Its a good feeling to give back what youve used.
It’s a good feeling to give back what you’ve used. — Phyllis Menke
To plant a tree is, by nature, an investment in the future—an investment for which you might not see the payoff. For over half a century, we have been planting trees as both a repayment for what we’ve used and as an investment in the world we will give to our grandkids.
Pioneering environmentalism
Back in the 60s, when conservation was a foreign term, our second generation leaders Phyllis and Bob Menke began to notice the effects of deforestation on southern Indiana. They took action with more sustainable production methods, established the Indiana Nature Conservancy and began a quest to acquire and reforest thousands of eroded acres devastated by industry and agriculture.

While our products no longer rely as heavily on wood materials, we are no less committed to Phyllis and Bob’s early example of caring for the world around us. The 7,000 acres of FSC® certified (FSC® C004808) forests we’ve reclaimed and the tens of thousands of trees we have planted are vital to our legacy. To quote Emerson, “The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.”
Cool Springs
A cross between an educational preserve, a reforesting effort, a design retreat, and a corporate meeting center, our property at Cool Springs is much more than even meets the eye. Located just down the road from our headquarters in Huntingburg, Indiana, we’ve been using these 600 acres to create meaningful opportunities for connection, discovery, focus, and restoration. Whether you’re there for a tour with Phyllis, a four-wheeler ride through the woods, or a dinner prepared from our very own garden, you don’t just visit Cool Springs, you experience it.

We’d love to show you around, so please send us a note if you’d like to drop by. 

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Acanthus Row
In 2014, we created a community garden managed by employees and devoted to local food and giving, and christened it Acanthus Row. The bounty of fresh and healthy food grown there is shared between employees looking to begin or maintain healthier lifestyles through diet choices. The vision of the community garden is to provide local produce to our employees and their families, as well as local not-for-profits and food banks.
ecomedes
OFS has partnered with ecomedes to simplify sustainable decision-making for our customers. Users of the software platform enjoy simplified product search, comparison, curation, analysis, and reporting. They can easily select products from our portfolio and analyze to any of the major environmental or human health focused building certification standards.
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Common Ground

For four generations, our family business has thrived by partnering with talented and passionate people—individuals and groups who inspire innovation, celebrate achievement, and strengthen our communities. We believe that sustainability doesn’t end with just reducing our carbon footprint—it spans the way we work with our customers, our colleagues, and the communities we serve.
2020 Sustainability Report

Our colleagues

We value the potential of each and every person in our organization by creating a safe environment and culture, investing in health and wellness, and offering opportunities for growth, like continuing education.

Our customers

We strive to make every customer feel like our only customer through quality craftsmanship, environmentally conscious design, and smart use of natural resources in production and delivery.

Our community

We seek out opportunities, both as a company and individuals, to volunteer and give back, to partner with suppliers that share our values, and to invest in the economic growth of the communities we live and work in.