Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/130708
b ack of f i ce On average, participating companies realized savings of $146,783 annually and broke even on their investments within 10 months, says Randy Bertram, WMEP's director of sustainability services. "PSI provides companies with the expertise and the tools to look at different projects and ideas and identify what will work best for them," he says. "It's different for every company and it can be what the company wants it to be." Bertram says sustainability is a key issue for many manufacturers since they not only see it as a way to save money, but also because they see it as the right thing to do. "Manufacturers are interested in the program because it allows them to reduce their company's environmental impact while making operational improvements," he says. The Profitable Sustainability Initiative is the only program of its kind in the nation, Bertram says. The program taps partners with specialized expertise to drive improvements at the participating companies. Experts with backgrounds in energy, the environment, logistics, lean and finance descend on the business to take a 360-degree view of operations. They then put together a plan that diagnoses, assesses and implements improvements. Since the program started, it has led to $47 of economic activity for every dollar that the state invested, Bertram says. More manufacturers than ever before are showing an interest in sustainability. The 2011 Next Generation Manufacturing Study found that 67 percent of state manufacturers identified sustainability as important to their business. The survey also found that 33 percent of Wisconsin manufacturers said they were making "good- to world-class progress" with their sustainability initiatives. A similar study from 2008 done by WMEP found that only 35 percent of manufacturers rated 20 | / insight on manufacturing • May 2013 Making a difference T he Profitable Sustainability Initiative – the only program of its kind in the nation – taps partners with specialized expertise to drive improvements at participating companies. Experts in energy, the environment, logistics, lean and finance take a 360-degree view of operations and develop a plan to diagnose, assess and implement improvements. The three-year financial and environmental project impacts for the initial 101 manufacturers participating in the Profitable Sustainability sustainability as important and less than 20 percent reported making "good- to world-class progress" on their efforts. "Sustainability is definitely important to manufacturers in Wisconsin and it's something that's on their mind," Bertram says. "The expansion of this initiative will allow WMEP to help more companies with Initiative include: » $44.5 million in savings » 88.6 million in increased or retained sales $ » $11.7 million in investment » $149.7 million in total economic impact Environmental impacts include reductions in: » 22.7 million kilowatt hours of electricity » 23.2 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents » 917,000 miles in transportation » 26,793 tons of solid waste diverted from landfills » 51 tons of air emissions Source: WMEP their sustainability efforts." Wills says companies shouldn't feel boxed in about what they need to look at when participating in the program. "Don't go in with any preconceived notion. If there's a process or idea you're looking at – like we had with the new product – be sure to bring it up," he says. Independent to better serve your needs. From engineering to manufacturing, Argus is Northeast Wisconsin's choice! Whether your needs are personal or business, short-term or long-range, Argus provides the manufacturing industry with qualified personnel while aiming to connect jobseekers with positions that match their skills and ambitions. Serving Northeast Wisconsin for over 35 years with offices in Appleton, Milwaukee and Madison. 2339 W. Wisconsin Ave. Appleton, WI 54914 920-731-7703 www.argus-tech.com w w w.in s i g h t o n m f g .c o m