JESSUP, MD (July 24, 2008) – Graphic Technology of Maryland, Inc. (GraphTec), a leading commercial printing company located in Jessup, Maryland, has extended its commitment to sustainable forestry by earning certification from three major organizations dedicated to preserving and protecting the world's forests.

The company was recently certified by PricewaterhouseCoopers to the Standards of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) in addition to its 2005 certification by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which has certified more than 100 million hectares of forestland in 79 countries.

The certifications allow GraphTec to offer sustainable printing, which uses papers produced from trees grown in forests that meet the responsible forestry standards of each certifying organization. To be certified as sustainable, wood products must be tracked through the entire "chain of custody," with the possession and transfer of wood and fiber recorded at every stage from the forest of origin through the end use. In the case of paper, the forest, the paper mill, the paper distributor and the printer must all be certified.

"GraphTec has a history of environmental leadership and a commitment to our customers," said Russ Hewitt, president. "Three years ago, when we received our FSC certification, we were not hearing too much about sustainability. Today, many of our customers want to know more than when their job will be ready and how much it will cost. They want to know how it will affect the environment," he continued. "We want to be proactive in helping our customers achieve their sustainability goals and in educating the marketplace about the benefits of these certifications.

"Customers who choose sustainable printing can be assured that the money they spend on paper is not going to sources that are harming the world's forests," Hewitt added.  "Instead, they are supporting companies working to preserve and protect our forests. And because GraphTec has adopted the most stringent standards from three different organizations, they can now display the logos of any of these three certifying organizations on their printed materials."

GraphTec is currently producing its first project to display the logo of PEFC, which has become the world's largest certification umbrella organization, endorsing national certification systems supported by 149 governments covering 85 percent of the world's forest area. The project is the annual report for the American Forest Foundation, a long-standing customer, which is at the forefront of sustainable forestry, habitat, conservation and environmental education in the U.S.

 "When we began working with Graphtec in 2002, we were looking for more than a printer. We wanted a partner who would take time to understand our goals and be proactive in helping us meet them," said Brigitte Johnson, American Forest Foundation director of communications. "Sustainable printing is central to our value system as an advocate for sustainable forestry, habitat conservation and environmental education. Graphtec was ahead of the curve in supporting sustainable forestry and forest certification. We were pleased that they moved so quickly to obtain additional certifications this year, supporting our initiative to receive PEFC endorsement of our 67-year-old American Tree Farm System program, the nation's oldest and largest forest certification, conservation and advocacy program."

Located between Baltimore and Washington D.C., GraphTec has a long and successful history in the local printing industry. In 1998, the company was purchased by Houston-based Consolidated Graphics, one of North America's leading general commercial printing companies. With 70 printing businesses strategically located across 27 states and in Canada, Consolidated Graphics provides the service and convenience of a local printing company backed by the economic, geographic and technological advantages of a strong national corporation.