CHICAGO, September 9, 2007-xpedx is helping U.S. commercial and in-plant printers obtain both Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain-of-custody certifications.
At Graph Expo Chicago, Booth 3808, xpedx is providing answers to printers who want to learn more about what it takes to obtain dual certification for their print company or in-plant.  There is no charge for the consultation with xpedx.
"When a printer obtains chain-of-custody certification, he or she is prepared to compete for and win the highest value print jobs today," said Jeff Higgins, corporate director of marketing services for xpedx, Loveland, Ohio.  "Companies and other organizations are now incorporating social responsibility into their business strategies, and this places a premium on readily available access to SFI and FSC certified papers." 
xpedx says that companies, non-profits and government entities are increasingly requesting third-party certified printing papers and environmental responsibility for their paper sourcing.  Printers cannot claim full SFI or FSC certification on their products without having chain-of-custody certification of their print facility, buying certified papers and using chain-of-custody certified suppliers.
Printer certification allows printers to compete for print projects and contracts which require papers with total third-party certification, from forest to print shop.
"Typically, when a printer calls us and hears how easy it is, they are often eager to move forward and schedule an audit," said Higgins.  "Most printers have procedures required for certification already in place-it's often just a matter of a third-party auditor documenting them."
xpedx said that more than 150 U.S. commercial printers have signed up for the xpedx "starter kit" to begin the process of obtaining dual certification from Bureau Veritas Certification (BVC) of Jamestown, NY.  BVC audits and provides the chain-of-custody certification to printers.  xpedx says print companies or in-plants that receive both SFI and FSC certification can provide access to a greater breadth of papers that today's most valuable print customers require.
In 2006, xpedx became the first U.S. printing paper distributor to obtain SFI and FSC chain-of-custody certification at all of its 260 locations as well as xpedx.com.  To this day, no competing paper distributor offers full national, dual chain-of-custody certification of printing papers to their printer customers.
For more information or to get started on a certification, visit xpedx representatives at Booth 3808 during Graph Expo 2007 or visit xpedx.com/coc.