for your ventures, please contact us. We’d love to tell you more.