Porto's Michael Perry Joins Duke Panel Discussion on Sustainable Furniture Movement

Durham, NC, April 12, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Michael Perry, co-owner of Porto, a fine home furnishings store in Raleigh and Chapel Hill, will join South Cone Trading Company founder and CEO Gerry Cooklin at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business on Friday, April 11, at 11:45 a.m., to discuss “From the Rainforest to the Living Room: The Movement Toward Sustainable Furniture.” The event is part of the Fuquay School’s Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE).

Cooklin, of Gardena, California, will discuss his pioneering efforts in the sustainable furniture manufacturing industry. Perry will provide his perspective on the challenges and rewards of being a “green” home furnishings retailer and interior designer.

Susan Inglis, executive director of the Sustainable Furniture Council – which Cooklin founded and Porto joined in 2007 - will also be a panelist.

According to Michael Perry, South Cone Trading has been one of Porto’s signature collections of home furnishings since the Raleigh location opened in 2004, not only for its quality and craftsmanship but also because the company practices and advocates sustainable forestry practices. Certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), South Cone’s furniture is made solely with wood from sustainably managed rainforests.

“From the Rainforest to the Living Room” is is open to the public and will be held from 11:45 a.m,. to 12:45 p.m. in the Fuquay School’s Classroom G.(For directions visit www.fuqua.duke.edu/about/campus/directions.) Lunch will be provided.

The event is sponsored by the Working Group for the Environment in Latin America (WGELA) and CASE. For more information go to www.fuqua.duke.edu/centers/case/events/#sustfurniture08 or email: case@fuqua.duke.edu.

Porto is located in Raleigh’s North Hills and Chapel Hill’s Eastgate Shopping Center. For more information on Michael Perry and Porto, visit www.portohome.com.

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