CONTACT: 
Carrie Annand
[email protected]
(202) 494-2493

Pellet Fuels Institute Announces Qualification of Two Northeast Wood Products Facilities into PFI Standards Program

PFI Standards Program Now Counts 26 Pellet Fuels Facilities;
Identify Fuel from Qualified Companies by Quality Mark on Bags

Washington, DC – July 7, 2016 – The Pellet Fuels Institute today announced the qualification of two new pellet fuels manufacturing facilities owned Northeast Wood Products (NWP) into the Pellet Fuels Institute (PFI) Standards Program. The two facilities, located in Liogner, Indiana and Peebles, Ohio are the 25th and 26th facilities qualified by the program; Northeast Wood Products’ facility in Jasper, Tennessee was previously qualified. The PFI Standards Program is a third-party accreditation program providing specifications for residential and commercial-grade pellet fuel.

“We welcome Northeast Wood Products’ two additional facilities into the PFI Standards Program,” said Stephen Faehner, Chairman of the PFI Board of Directors. “Pellet fuels from qualified manufacturers are more easily accessible than ever. To identify pellets from a qualified producer, all someone has to do is look for the PFI Quality Mark on the bag. Many retailers look for the Quality Mark when making decisions on which pellet fuel brands to purchase. We look forward to many more PFI Standards Program members.”

“We at Northeast Wood Products are proud to have two more facilities qualified by the program,” said Mike Reid of Northeast Wood Products. “It has been worth our time and investment to qualify all three of our facilities into the program. Our customers and retailers value our consistent quality, and now we have that extra proof with the PFI Quality Mark on our products bags. We expect our PFI Standards Program qualification to lead to market growth for our business.”

In qualifying for the Standards Program, the two facilities join companies across the country with previously qualified facilities: New England Wood Pellet, Curran Renewable Energy, American Wood Fibers, Lignetics Inc., Marth Peshtigo Pellet Co., Forest Energy Corp., Indeck Ladysmith, Energex, Spearfish Pellet Co., Michigan Wood Fuels LLC, Trae Fuels Ltd., Somerset Pellet Fuel, NWP Jasper and Georgia Biomass.

PFI Standards Program participants can display the PFI Quality Mark on their pellet bags, signifying their qualification to the program requirements. This quality mark demonstrates to consumers that the product comes from a facility that submits its product to regular third party audits by an independent accredited auditing agency and testing laboratory. Random audits are regularly performed at production facilities to ensure qualified companies are following a quality control program. Wood pellets are tested according to the program specifications, also on a monthly basis. By taking these steps, participants ensure that their pellet quality remains consistent.

NWP Liognier and NWP Peebles were qualified by accredited auditing agency Timber Products Inspection. For information on qualifying for the program, the first step is to contact an accredited auditing agency, a list of which can be find on PFI’s website. For further details on the PFI Standards Program, including a list of participating manufacturers, visit the PFI website, www.pelletheat.org.

# # #

The Pellet Fuels Institute (PFI) is a North American trade association based in Arlington, Virginia, that represents a range of contributors to the pellet industry, including companies that manufacture wood pellets and pellet manufacturing equipment, or provide other products and services to the densified biomass industry at large. To learn more, please visit PFI’s website at www.pelletheat.org.