North American hardwood is the premier wood for use in wood blinds. North American hardwood has long been considered the premier wood for use in wood blinds, and for many years, the only wood used. Favorable characteristics include its light weight, consistent color, hardness, attractive grain and structural stability. Over time, the use of imported Ramin wood from Indonesia became more frequent but it weighs up to 50% more than North American hardwood. Plus the lack of forestry management had an adverse impact on the harvesting of the species and on our rain forests. Basswood imported from China has become the primary source of wood for many of our competitors. Although this wood is much less costly than North American hardwood we do not believe that the quality of drying, molding and sanding meets the standards we have established for Graber wood blinds. We work only with foresters who practice sound techniques. Springs Window Fashions ' exclusive use of North American hardwood demonstrates our commitment to quality in Graber products. Due to the practice known as “sustained yield forest management”, harvested levels are far below the levels of growth- nearly twice as much hardwood grows each year as is harvested in the U.S. The volume of hardwoods in American forests today is 90% larger than it was 50 years ago. We have absolute control over the quality of wood used. Springs Window Fashions is the only major fabricator of wood blinds that controls the process from green lumber to finished blinds. Hardwood used in crafting Graber wood blinds is kin dried and molded into slats at our own facility in Grayling, Michigan. Hardwoods are dried slowly- because structural change can occur when moisture is removed. Our wood is pre-dried, then kin dried to strict wood blind specifications to ensure that slats remain stable and not warp. Molding and sanding operations provide the highest quality surface,free of defects. We've made a strong commitment to preserve our natural resources. Our process utilizes wood-fired boilers to consume recycled sawdust and wood shavings to generate the heat required to dry the lumber, creating a completely self-sufficient manufacturing process.