On February 25, 2022, Cooperages 1912’s domestic stave mills and cooperage achieved certification to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI). Now, all TW Boswell and World Cooperage American oak barrels will be certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Fiber Sourcing Standard.

In crafting premium oak barrels, Cooperages 1912 is dedicated to ensuring healthy, productive forests that will continue for generations to come. They are committed to only using oak that has achieved a sustainable certification. “This is another step on our journey to become a more environmentally responsible and sustainable cooperage,” said Elizabeth Van Emst, Cooperages 1912 general manager. “Responsible management of our most important resource, white oak, has always been our focus, and this certification demonstrates our commitment to sustainability. Our French oak barrels have been certified with the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification for years and we are proud to now have a certification for our American oak.”

The company’s Sustainability Manager, Dominic Stelzer, oversaw the processes required to attain certification to SFI. These requirements include measures to broaden the conservation of biodiversity, use forestry best management practices to protect water quality, provide outreach to landowners, and utilize the services of forest management and harvesting professionals.

“Cooperages 1912 has always promoted logger education and we work with professionals who use sustainable harvesting practices,” said Director of Log Procurement, Garret Nowell. “With our SFI certification, we are further communicating to loggers, landowners, and the community how important sustainable practices are to us. If you own forested land, having a land management plan in place – one that considers wildlife, water quality, and all species of trees – is essential to the sustainability and future of that land.”

Becoming SFI certified aligns with other sustainability initiatives supported by Cooperages 1912 and their parent company. Additional efforts include their involvement in The White Oak Initiative, the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), and partnerships with American Forests and the University of Missouri Woodland Steward program.

To learn more about the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and their standards and rules, visit www.forests.org.

Cooperages 1912 is a fourth-generation, family-owned company committed to crafting premium French, European and American oak barrels under the brands TW Boswell and World Cooperage. Over the past century, the Boswell family has crafted distinctive barrels that define the industry. The Cooperages 1912 team consults directly with winemakers to ensure an optimal pairing between wine and barrel.

oak barrels stave mills sustainable sustainability