By Steven Deam, Sr. – CNC Industries, Inc. Fort Wayne, Indiana
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CNC Industries, a Fort Wayne Indiana based job shop is incorporating green initiatives into it’s daily operations. Working with several of it’s customers CNC Industries has switched from single use, paper based shipping and packaging materials to re-usable shipping materials. In some cases CNC Industries is delivering their products directly to the manufacturer’s floor, in reusable conatainers, and eliminating packaging materials all together.
The company is also incorporating green initiatives into their manufacturing processes and facilities management in every area possible. In one example the company was able to completely eliminate a high amperage air conditioning unit for cooling their server room by recycling cooled air from another area of the office. The company uses high efficiency LCD monitors throughout the company as well as high efficiency “thin client” work stations in place of desktop computers wherever possible.
A very significant Green initiative by CNC Industries is their paperless document system. The company has a sophisticated electronic Document Management system which has reduced their use of printed documentation very significantly. CNC Industries has even requested that their customers as well as suppliers use electronic documents instead of faxes and printed documents as much as possible.
According to an article at: www.greenbiz.com, manufacturers increasingly see green initiatives as a way to move business forward through cost savings, improved efficiency and reputation boost, according to a new survey.
Eyefortransport (EFT) turned to 300 North American executives overseeing manufacturing, operations and supply chains to gauge adoption and perception of green efforts. The results showed a majority see the price barrier to green manufacturing shrinking and a view that environmentally friendly practices can be successfully combined with traditional business practices.
“When asked how they view green manufacturing initiatives, 84 percent told us that they see them as part of an overall optimization strategy,” said Katharine O’Reilly, EFT’s senior vice president of environmental research. “This marks a major sea change, and implies that environmental programs are becoming part of the standard arsenal of strategies employed to boost innovation and optimize operations.”
Ninety-five percent of respondents in the “Green Manufacturing: Adoption & Implementation 2008” said green manufacturing will increase and expand. Two-thirds believe in the existence of markets for greener, more expensive products. Leading drivers toward greener operations include the contribution to sustainability strategies, response to consumer interest and improving reputation.
Forty-three percent said eco-initiatives improved their bottom lines through better product quality and increased efficiency. Most — 65 percent — turned to recycling and reuse programs, followed by water reduction programs (58 percent), continuous improvement (54 percent) and energy management (50 percent).
Here is a good article on Green Manufacturing which explains some of the practices CNC Industries is incorporating into their business.