AFMA Presents Environmental, Safety And Leadership Awards

Furniture World Magazine

The American Furniture Manufacturers Association presented three new leadership awards, plus awards for environmental excellence and safety excellence at the Human Resources/Safety/Environmental Conference on Sept. 10-12. The following individuals and companies were recognized: Lexington Home Brands received AFMA’s first Environmental Excellence Award. The award recognizes commitment to environmental management and outstanding environmental stewardship efforts. Lexington is the first AFMA member to receive EFEC certification on a company wide basis. EFEC stands for “Enhancing Furniture’s Environmental Culture” and is a voluntary environmental management system created by AFMA to keep home furnishings manufacturers in step with environmental legislation and regulation. La-Z-Boy Tennessee received the Safety Excellence Award for achieving 6 million man hours without a lost time accident. Wayne Bumgardner, corporate safety director for Bernhardt Furniture for 29 years, received the first Safety Leadership Award. Bumgardner is a longtime member of AFMA’s human resources/safety group and a member of the association’s Safety Committee since 1991. Dave Maddox, director of environmental engineering for Stanley Furniture Co., received the first Larry F. Runyan Environmental Leadership Award. Maddox was among the founding members of AFMA’s Action Committee on the Environment and guided Stanley Furniture through a pilot program of EFEC, resulting in the company’s Martinsville, Va., plant becoming the first EFEC-registered facility in the industry. Nancy Taylor, vice president of human resources for Harden Furniture, and Sandy McDowell, personnel manager at Hickory Chair, shared the first White G. Watkins Human Resources Leadership Award. In 1995, Taylor was the first woman elected as an AFMA division officer. She then served as the Human Resources/Safety Division’s president a second time in 2001. The SafeWay video project was completed during Taylor’s second tenure. McDowell led AFMA’s Human Resources/Safety Division as president in 2002-2003. The American Furniture Manufacturers Association is headquartered in High Point, N.C. – the furniture capital of the world – and represents more than 200 leading U.S. furniture manufacturers and 250 suppliers to the furniture industry.