Green Conference Draws Diverse Cross-section of Sustainable Manufacturers Together

By Kate Bachman | June 13, 2014

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Patrick White and Michael Keefe

Michael Keefe (right) shares details of Chrysler’s heat recovery systems with Patrick White of Caterpillar at the Sustainable Manufacturer and Water 2.0 Conference & Exhibits.

You could almost feel the crowdsourcing, bask in the commingling, and hear the “ah-has” at the inaugural Sustainable Manufacturer and Water 2.0 Conference & Exhibits. Sustainable manufacturers of all sizes and from industry segments as diverse as food, lift trucks, automotive, heavy equipment, lighting, packaging, aerospace, energy, home hardware, precision components, chemicals, doors, containers, software, furniture, lubricants, and landscaping came together to hear from experts, share best practices, and converse with each other.

The participatory and friendly event, held in the Chicago area May 20 to 22, comprised a series of panels of technology experts as well as presentations by individual subject matter professionals on energy efficiency, waste and materials management, water conservation, air and emissions control, renewable energy, and energy reuse.

Keynote speaker Josh Kurtz of Orion Energy Systems, Manitowoc, Wis., dazzled attendees with his energized spin on achieving energy independence with energy-efficient and renewable energy installations.

Josh Kurtz Orion

Josh Kurtz of Orion Energy Systems gave the dynamic keynote address.

Orion Energy Systems

Orion Energy Systems, Manitowoc, Wis., has achieved energy independence with its energy-efficient lighting systems, solar photovoltaic array, and wind energy turbines.

“World energy demand will increase by over 35 percent by 2030 as developing nations modernize and expand their economic output, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration,” he said. “Our mission is to deliver permanent distributed load reduction to increase energy supply and reduce demand.”

No less impressive was the list of companies that have accessed the manufacturer’s energy-efficient and renewable energy products. “We’re proud of the company we keep,” Kurtz said, citing some of the company’s customers’ iconic brands such as Coca-Cola, GE, Toyota, Anheuser-Busch, Kraft, Pepsico, Cessna, and Sysco.

Many of the panel presenters were manufacturing company heads themselves, such as Patricia Yulkowski, CEO of Total Door Systems, and Kyle Stavig, CEO of Myers Container, who shared their sustainability visions and the strategies which transformed their companies.

Patricia Yulkowski

Patricia Yulkowski, CEO, Total Door Systems

Yulkowski remade the integrated access technology company under five fundamental principles: sustainability ecology, local sourcing, efficiency, and profitability. Under her leadership and through cores values, Total Door Systems realized a 250 percent increase in efficiency, 68 percent scrap reduction, 100 percent on-time delivery, 100 percent local sourcing, 80 percent post-consumer content, and 25 percent reduction in power consumption in three years.

Kyle Stavig

Kyle Stavig, CEO, Myers Container

Stavig has embedded sustainability deeply into the company culture, which he said has directed a cradle-to-cradle approach to manufacturing the company’s steel and plastic drums, as well as reconditioning and recycling them for customers. “Our mission is to be the best, most sustainable container company in America,” he said. Stavig said that the driving force is the marketplace, in which retailers like Walmart are requiring its suppliers to substantiate their sustainability efforts. He also views sustainable practices as a must for attracting young talent to the company.

Other presenters drew on their experiences as sustainability directors, such as Michael Keefe of Chrysler.

Exhibits showcasing products and systems from Orion Energy Systems, Zing Green Safety Products, Metalloid, Solatube, Nicor Gas/AGL Resources, Covanta, Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, Water Innovations Alliance, Digital Lumens, and GE allowed attendees to ask individual questions and gather application-specific information pertaining to their own plants.

Exhibits showcasing products and systems from Orion Energy Systems, Zing Green Safety Products, Metalloid, Solatube, Nicor Gas/AGL Resources, Covanta, Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, Water Innovations Alliance, Digital Lumens, and GE allowed attendees to ask individual questions and gather application-specific information pertaining to their own plants.

Keefe, environmental specialist for the Chrysler Belvidere Assembly plant, implemented three energy-efficiency projects–waste heat energy reuse, variable-frequency drive installations in its air handling units, and an energy management system–to cut a projected 2.5 million therms from the automaker’s annual natural gas consumption. The effort won the manufacturer a $1.3 million rebate from natural gas provider Nicor Gas.

 

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