DALLAS – January 7, 2009 – East Teak Fine Hardwoods, Inc., an industry leader in teak, mahogany, ipe and other fine hardwoods, announces the addition of A. J. Bumby as the Senior Vice President – Commercial Sales.

In this capacity, Mr. Bumby will be responsible for sourcing and selling materials for large, high profile projects such as boardwalks, marinas, municipalities, state and federal agencies and bridges in North America and abroad.  He previously has worked on projects such as the boardwalk at Disney World in Orlando, FL; Freedom Park in Naples, FL; Jones Beach Boardwalk on Long Island, NY; world-renowned Columbus Circle benches in Manhattan, NY; and the City of Ventnor’s fishing pier just south of Atlantic City, NJ.

Mr. Bumby is a 32-year wood industry veteran who got his start in 1977 as Vice President of Sales for MacGillis and Gibbs Co., Inc., selling treated utility poles to power companies around the world.  He became CEO in 1982 and then ran their CCA pressure treating plant in Minnesota until 1997.  Mr. Bumby has spent the last 12 years at Milwaukee-based Timber Holdings International.  Most recently, he held the title of Executive Vice President and General Manager, selling naturally durable hardwoods in the commercial decking, piling, and timber business.

“We are fortunate to have A.J. on our team to help develop a growing part of our business,” said Wayne Rogers, President and CEO of East Teak.  “His expertise helps us strategically expand an untapped segment of our business, making East Teak even more competitive in the market. He’s the best in the business at what he does.”

Mr. Bumby will be based out of a mid-West regional sales office in Wisconsin, covering the entire North American market and beyond.  “East Teak is an exciting opportunity to utilize my experience and grow a whole new area for the company,” said Bumby.

Mr. Bumby graduated from Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin with a bachelor’s degree in economics.  He has been a University of Minnesota Forest Products guest lecturer and participated in the University of Wisconsin Forest Products Lab.

More information about East Teak Fine Hardwoods can be found at www.eastteak.com, or by contacting A.J. Bumby at (414) 322-8395 or aj@eastteak.com.

Matt Mladenka, Director of Marketing and Sales for East Teak Fine Hardwoods, Inc., has recently passed the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Associate accreditation exam

The accreditation will help Mladenka – who is the first person on East Teak’s staff to earn the credential – to consult with architects, designers and contractors in applying potential LEED credits.

“As sustainable practices become increasingly important in the construction industry, it is imperative that our staff is knowledgeable not only about our green product line, but green building practices in general,” said Mladenka.  “The ability to discuss the entire building process, and understand how our products fit in with the integrated building design, is becoming an expected prerequisite from our customers.”

The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) provides third-party professional credentials in green building practices.  The GBCI has created the LEED Green Associate exam, which is comprised of 100 questions.  Topics follow LEED categories, which include Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation in Design.

Wayne Rogers, President and CEO of East Teak, added: “Matt has a good knowledge of green building to begin with.  The LEED Green Associate credential further demonstrates his expertise, and will allow us a consulting advantage that is in line with our priority to customer service.  We are very proud of this achievement.”

In addition, Mladenka oversees participation in the annual GreenBuild conference as well as relationships with Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), the company’s third-party auditor of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood.  East Teak sells FSC-certified woods under Chain of Custody:  SCS-COC-002289.

Gensler’s Dallas office recently received it’s LEED Commerical Interiors (CI) Silver certification. East Teak supplied the FSC recycled teak floors that contributed to Materials & Resources Credit 4.1 – Recycled Content. A full overview of the project, published by the USGBC North Texas Chapter, can be found here: http://www.usgbcnorthtexas.org/files/2009.12_Newsletter/12%202009%20Gensler%20CI.pdf