Bi-Annual Wood Summit Hosted By Martin Guitars!

C. F. Martin & Co., Inc. hosted the Fifth Bi-Annual Wood Summit at the company's headquarters in Nazareth, PA on Thursday, May 7, 2015.

The full-day Summit commenced with an agenda of discussions, networking and presentations on a myriad of key topics that ranged from CITES Permits & Process, Lacey Act Due Care, DNA Chain of Custody Tracking, and alternative material sourcing.

Martin Guitar has been committed to corporate responsibility and environmental stewardship for over 20 years, maintaining Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) Chain-of-Custody certification, license code FSC® C008304.

Being FSC® certified indicates that Martin complies with one of the highest social, economic and environmental standards on the market. By offering FSC® certified products, Martin supports responsible management of the world's forests.

The Rainforest Alliance works in over 70 countries to manage and conserve natural resources and helped to establish the FSC®. In 2007, Martin was one of the first acoustic guitar manufacturers in the industry to produce a guitar model comprised entirely of FSC® certified woods.

"Our established commitment to using sustainable wood products, along with innovative alternative materials, continues to be reflected in the quality and craftsmanship of every Martin Guitar we produce," says Chris Martin IV, CEO & Chairman of Martin Guitar. "With the Summit, we are proud to bring together an esteemed group of industry leaders to openly discuss and highlight important issues within our industry that will ensure best practice policies and processes continue and expand to larger groups of instrument builders."

Additionally, Martin is proud to be an industry leader in its global commitment to responsible forestry and the use of renewable natural resources with its Responsible Timber Purchasing Policy. The company actively recognizes that it has a responsibility to the environment, consumers and staff to base its commercial activities on responsible stewardship of the world's forest resources.

The Fifth Bi-Annual Wood Summit was directed to an audience of domestic and international suppliers and was facilitated by Wood Sourcing Specialist Linda R. Davis-Wallen and Michael Dickinson, Exotic, Alternative and Sustainable Wood Buyer. Also planned during the Summit was the 5(th) Commemorative Tree Planting and group photo (available digitally to media).

At a local level, C.F. Martin & Co. continues to build its partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Bureau of State Parks and Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center to educate visitors about sustainable practices for forest health. Martin presented Bureau of State parks staff with a one-of-a-kind Martin guitar and display case to be installed in the center. The blond guitar is inlaid with images of aquatic insects, a salamander, and the DCNR logo. Last year representatives of C.F. Martin & Co. collected sections from four different species of downed trees at Jacobsburg to create the guitar.

"The presentation of the guitar made of salvaged "storywood" from the forests at the Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center is quite symbolic," said David Kemmerer, State Parks Director. " I am told by the Martin Guitar team that the guitar's resonance and tone will continue to improve over time and with increased use, as will the partnership with Martin Guitar and Pennsylvania State Parks."

Martin Guitar's partnership with the center reaches beyond the guitar. The company donated $25,000 in 2014 to support creation of a 15-acre area to showcase a forest in different stages of succession, with interpretive signage for visitors on sustainable management practices.