An increasing number of managers, landowners and manufacturers are looking at certification as a potential competitive advantage. Because certification is so new, information concerning its benefits is limited. The following summarizes what is currently known. For some companies, such as Collins Pine of Portland, Oregon, certification has had a positive effect on company image. As one of the first United States companies to certify its forestland, including its Kane Hardwoods Division in Pennsylvania, it received national media attention and received a Presidential Award for Sustainability.
Certification can improve credibility.
Certified landowners are seen as partners by environmental groups rather than as adversaries. In fact, many landowners have embraced certification as a way to reduce the controversy surrounding forest management. Certification validates forest stewardship and is used to defend management practices and assure continued management options. A number of studies have concluded that a segment of the population will pay more for certified forest products but, so far, companies have had little success in targeting this elusive consumer segment. Certified landowners and manufacturers often find themselves selling to totally new markets.