Four Seasons Produce, Inc., Receives Energy Awards
Both Four Seasons owner David Hollinger and Nelson Longenecker, Vice President of Business Innovation, are active in Mennonite Economic Development Association. Longenecker is a member of Mount Joy Mennonite Church.
(EPHRATA, PA) PennFuture recognized Four Seasons Produce on September 10, 2009 at a luncheon in Philadelphia as a “Green Power Consumer” for their “commitment to reducing energy use, conserving resources and improving the environment”. The Green Power awards were created by PennFuture to honor “individuals, private industries, government agencies and public interest organizations that are building Pennsylvania’s thriving renewable energy market.”
In August, Four Seasons Produce Inc.’s Wabash Road distribution center earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) prestigious ENERGY STAR for the second year in a row. ENERGY STAR is the national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection. Commercial buildings and industrial plants that rate in the top 25 percent of facilities in the nation for energy efficiency may qualify for the ENERGY STAR.
Four Season’s facility is currently one of only four refrigerated warehouses in the country to be awarded the ENERGY STAR. “Four Seasons Produce is pleased to again accept EPA’s recognition of our energy efficiency,” said Ron Carkoski, President and CEO. “In an organization committed to continuous improvement, earning the ENERGY STAR two years in a row verifies the results of our on-going efforts to lower our energy costs. We initially joined the EPA’s ENERGY STAR Partnership because its objectives matched well with goals we were already pursuing.”
“The Four Seasons family of companies’ multiple initiatives to save energy and resources have yielded an excellent return on our investment of money and effort,” said Nelson Longenecker, Vice President of Business Innovation. “Our results are strong evidence that business can find new ways to deliver products and services using significantly fewer resources”. The electric bill at the Wabash Road facility has been reduced by 25% since 2006 through improved energy management, lighting and dock shelter retrofits, and other initiatives. In addition, water usage has been reduced by 24%, and 86% of all solid waste was recycled in 2008. Sunrise Transport has used dynamic routing and delivery consolidation to reduce truck travel by more than a million miles in the past year and a half. Sunrise Transport drivers have reduced inter-trip idling during the same period by 25%, resulting in improved fleet fuel efficiencies.
Commercial buildings that earn the ENERGY STAR use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. “Four Seasons has improved our energy performance over the years by working to continuously improve the use of energy and resources across our entire organization. This program has enabled us to build and refine the energy component of our sustainability efforts,” said Randy Groff, Director of Facilities and Energy.
To increase awareness among its associates, Four Seasons Produce promotes energy and sustainability each month by producing an article for its in-house weekly newsletter. One section of its website also promotes company initiatives. In addition, a G.R.E.E.N! team continues to raise awareness and foster ideas for “Gaining Energy and Resource Efficiency Now!” Members of this team represent many areas within the family of companies, who regularly review the results of initiatives and generate additional ideas for improvement.
EPA introduced ENERGY STAR in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 60 different kinds of products, new homes, and commercial and industrial buildings. Products and buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR designation prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the government. Last year alone, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved about $19 billion on their energy bills while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 29 million vehicles.
For more information about PennFuture visit http://www.pennfuture.org. For more information about ENERGY STAR visit www.energystar.gov. For more information about Four Seasons Produce visit www.fsproduce.com
Tags: Energy Star, Four Seasons, Nelson Longenecker, refrigeration, sustainable business, transportation, trucking