Green Initiatives Support Both Corporate and Customer Sustainability Goals

WERC Matters
michael mikitka

As global warming continues and world leaders negotiate regulations to minimize the damage humans have inflicted on Earth, multiple global corporations have already established sustainability initiatives that support internal goals, as well as those of their customers. Three such companies include third-party logistics (3PL) services provider and WERC member Kenco Group, MHI member Toyota Material Handling, and MHI member Mitsubishi Electric Automation. Each has instituted comprehensive, multi-pronged projects to tackle the issue across a range of areas within their facilities, processes, sourcing and more. Kenco Group continuously looks at every department and facility to find additional opportunities to become an even more sustainable company, as well as to help its customers achieve environmental responsibility, said Kristi Montgomery, vice president of innovation, research and development at Kenco Group.

“Improving sustainability is an ongoing process, as it’s not always possible to start from scratch with a brand-new, greenfield facility outfitted with all of the latest energy-saving technologies,” she explained. “Rather, because we operate many existing facilities, we’ve taken the approach that as opportunities arise for upgrades or retrofits, we seek to implement a green solution.”

Educating its customers about the importance and value of deploying sustainable technologies is also a continuous endeavor, as not every Kenco client has formal environmental goals or objectives, added Montgomery. “Some of our larger, Fortune 500 customers actively seek sustainable partners who demonstrate proven results in positively impacting the environment. Others may not have a formal requirement for meeting environmental goals, but are pleased that sustainability efforts are built into our service offerings.”

Likewise, Toyota Material Handling’s sustainability program—started more than two decades ago—also serves to meet the ever-growing demand from its customers to meet their own environmental objectives and stewardship goals, explained Paige Johnson, EHS supervisor. In recent years, the company has received more requests than ever from its customer and supplier bases to share sustainability data.

Similarly, Mitsubishi Electric has a long history of environmental stewardship, deploying processes and technologies to help reduce and reuse materials, as well as engaging third-party oversight for independent verification of its progress, said Sloan Zupan, senior director of corporate marketing.

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