Kimball Hospitality Achieves Updated FSC Certification; Chain of Custody Assures Sustainably Managed Wood Supply

Kimball Hospitality, a brand unit of Kimball International, Inc. (NASDAQ: KBALB), has been recertified to the requirements of Chain-of-Custody by the independent Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The Chain-of-Custody (COC) certification provides a guarantee about the acquisition and use of raw wood materials in the production of FSC-certified products. Kimball Hospitality is a global contract manufacturer that specializes in proprietary and custom designed furnishings for the hotel, casino, and resort industries.

FSC Chain-of-Custody certification is an assurance that wood-based materials used in Kimball Hospitality products come from forests that meet stringent environmental, social and economic standards. It is the path taken by raw materials from the forest to the consumer, including all successive stages of processing, transformation, manufacturing and distribution.

Kimball Hospitality first achieved FSC Chain-of-Custody certification in 2007, allowing the Company to sell furniture made to FSC-compliant standards by its registered subcontractors. The new and updated scope of Kimball’s FSC certification further enables the Company to purchase and store FSC materials, such as lumber, veneer, and panels, and to manufacture and store FSC furniture at the Kimball Hospitality production facility in the USA. By this recertification, Kimball Hospitality has achieved FSC’s COC certification for its Jasper, Indiana operation, and has also achieved certification for off-shore factory and logistics partners, providing a guarantee to global customers who prefer FSC-certified products.

FSC Chain-of-Custody certification is recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED® Rating System for environmentally focused design. From a customer perspective, the FSC label represents a promise made; COC standards are the mechanism FSC uses to ensure that promise is delivered.

Tony James, Director of Global Business Services, Kimball Hospitality, stated: “We are very aware that around the world there is a growing interest by those who specify and purchase furniture in a means to determine if wood products are being produced from responsibly managed forests. Chain-of-Custody certification is just as important to many customers’ decision-making process as our working relationship and the strength of our capabilities.”

Purchasing from reputable suppliers and sources is a basic concern of Kimball Hospitality. The Company’s procurement team exercises caution and judgment in obtaining the high-quality and precious wood resources needed to make Kimball furniture products. Kimball Hospitality already uses a high percentage of recycled content in its products. The COC certification provides an additional option for requesting products made from FSC-certified wood. Kimball Hospitality offers the option of FSC-certified wood on all of its guestroom furnishings.

“Our Chain-of-Custody certification is proving to be invaluable to us as a supplier”, says Paul Wahl, Director, Marketing/Quoting, Kimball Hospitality. “It not only enables us to support our customers’ LEED certification strategies, but also differentiates us from our competitors.”

Kimball Hospitality works cooperatively with its customers, suppliers and off-shore production and logistics partners to find “green” solutions while encouraging the adoption of sustainable choices.

“We understand that we must not only contribute to sustainability by developing and manufacturing products with excellent environmental performance, but that we must also work to enable our customers to further minimize their own environmental impacts,” explained Wahl.

The Furniture Stewardship Council (FSC) is an independent, not-for-profit, non-government organization whose mission is to support environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests. A chain-of-custody (COC) certification provides a guarantee that FSC-labeled products have come from sources which practice responsible, long-term, sustainably-managed forestry.

Kimball’s reputation for quality, service and performance in the hospitality market is well known among designers and developers of up-scale properties worldwide. Kimball Hospitality strategically focuses on providing products via three market sectors: custom, program and catalog.

About Kimball Hospitality:

Kimball Hospitality, a brand unit of Kimball International, is a leading provider of both standard and unique, custom furnishings for the global hospitality industry. From major destination resorts and urban center hotels, to well-known hotel chains, Kimball Hospitality provides hotel planners and designers with the products, service, and capabilities they can rely upon to furnish facilities around the world.

To learn more about Kimball Hospitality, visit their website at: www.KimballHospitality.com

About Kimball International:

Recognized with a reputation for excellence, Kimball International is committed to a high performance culture that values personal and organizational commitment to quality, reliability, value, speed, and ethical behavior. Kimball employees know they are part of a corporate culture that builds success for Customers while enabling employees to share in the Company’s success through personal, professional and financial growth.

Kimball International, Inc. (NASDAQ: KBALB) provides a variety of products from its two business segments: the Electronic Manufacturing Services segment and the Furniture segment. The Electronic Manufacturing Services segment provides engineering and manufacturing services which utilize common production and support capabilities to a variety of industries globally. The Furniture segment provides furniture for the office and hospitality industries, sold under the Company’s family of brand names.

To learn more about Kimball International, Inc., visit the Company’s website on the Internet at: www.kimball.com

“Kimball International … We Build Success!”