Taylor Guitars was rewarded by US authorities for harvesting the rare ebony wood sustainably.

The United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, on January 29, 2014 in Washington DC, honoured musical instrument manufacturer, Taylor Guitars in Cameroon, for environmentally and socially-responsible sourcing, harvesting and milling the rare ebony wood. The event was attended by Cameroon’s Ambassador to the US, Bienvenu Foe-Atangana and the Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Yaounde, Gregory Thome.

Taylor Guitars in Cameroon’s environmental consciousness includes conserving ebony stocks by raising consumer awareness and enhancing local incomes by hiring 75 local workers at its Crelicam sawmill on the outskirts of Yaounde. According to a release from the US Embassy in Cameroon, Taylor Guitars has also been training workers to use state-of-the art equipment as well as promoting legal and policy reforms to improve transparency and traceability of logging permits in Cameroon and the respect of the rights and needs of other forest users.

The event saw John Kerry present the Secretary of State's 2013 Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) prizes to Fruit of the Loom, a garment manufacturer based in Honduras, electronic device manufacturer, Plantronics of Mexico and Taylor Guitars in Cameroon. The winners were chosen from among 12 finalists. The annual award recognizes American-owned businesses that play vital roles around the world as good corporate citizens in supporting sustainable development, respect for human and labour rights, environmental protection, open markets, transparency, and other democratic values.

Speaking at the ceremony, Bob Taylor, who founded the world renowned El Cajon, California-based Taylor Guitars in 1974, said they acquired Crelicam three years ago with the aim of ensuring the legal harvesting of ebony wood. He added that their decision came at a time the world is witnessing a rapid decline of ebony forests, with Cameroon being one of the last countries where the wood is still harvested.