Tarkett North America announced today that all its North American plants, including those from its Johnsonite company, have received ISO 14001:2004 certification. Through this certification, the company said it demonstrates its ongoing commitment to effective environmental management and resource stewardship.

ISO 14001:2004 is an international standard developed to set out the requirements for an Environmental Management System (EMS). Its key criteria include: prevention of pollution, continual improvement, and compliance with national and local regulations. The process begins with a regulatory compliance assessment and an evaluation of the organization's environmental impacts and aspects. This assessment leads to detailed projects, which tackle pressing issues and shifts into practices of ongoing improvement.

“Each of our plants uses local and national standards to ensure the highest rate of efficiency and resource stewardship. To have all Tarkett factories in North America ISO 14001 certified is a great accomplishment and shows the dedication and hard work of our team to ensure that our corporate philosophy of better resource stewardship is not only met, but exceeded,” said Diane Martel, vp environmental planning and strategy for Tarkett North America.

Tarkett operates six manufacturing plants in North America: in Houston; Florence, Ala.; Middlefield, Ohio; Chagrin Falls, Ohio; Waterloo, Ontario; and Farnham, Quebec. For more information on Tarkett’s sustainable efforts, products and systems, visit www.johnsoniteenvironment.com.