Kenworth receives Green Manufacturing Award from business association

Kenworth Truck Company was honored with the 2010 Green Manufacturing Award in the large company category by the Association of Washington Business during a special awards luncheon on September 24 in Blaine, Wash.

Representing Kenworth – Renton plant manufacturing and support groups that contributed to the AWB award recognition are from left, Sean Smith, Kathy Meyers, Mike Clark (plant manager), Suzan Wery, Tim Perez and Tim Loewen.

Kenworth received recognition for its environmentally friendly products, which includes aerodynamic trucks, compressed and liquefied natural gas trucks, and medium duty diesel-electric hybrids; and for the award-winning efforts of the Kenworth manufacturing facility in Renton, Wash., to build Class 8 trucks in an environmentally sustainable manner.

“Kenworth is pleased to receive the Green Manufacturing Award from the Association of Washington Business in recognition of our extensive environmental efforts at the Kenworth – Renton plant and throughout the company,” said Bill Kozek, Kenworth general manager and PACCAR vice president. “Kenworth continues to be an industry leader in providing fuel-saving technology solutions that help customers enhance fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.”

The fuel-efficient Kenworth T660 and T700 are Environmental Protection Agency SmartWay program certified.

Kenworth natural gas trucks with Cummins Westport ISL G and Westport GX engines offer up to a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen oxide reductions of 80 percent and nearly 90 percent, respectively, compared to trucks with pre-2010 engines.

The Kenworth T270 and T370 hybrids help enhance fuel economy by up to 30 percent in pickup and delivery and tractor applications and up to 50 percent in utility operations.

The Kenworth – Renton plant earned a 2010 Best Workplace for Recycling and Waste Reduction Award from King County’s Solid Waste Division for its outstanding efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle. This year, the plant also received a 2009 Gold Award from the King County Industrial Waste Program for compliance with the plant’s industrial wastewater discharge permit. The plant also participates in a volunteer U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program requiring serious commitment to reduce energy intensity by 25 percent over the next 10 years.

In addition, Kenworth is one of just four Pacific Northwest companies selected to participate in a current, prestigious Northwest Energy Management Demonstration Project. Under the project, co-sponsored by the DOE and Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) project, Kenworth – Renton is providing input toward development of an international energy management standard for manufacturing plants.

Kenworth – Renton and the Kenworth plant in Chillicothe, Ohio, both have earned the prestigious ISO (International Standards Organization) 14001:2004 certification for effective environmental management systems established to help build Class 8 trucks in an environmentally sustainable manner. Kenworth medium duty products are produced at the PACCAR manufacturing facility in Ste. Therese, Que., which also holds ISO 14001:2004 status.

The Renton plant received recognition from the National Center of Transit Research for being a best workplace for commuter for reducing traffic congestion and emissions by providing employees with alternatives to driving alone to work. The carbon footprint is further reduced by the plant’s “No Idle” policy, which applies to all vehicles on the plant’s campus, ranging from delivery trucks to employee vehicles.

The annual Association of Washington Business awards recognized manufacturing firms for their contributions to growing the economy and improving the quality of life. Awards were presented to small, medium and large manufacturers in green manufacturing, operational excellence, innovation and manufacturer of the year.

Kenworth Truck Company is the manufacturer of heavy-duty and medium-duty trucks. In 2009, Kenworth became the first truck manufacturer to receive the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Excellence award in recognition of its environmentally friendly products.