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SMITH & FONG CO. TO PRODUCE WORLD’S FIRST FSC-CERTIFIED
BAMBOO ARCHITECTURAL PLYWOOD AND FLOORING

April 14, 2008 - Smith & Fong Co., manufacturer of Plyboo® bamboo
architectural plywood and flooring, today announced it has secured certification
according to the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and
established a responsibly managed bamboo forest resource, enabling the
company to produce the world’s first range of FSC-certified bamboo plywood
and flooring.

Product will be available to the North American market by this summer.
“The independent European FSC-certifier Institut fur Marktokologie (IMO) was
impressed with our forestry practices and agreed that if we could meet the same
FSC standards for a tree forest, it would certify our bamboo source,” Smith &
Fong president and founder Dan Smith said. “We have been working with the
bamboo forests and telling our story for more than a decade now, and we’re
grateful to both FSC and IMO for validating our efforts.”

“We are pleased that Smith & Fong has expanded the North American
marketplace for certified products by offering bamboo plywood and flooring with
the FSC label,” FSC-US president Corey Brinkema said. “FSC is the world’s most
highly respected certification for forest products. Whether a product is made of a
traditional wood species, or a less traditional non-timber forest resource like
bamboo, it is important for consumers to know that the forest is being managed
to high social and environmental standards.”

Smith & Fong’s certified products will qualify for the FSC Pure designation, as
they are 100% FSC material from an FSC-certified forest and have been sold
and/or processed by an FSC chain-of-custody certified company. Smith further
stated that the company’s sources use no irrigation, pesticides or fertilizers in
growing their bamboo. “This is not only a success for the forests and the farmers
who grow our bamboo,” he said. “It’s a victory for everyone who believes in an
environmentally responsible future.”

Smith & Fong’s chain of custody (COC) certificate is from the SmartWood
program of the Rainforest Alliance: SW-COC-003124.
Founded in 1989 and headquartered in San Francisco, Smith & Fong Co. was the
first U.S. company to manufacture bamboo flooring in China for sale in North
America, offering its first product in 1993. In 1996 the firm began producing
bamboo plywood, followed by coconut palm flooring and plywood products in
2000. Smith & Fong is committed to earth friendly practices and innovation.

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