On a day when most Indonesians were home celebrating the country’s annual independence holiday, employees from GuildMaster’s Merapi plant in Indonesia traveled to Bantul, a village devastated by the 2006 earthquake, to contribute to the country’s natural resources.
After receiving the blessing of the local village chief, the Merapi team planted more than 150 mahogany and mango trees in an area heavily damaged by the earthquake, which devastated the area’s local economy, along with many of its natural resources.
“It was a tremendous day,” said Steve Crowder, president and chief executive officer of GuildMaster. “In today’s world where so many companies fail to keep their commitments, it’s an honor to be part of an organization that does what it says it will do. We are committed to sustainability of our natural resources and to putting our word into action.”
Immediately following the 2006 earthquake, which measured 7.2 on the Richter scale, GuildMaster provided some much needed food and water, and honored the commitment to rebuild the Merapi factory.
“Now we are making good on our promise to help with Indonesian reforestation,” says Vik Karode, GuildMaster vice president of operations. “The mahogany tree is a foundation of our economy and critical to Indonesia’s participation in the global marketplace. We have committed to one-for-one replacement of each tree we use. As a result, we plan to plant 1,200 trees this year to replace those we have harvested.”
GuildMaster specializes in bringing premium home accents directly from the Far East to retailers across the United States. Master craftsmen design, handcarve and hand-paint each piece of its solid mahogany furniture. As one of the premier manufacturing facilities in the area, the GuildMaster Merapi plant employs 400 craftsmen.
“We are committed to planting hundreds of trees on an ongoing basis,” Crowder says. “As good global citizens, we consider it to be our obligation to future generations.”