Success Stories
Southwire is committed to Growing Green. Just a few of our sustainability success stories are summarized below.
Hybrid Vehicles: Southwire operates a corporate fleet of more than 150 cars and light trucks. Since October 2006, we have replaced dozens of standard fuel vehicles in our fleet with hybrid vehicles. As a result, the mileage of our "assigned vehicles" for company officers and sales personnel has improved by almost 25%.
Long Beach Plant: At our Long Beach Plant, employees joined forces in a program called "Lo Hicimos Juntos" or "We Did it Together". By working together, employees researched vendor packaging alternatives, evaluated landfill alternatives for various wastestreams, and inspected trash bins for potential recycleable materials. As a result, Long Beach reduced 2009 landfill disposal by 75% as compared to 2008 quantities. In fact, the facility achieved zero landfill by the start of 2010.
Starkville Plant: The Starkville Plant has made significant reductions in landfill disposal. The facility reduced the quantity of landfilled by 37% in 2009 (as compared to 2007). Based on current efforts, plant personnl expect 2010 landfill totals to by about half of 2009 levels, for a reduction of over 65% from the 2007 baseline. In addition, improved management of the facility's closed-loop cooling water system has helped reduce the plant's water usage dramatically. For 2010, projected water use will be about half of 2007 levels.
Kentucky Plant: Through active recycling efforst, the Kentucky plant has reduced landfilled waste by over 90% as compared to 2007 levels.
Forte Power Systems: Our Forte Power facility in Heflin, Alabama was Southwire Company's first manufacturing plant to achieve zero landfill, saving almost 600 tons per year from going to the landfill (based on 2007 levels). In addition, the facility has replaced older, inefficient lighting with energy efficieng T5 lighting, which has resulted in lower energy costs and reduced energy usage. In conjunction with their energy reduction efforts, Forte was recognized as an "Energy Saver" by the U.S. Department of Energy under the DOE's Save Energy Now initiative.
