BASSETT, Va. –A team of Bassett Furniture associates from factories, stores and the company headquarters traveled to Ohio to participate in the ninth Annual Tree Planting with its forestry sustainability partners.
Bassett has pledged to plant more than 29,000 trees in this edition of a yearly event held to coincide with Arbor Day.
Jeb Bassett, the company’s senior vice president/chief operations officer and great-grandson of founder C.C. Bassett, planted the 200,000th tree. “We want our associates to experience our tree plantings so they feel a stronger connection to what we’re trying to do with our sustainability efforts,” he said.
The company began the initiative in 2016 with the launch of the BenchMade Collection. The case goods and occasional furniture collection features solid Appalachian hardwoods that are crafted at its BenchMade factory in Bassett’s hometown of Bassett, Va.
Bassett Furniture has committed to planting two trees for every BenchMade dining table, bed, cocktail table and credenza sold. “I didn’t expect we’d be at 200,000 trees so quickly,” Jeb Bassett noted. “The success of the BenchMade line has greatly exceeded our forecasts.”
Bassett plants a variety of species as part of the initiative, including poplar, pine, maple and oak. This is to assure continued growth if one species becomes susceptible to pests or disease.
“Many of the trees harvested for BenchMade sprouted as seedlings 90 to 120 years ago when Bassett was in its formative years,” said Bassett CEO Rob Spilman. “It’s important that we plant back where we take. We’re doing this for future generations so people can enjoy the unique beauty of wood furniture.”