MINNEAPOLIS – May 2, 2007 – GLS Companies, a leading provider of Integrated Communication Solutions^SM, is pleased to announce that it was recently certified as a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain-of-custody company through SmartWood, a Program of the Rainforest Alliance, and an FSC-accredited body.

The Forest Stewardship Council is an independent, not-for-profit organization that promotes the responsible management of the world's working forests through the development of forest management standards, a voluntary certification system, and trademarks that provide recognition and value to products bearing the FSC label in the marketplace. To date, FSC standards have been applied to more than 170 million acres of actively managed forests in more than 60 countries, with those numbers growing steadily.

Manufacturers and distributors of wood and paper products – including paper and printing companies – are required to have a chain-of-custody certification in order to label and sell FSC-certified products. Chain-of-custody certification is the audited process through which wood and fiber are tracked from their original point of harvest in a responsibly managed forest, through the manufacturing process, printing and final delivery to the end user.

FSC certification through SmartWood is valid for five years. To maintain certification, participating companies must undergo an annual on-site audit to ensure chain-of-custody policies and procedures are being followed for the handling, processing and labeling of certified forest products. GLS completed its most recent audit on April 11 and 13, and passed with flying colors.

"With our comprehensive quality policy and ISO 9001-2000 systems and procedures already in place, we were able to easily accommodate the extra handling and labeling requirements required by FSC chain-of-custody standards," said Mike Farr, Vice President of Manufacturing at GLS. "From purchasing through printing and delivery of the final printed piece, customers can rest assured that their FSC projects are being handled with the care and attention they need to ensure environmental responsibility and accountability."

GLS currently offers a wide selection of FSC-certified papers to meet most printing requirements. That number will continue to grow as more and more paper companies achieve FSC certification and continue to add FSC-certified papers to their inventories.

What is responsible forest management?

In 1994, FSC's members (including timber users, traders and representatives from human rights and environmental organizations) approved an international set of principles and criteria that define FSC's threshold for responsible forestry practices worldwide. The standards go far beyond simply planting new trees and take a comprehensive approach that supports biodiversity, reduces chemical use, protects streamsides, conserves old growth, ensures protection of high conservation value forests, gives stakeholders a voice and ensures long-term timber supplies.

About GLS Companies
GLS Companies is a full-service Integrated Communication Solutions^SM provider based in Brooklyn Park, Minn. GLS and its affiliate, Litho of MN, Inc., provide award-winning creative; state-of-the-art web, sheetfed and digital printing; on-site mailing and flexible distribution services – all under the GLS Companies umbrella. Long recognized for its environmental leadership, GLS was one of the first companies in Minnesota to be Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain-of-custody certified (SW-COC-1865), and has been recognized as a PIM "Great Printer" since 1994 for its environmental, health and safety initiatives. The company is IS0 9001:2000 certified. For more information, visit www.glsmn.com, or call 888-646-7277.

© 1996 Forest Stewardship Council A.C. The FSC Trademark identifies products which contain wood from well-managed forests certified in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council.