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February 3, 2010

Triad Manufacturing - A Green Suppliers Network Success Story

Triad Manufacturing is a manufacturer of retail store fixtures used for displaying products. Triad's customers include Best Buy, Target, Banana Republic, Home Depot, and Pacific Sunwear.

The Situation:

Missouri Enterprise, a NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership, approached Triad about participating in the Green Suppliers Network since they were aware that Triad routinely looked for opportunities to improve its operations.

David Goebel and Nick Hennen of Missouri Enterprise completed Triad's review in September 2008. Instead of focusing on one product or process line, Triad wanted to examine inefficiencies across its whole facility. The review team prepared high-level value stream maps that captured the entire system, from raw materials entering the facility to finished products exiting. The review process identified two primary opportunities: improved energy efficiency and increased recycling of byproducts.

The Solution:

Following the Green Suppliers Network review, Triad has succeeded in reducing its energy consumption by making four changes. The first two, capturing waste heat off its drying ovens and compressed air system for heating the facility during the winter months and installing infrared heaters to reduce the use of forced air heat, have saved the company an estimated $80,000 annually. The third, installing a new powder coating line, has decreased energy use for the powder coating process line by 40 percent and also reduced hazardous effluent by 10,000 gallons annually. Fourth, Triad implemented a leak detection program for its compressed air system that could potentially save an additional $25,000 annually.

Triad is also interested in recycling its sawdust and scrap wood pallets. The company is currently investigating the feasibility of sending its broken wood pallets to a company that manufactures wood pellets for heat. Recycling these wood pallets would eliminate a waste stream of 30,000 pounds annually.

Return to Success Stories

via greensuppliers.gov

Triad incorporated Simple Ways to Reduce Waste and Save Money With Green Suppliers Network. Could your company do the same?

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Filed under  //   EPA Partnerships   Planet   Practices   Profit   Sustainable Business  

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February 1, 2010

Simple Ways to Reduce Waste and Save Money With Green Suppliers Network

EPA-industry partnerships often have low costs and high benefits.  An example of a joint effort between the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help small and medium-sized manufacturers stay competitive and profitable while reducing their impact on the environment is the Green Suppliers Network.  The Green Suppliers Network provides technical assistance and other tools and resources related to lean manufacturing, environmental improvement, energy efficiency, and chemical management. 

The program touts, among its benefits, that member companies can:

  • Find customized solutions to manufacturing challenges
  • Save money and increase capacity
  • See immediate results through hands-on training on the shop floor
  • Achieve additional savings and efficiencies beyond traditional lean techniques
  • Improve supply chain relationships

The Green Suppliers Network efforts focus on its Lean and Clean Advantage.  Lean and Clean attempts to go beyond traditional “lean” processes (defects, overproduction, waste, non-utilized people, transportation, inventory, motion, and extra processing) and instead includes environmental waste as a focus (nature-friendly substitutes, optimized material and energy efficiency, waste elimination, air/water emission reductions, solid/hazardous waste reduction, toxic material reduction or substitution, and efficient packaging).

 

With the Lean and Clean Advantage, manufacturers quantify:

  • Energy, water, or raw materials used in excess of what is needed to meet consumer needs.
  • Pollutants and material wastes released into the environment, such as air emissions, wastewater discharges, hazardous wastes, and solid wastes (trash or discarded scrap).
  • Hazardous substances that adversely affect human health or the environment during their use in production or presence in products.

Just over 100 companies nationwide have participated in the Green Suppliers Network.  Do you think your company could benefit from reduced waste, increased profits, a little subsidized green consulting and free publicity courtesy of the EPA?  The attorneys at Mayfield | Broderick can help make the Green Suppliers Network part of your sustainable business strategy.

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Filed under  //   EPA Partnerships   Planet   Practices   Profit   Sustainable Business  

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October 5, 2009

EPA Partnerships: Low Costs + High Benefits = Good

This is the first in a periodical series about how EPA Partnerships can help your sustainable business – no matter what business you are in.  EPA Partnership Programs address a wide variety of environmental issues by working collaboratively with companies, organizations, communities, and individuals. There are now more than 13,000 firms and other organizations profiting from their participation in EPA Partnership Programs.

 

The EPA touts these benefits of participation:

  • Benchmarking: EPA programs allow comparisons of similar green companies in regards to environmental performance.
  • Recognition: the communication programs of the EPA partnerships allow a company to communicate its ecological commitment and actions credibly to a wide local, state, regional, national, and international audience.
  • National Reach and Collaboration: EPA has forged thousands of collaborative partnerships with state and local governments, advocacy organizations, community groups, business associations, professional associations, utilities, universities and other research institutions, and other federal agencies.  Partnerships provide access to that expertise which value is difficult to quantify. 
  • Services and Resources: The free resources of EPA Partnership Programs are a great entry point for a sustainable company’s commitment to reduce its environmental impacts.  Services and resources often include technical assistance, professional networking, public recognition, financial and environmental analysis tools, training, seminars, guidebooks, toolkits, and environmental performance benchmarking.
  • Business Development:  Some programs attempt to help green businesses identify potential buyers and sellers of environmentally superior products and connect them to environmental financing opportunities. Discussing one’s participation in an EPA Partnership provides credibility to an environmental commitment. 
  • Early Credit and Regulatory Developments: Participation in an EPA program provides access to decision making processes for climate change strategies and policies.  This participation could include preparation for a new change or even relevant input into actual policies. 

Not a lot of downsides, low costs, and potential for a lot of upside.  That is generally a good thing, right?  Stay tuned as we look at specific industries and partnerships in future articles and ways to incorporate this sustainable legal strategy into your business.

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Filed under  //   EPA Partnerships   Planet   Practices   Profit   Sustainable Business  

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