Columbia Forest Products launches new additions to PLYprints line

Columbia Forest Products Partners with the Estate of Alexander Girard
Offers Iconic Mid-Century Modern PLYprints™ on PureBond® Wood Panels

Greensboro, NC – In a novel marriage of sustainable materials and art, Columbia Forest Products is introducing PLYprints - collection of ten classic Alexander Girard prints on the company's formaldehyde-free PureBond® hardwood plywood panels.

Eight of Alexander Girard's classic designs are available on 14" x 14" plywood panels, including two new designs for fall 2009: Old Sun and New Sun. Each graphic panel features an iconic Alexander Girard image hand screen printed with water-based inks on a US made sustainably-harvested maple plywood panel. All PLYprints include hanging hardware and have a spacer on the back that allows the panel to float off the wall.

Also new for fall 2009, five more of Girard's classic designs are available on larger 16" x 20" plywood panels, with wall hanging hardware included. This new size makes a bigger design statement with the same sustainable properties as the smaller wall hangings.

The vibrant artworks mix bold colors with the natural graining of the real wood veneers. The wood panels are responsibly made with Columbia Forest Products' soy-based, formaldehyde free PureBond technology to create a safe and green wood based product for your home.

A "Give Love" gift set of six 3" x 3" blocks is also available, all with Girard's iconic "LOVE" design screened in red. Break up the set and "give love" to everyone you love.

This project is a collaboration between Columbia and the estate of Alexander Girard to promote the sustainable, soy flour-based formaldehyde-free PureBond technology and to highlight and expose to a new market the timeless graphics of Alexander Girard.

Alexander Girard (1907 - 1993) created iconic mid-century modern designs for such companies as Herman Miller and Braniff International Airways. His work married the timeless lines of the modern with the playfulness and bold color of Latin American folk art.

The estate chose to work with Columbia Forest Products because PureBond is the only widely available formaldehyde free plywood panel. Girard had a long history of environmental concerns, especially about pollution, and PureBond technology offers a way to mitigate indoor air problems by eliminating the risk of toxic and carcinogenic VOC's that can be released by composite wood panels made with urea formaldehyde resins.

In addition, Girard developed many designs which were silk-screened onto wood panels. Some of these designs were used in the 1971 Herman Miller Action Office 2 system and on the walls of The Compound restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

PLYprints are being made available through specialty retailers of home fashion and art objects. Please contact us for a list of retailers currently selling PLYprints.

About Alexander Girard
Alexander "Sandro" Girard was one of the most innovative modern designers of the 20th century. From 1952 to 1973, Girard led that company's textile division, where he brought color and life to the furniture creations of George Nelson and Charles & Ray Eames. Widely considered the greatest colorist and textile designer of modern time, Girard used traditional folk art to infuse color, whimsy and humor into vibrant modern design.

He was able to capture the essence of Latin America while still creating designs that were fresh and contemporary, finding the perfect balance of high and low art forms. In 2000 Girard was the subject of a major retrospective at the Cooper Hewitt National design Museum, confirming his place in the pantheon of great mid-century designers.

About Columbia Forest Products
Founded in 1957, Columbia Forest Products is North America's largest manufacturer of hardwood plywood and hardwood veneer, a leader in sustainable forestry, and innovator of formaldehyde-free PureBond® technology.

Columbia's decorative interior veneers and panels are used in cabinetry, furniture, architectural millwork and commercial fixtures. Employee-owned and based in Greensboro, North Carolina, Columbia employs more than 2,000 and operates facilities throughout the United States and Canada, and an operational network which spans the globe.

PLYprints Concept
The PLYprints concept was developed in cooperation with Eric Pfeiffer of PfeifferLab, a San Francisco-based design and branding studio. PfeifferLab relies on Eric's penchant for simplicity of form to create useful and elegant solutions for everyday living. It's this pure design ethos, coupled with a casual sensibility that results in timeless objects rooted in a deep understanding of materials and message.

For more information, visit www.cfpwood.com or email cfpmarketing@cfpwood.com .