PPG Commercial Coatings and the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (NATM) have honored Big Tex Trailers with the second annual Green Manufacturing Award.
The presentation was made at the NATM’s 24th Annual Convention and Trade Show held February 8-10, in Fort Worth, Texas, at the Fort Worth Convention Center. The competitive award recognizes the best innovation or solution by a member of the NATM that positively affects the environment.
“It’s an honor to receive the Green Manufacturing Award,” said Ricky Baker, president and CEO of the Mount Pleasant, Texas-based company. “Big Tex has made a commitment to being a good steward of the environment. In addition to everything else that this commitment entails, being environmentally responsible just makes good business sense.”
Big Tex Trailers won the award by procuring the best materials, finding dependable vendor partners, and implementing effective processes to make significant environmentally responsible improvements throughout their manufacturing operations. Initiatives included utilizing powder coating to release only negligible amounts of volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere, neutralizing wastes produced by paint booths, greatly reducing greenhouse emissions and total energy use by 80 percent, and nearly eliminating the eco-toxic impact on aquatic and terrestrial environments around their facilities.
Big Tex also switched to fluorescent lighting to yield energy savings of up to 50 percent, and is recycling almost all the materials and components it uses to help reduce landfill waste.
Big Tex Trailers designated Cypress Basin Hospice, also in Mount Pleasant, as the recipient of the cash donation associated with the award.
According to Ron Yarnell, PPG OEM sales manager, PPG Commercial Coatings partnered with the NATM two years ago to institute the Green Manufacturing Award as part of PPG’s commitment to protecting the environment. Companies competing for the award are judged on case studies in which they demonstrate improved, environmentally conscious performance in their operations. Award criteria include being an NATM member in good standing and documentation of the green initiative or improvements the company has made.
“PPG and the NATM have a mutual interest in protecting and improving our environment on a daily basis,” Yarnell said. “The Green Manufacturing Award recognizes and rewards the programs NATM members are implementing. Big Tex Trailers’ actions display that it is indeed acting to protect the environment. We congratulate the company on its efforts.”
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