Supplying and maintaining sustainability in New York’s production industry

Since 1965 LeNoble Lumber has been supplying the east coast film industry with scenic and construction materials. It has remained one of the go-to lumber vendors of the New York film and television industry for nearly fifty years because of its commitment to three fundamental principles: quality material, unparalleled service and competitive pricing.  Recently, LeNoble Lumber added a fourth principle to its way of conducting business: a commitment to environmentally responsible practices and products.  By forging partnerships with organizations dedicated to combating deforestation, and instituting eco-friendly, energy efficient policies throughout its day-to-day operations, LeNoble Lumber has adopted forward thinking green policies that it hopes will become standard industry practices in the near future.

LeNoble Lumber has serviced some of the most well-known and iconic New York film and television productions.  Its list of notable clients includes The Godfather, The Exorcist, Annie Hall, Dog Day Afternoon, Ghost Busters, The Sopranos, Sex & the City, Law & Order, and recently, film and television projects that participated in the New York State Film Production Credit program:  The Good Wife, Elementary, Person of Interest, Boardwalk Empire, The Wolf of Wall Street, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, as well as many others.

As such, LeNoble Lumber has built upon its resounding success and stellar reputation to forge ahead in the fight to reduce its carbon footprint and protect the environment.  One way LeNoble Lumber has done this is by joining international organizations that share its goals of environmental sustainability, and adopting the standards put in place to help companies become more green and eco-friendly.  LeNoble Lumber is accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council, an organization whose mission is to “support environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests.”  In addition, LeNoble Lumber is a member of the Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI).  Both of these organizations insure that the certified products their members sell are tracked by a verifiable chain of custody system and do not contribute to irresponsible deforestation and waste of natural resources.

LeNoble Lumber has instituted its own policies of waste reduction in addition to the standards set forth by the organizations it is affiliated with.  LeNoble Lumber is committed to providing its customers with eco-friendly products and resources, from formaldehyde-free panels and recycled wall skins to products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The company has even taken steps to reduce its energy footprint in everyday business operations, replacing ballasts and bulbs with more efficient models, using copy paper, tissues and paper towels composed of recycled paper, and using damaged materials for packing and warehousing purposes instead of simply disposing of them. Though these practices might seem minute and insignificant, they add up to make a large, cumulative impact.

Matt Dienstag, one of the owners of LeNoble Lumber states, “We source out products that are good for the production industry, good for the economy, and above all, good for the environment.  This is very important to us.”  He recently accepted the Roll Of The Dice Award at this year’s Golden Dumpster Awards, an event that recognizes film industry related companies for making strides in environmental sustainability.  Dienstag was lauded for his work in eliminating irresponsibly harvested Lauan — a strong, light, low-cost lumber product sourced from tropical forests and commonly used for set building.  Due to irresponsible deforestation, more than 140 species of Lauan are on the endangered species list.  To combat this, the folks at LeNoble Lumber made a commitment to sell only FSC-certified Lauan, which comes from a responsibly managed forest.  From now on, any production company that orders Lauan from LeNoble will be receiving FSC-certified products only.

Thank you, LeNoble Lumber.