Ghent is proud to announce its line of glassboards has been recertified to LEVEL ® 2 by UL Solutions in an audit completed in January 2024. Ghent’s line of glassboards, including Aria, Harmony, Border, and Coda are the first and only glassboards to have earned BIFMA LEVEL® 2 Certification, the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association (BIFMA) e3 sustainability certification program. Developed following the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) procedures, LEVEL is the label awarded to office furniture products that meet multiple criteria of the stringent, multi-attribute ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard. Earning the LEVEL mark requires validation by an approved third-party certification body.

“Retaining our LEVEL 2 certification on our glassboards is a significant achievement for Ghent,” commented Vice President of Product, Scott Bowers. “We’ve been living this value for over 40 years. Retaining BIFMA e3 standard gave us the opportunity to highlight our commitment to sustainability in all business areas including our environmental, health and wellness, and social impacts. I’m incredibly proud of this designation as it puts even more meaning behind the work we do as an Ohio-based manufacturer.”

As thought leaders in the visual communication space, Ghent strives to be at the forefront of advancements in the commercial furniture industry. By assessing material selection, energy usage, social responsibility, and human and ecosystem health impacts, LEVEL addresses how a product is sustainable from multiple perspectives. Highlights of the Aria and Harmony glassboards LEVEL 2 certification are the use of water-based paints mixed just-in-time to cut down on VOCs as well as waste, low-iron glass for a clear, true color, and easy installation saving both time and money. Ghent’s glassboards are independently LEVEL certified by UL and meet CDPH Standard Method V1.2-2017 for indoor air quality.

“Retaining this certification is our promise to the planet,” said Susan Claus, Director of Marketing. “Every Ghent glassboard is the perfect balance of functionality meeting eco-consciousness. Retaining LEVEL Certification for our glassboards is our living commitment to sustainability.”

BIFMA’s LEVEL certification is the preferred sustainability standard for the General Services Administration (GSA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the state of California, who were all instrumental in developing the standard, among others. Additionally, LEVEL certified products are preferred for WELL or LEED building certifications.

About Ghent, a GMi Company

Established in 1976, Ghent has been crafting and serving our customers’ needs with innovative and customizable communication, collaboration, and learning solutions for over 40 years. Beginning as a premium supplier of visual communication tools, Ghent now offers display, space division, and healthcare solutions in addition to visual communication products like whiteboards, glassboards, bulletin boards, and enclosed message centers. Our products are specified through our dealer partner network and used to finish a space and make it functional. We manufacture products to help people work better together.

About BIFMA

BIFMA is the not-for-profit trade association serving business and institutional furniture manufacturers. Since 1973, the organization has been the industry leader in developing furniture safety, durability, and sustainability standards that ensure product performance and inspire confidence. BIFMA educates the stakeholder community on the importance and proper use of these standards; provides industry statistics and forecasts to members and the public; and advocates for regulatory conditions that enhance value and foster innovation.

About UL Solutions

A global leader in applied safety science, UL Solutions transforms safety, security, and sustainability challenges into opportunities for customers in more than 100 countries. UL Solutions delivers testing, inspection and certification services, together with software products and advisory offerings, that support our customers’ product innovation and business growth.