Redwood grows its web resource

tTt". CellronNla Reowooo Association has added a new |' video to its website to help retailers and consumers understand the green attributes of redwood decking. The newest addition to the site is consistent with CRA's plan to better educate consumers and retailers on the environmental advantages of choosing redwood.

"We launched a revamped website in June with the goal of providing retailers and consumers with a more valuable, easy-to-use reference for all things redwood," says Bob Mion, CRA's marketing director. "We put a new framework in place with the expectation that the site would grow."

CRA's newest video is a slight departure from the video content already on the site. The new-look site features "how-to" videos designed to accompany downloadable project plans, with contractor Jeff Imwalle demonstrating proper construction techniques. The latest video, Redwood for Green Living, runs about four minutes and is meant to help consumers considering a decking purchase.

"Consumers have questions about what it means to be green," says Mion. "We want retailers and consumers to understand there is a wealth of science behind the assertion that choosing redwood is an environmentally friendly choice, and this video presents key findings in just a few minutes. The video elaborates on the green attributes of redwood beyond the advantages of redwood being a renewable, sustainable resource."

New studies have shown that naturally durable wood products offer significant environmental benefits compared to manufactured composites, particularly with regards to energy and greenhouse gas emissions. Because most of the energy used to produce redwood comes from the sun, whereas most of the energy used to produce composite decking comes from burning fossil fuels, choosing redwood can lower a consumer's carbon footprint. In fact, because redwood is half carbon by weight, a redwood deck can actually store more carbon than is released to the atmosphere during the entire manufacturing and transportation process.

"When you store more carbon than you release during manufacture, you have a positive overall affect on greenhouse gas emissions," notes Mion. "The typical redwood deck can store more than a half ton of carbon."

In another effort designed to add retailer value, CRA has updated its award-winning sales-training course and cut the enrollment fees. Redwood Basics for Sales & Marketing, a self-paced correspondence course proven in the field for more than a dozen years, provides valuable training on all aspects related to selling redwood.

The course addresses topics ranging from what grades are appropriate for certain applications to details on redwood chemistry, finishing tips, sustainable forestry certification, and more. The enrollment fee has been reduced to $100 per student. For more information or to sign up for the course, contact Anita MacKusick at (925) 935-1499 or anita@calredwood.org.

"It's important that everyone in the supply chain be able to articulate the environmental benefits of choosing redwood," Mion says. "Retailers are encouraged to download materials from our site and share them with customers, and to establish links from their website to ours. We're committed to making our website a valuable tool to help drive sales."