Martin Guitar's Long-Standing Commitment To The Environment Continues By Hosting The 5th Bi-Annual Wood Summit Bringing Together Industry Leaders

Martin Guitar's Long-Standing Commitment To The Environment Continues By Hosting The 5th Bi-Annual Wood Summit Bringing Together Industry Leaders

Representatives from US Fish & Wildlife Service, Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®), World Resource Institute, Forest Legality Alliance and Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) come together at the Martin Guitar factory to discuss current issues impacting the music industry at large

NAZARETH, Pa., May 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- C. F. Martin & Co., Inc. (www.martinguitar.com) 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.

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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. Learn more about Martin Guitar's longstanding commitment to the environment and responsible guitar building practices at http://www.martinguitar.com/environment.

"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. http://www.martinguitar.com/timber

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.

For more information on Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center and Pennsylvania's other 119 state parks, call 1-888-PA-PARKS between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday; or visit www.dcnr.state.pa.us (Select "Find a Park").

QUOTES FROM PRESENTERS:

Anne St. John, US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) - "We really applaud Martin in bringing together representatives of government, nonprofit profit, and the wood industry to continue this discussions to make sure timber trade is legal and sustainable."

Corey Brinkema, President, Forest Stewardship Council® US (FSC®) - "We applaud C.F. Martin for its long history of commitment to responsible forest management. By sourcing wood from FSC-certified forests and convening colleagues from across the industry, Martin is demonstrating its leadership in word and deed."

Chip Barber, World Resource Institute (WRI) & The Forest Legality Alliance (FLA) - "The Forest Legality Alliance has been extremely pleased that Martin Guitar has been such an active and stellar member in supporting legal and sustainable woods in the musical instrument industry. This summit is just another example of them going the extra mile."

Lisa Handy, Senior Policy Advisor, Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) - "We were pleased to participate at the Martin Wood Summit and share 'Getting in Tune', a video featuring top musicians stressing the importance of legal and sustainable wood sourcing. We encourage Summit participants to utilize the visibility of their industry and their legality efforts to help drive the broader market transformation currently underway."

Jack Barrett, Rutland Plywood - "Martin Guitar represents one of our best customers. We started with them over 20 years ago and have nothing but a positive vender relationship and if it happens we hope to become a supplier again. We were overwhelmed by their support after the fire."

Key MEDIA Events during Summit included:

8:15 - 8:45 AM | Anne St. John, US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS)

8:45 - 9:15 AM | Emily Crumley, Forest Stewardship Council ® (FSC®)

9:15 - 9:45 AM | Loretta Cheung & Chip Barber, World Resource Institute (WRI) & Forest Legality Alliance (FLA)

10:45 - 11:15 AM | Lisa Handy & Susanne Breigkops, Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA)

11:15 - 11:45 AM | Chris Martin, CEO & Chairman C.F. Martin & Co.

Additional panelists included:


-- Caitlin Clarke, Double Helix
-- Jack Barrett, Rutland Plywood
-- Larry Blakaitis, Central American Timbers
-- Mike Burkart, Marion Plywood
-- Luisa Willsher, Madinter Trade
-- Eric Warner, Pacific Rim Tonewoods
-- Rob Garner, Forest Based Solutions
-- Craig Forester, Rex Lumber Co
-- Cindy Squires, International Wood Products Association
-- Distinguished guests from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources (PA DCNR)
About Martin Guitar & Strings
C. F. Martin & Co. (www.martinguitar.com) has been creating the finest instruments in the world for over 182 years. It continues to innovate, introducing techniques and features that have become industry standards, including X-bracing, the 14-fret guitar and the "Dreadnought" size. One of the world's leading acoustic instrument makers, Martin guitars are hand-made by skilled craftsmen and women, who use a combination of new design and techniques, along with those introduced by the company founder.

The company is also known for producing high-quality, popular acoustic guitar strings. These include the Martin SP® LIFESPAN® line, the fastest-growing treated string in the industry, and the Martin SP line, which uses an industry leading core wire to hold tunings better.

Martin guitars and Martin strings are the instruments and strings of choice for musicians around the world, from the icons of rock, pop, country, folk and bluegrass to those just beginning their careers. They can be seen across all segments of pop culture, from television to movies, Broadway, books, online, and gracing the covers of popular magazines on newsstands everywhere. Connect with Martin and Martin Strings on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube and via www.martinguitar.com and www.martinstrings.com.

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SOURCE C.F. Martin & Co.

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C.F. Martin & Co.

CONTACT: Aliza Rabinoff, DKC for Martin Guitar, 212-981-5157, aliza_rabinoff@dkcnews.com

Web Site: http://www.martinguitar.com


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