U.S. Commerce Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing and Services William G. Sutton on July 28 kicked off the Sustainable Manufacturing American Regional Tours (SMART) at Sunnen Products Company, a machining systems manufacturer in St. Louis, Mo. SMART seeks to work with U.S. businesses to share successful and easily adopted sustainable manufacturing practices that reduce natural resource use and energy consumption while enhancing profitability.
“The United States is a global leader in sustainable manufacturing, improving our competitiveness in the global market,” said Sutton. “The SMART project seeks to showcase ways U.S. manufacturers can attract new clients and customers, become good corporate citizens, and boost their bottom lines through sustainable production practices.”
Businesses are sustainably manufacturing in order to profitably produce goods while minimizing their environmental impact, natural resource use, and energy consumption. The focus on sustainability helps companies comply with domestic and international regulations related to the environment and health while at the same time improving their products, services and image.
U.S. manufacturers and the Department of Commerce are working together to make America more globally competitive for generations to come. Sunnen exemplifies a company that employs both environmentally and economically sound manufacturing practices and gains significant competitive advantages.
Sunnen Products Company is a family-owned business that has adopted sound and profitable sustainable manufacturing practices. Sunnen has reduced lighting costs by 30 percent by relamping the company’s 486,000-square-foot manufacturing headquarters and cut natural resource consumption by reclaiming and reusing scrap aluminum, brass and steel from their own manufacturing processes.
For more information on SMART and sustainable manufacturing, visit www.trade.gov/competitiveness/sustainablemanufacturing.