Albemarle Corporation announced that it has expanded its Earthwise(TM) platform of sustainable products by introducing a new polymeric flame retardant for use in extruded (XPS) and expanded (EPS) polystyrene applications. More Information.
BAE Industries, Inc. was one of ten suppliers to be recognized with Lear's "Supplier of the Year" Award, the highest honor Lear can bestow upon a supplier, based on their outstanding performance during 2011. BAE was also recognized as Lear's "Diverse Supplier of the Year". More Information.
ChemicoMays LLC was one of only 82 suppliers to receive General Motors' Supplier of the Year Award for 2011 out of GM's more than 20,000 suppliers worldwide. This marks the third consecutive year that the Southfield, Michigan-based company has been recognized as a top supplier of the automaker. More Information.
Chrysler Group LLC's Dundee (Mich.) Engine Plant and Windsor (Ont.) Assembly Plant have been awarded bronze status for their efforts in implementing World Class Manufacturing (WCM), the highest ranking of any of the Company's North American manufacturing facilities. More Information.
Fiat Group and Chrysler Group announced the release of the Fiat S.p.A. 2011 Sustainability Report. This report marks the first time the two organizations are reporting on the combined results of the Fiat Group and Chrysler Group sustainability initiatives. More Information.
DEKRA Certification, Inc. (DCI) conducted a dual-phase certification audit of the Energy Management System (EnMS) of Volvo Trucks' New River Valley (NRV) assembly plant in Dublin, Va. Based on the audit results, DCI has issued a Superior Energy Performance (SEP) certificate, which includes ISO 50001 for energy management systems. Volvo Trucks achieved the platinum level of SEP certification by improving energy performance by more than 25 percent during the three-year period after establishing an energy baseline. More Information.
To realize next-generation energy management systems, DENSO Corporation, Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Systems Engineering Consultants Co., Ltd.(SEC), Yamato Transport Co., Ltd., Seven-Eleven Japan Co., Ltd., and Toyota Consumers' Cooperative Union (MEGLiA) will jointly begin testing Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. More Information.
DENSO Corporation has developed the world's first automotive air conditioning (A/C) system that is capable of heating/cooling the driver's area only. DENSO's new system can separately control the climate in three different cabin zones, the driver, front passenger and rear seat areas, which can help improve overall fuel economy when the A/C is on. More Information.
EQ
- The Environmental Quality Company
announced that it has received a
2011 CSX Chemical Safety Excellence Award
(CSEA), which highlights the company's commitment
to the safe transportation of hazardous materials
via rail through safe loading and maintenance
of rail cars. This is EQ's third year in a
row receiving this award. More
Information.
FTS
Technologies announced that it has
received the General Motors
Environmental Excellence Award for introducing
an energy-efficient flame treatment technology
that lets paint adhere to plastic vehicle
parts, such as instrument and door panels,
without using traditional chemical adhesion
systems. More
Information.
Ford plans to further reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfills by 10 percent per vehicle by the end of the year - building on existing efforts that have cut global waste by 100 million pounds (44 percent) in the last five years. If successful, that means the company would generate about 20 pounds of waste per vehicle on a global basis - roughly the weight of one tire. More Information.
Cutting the weight of new cars and trucks by up to 750 pounds by the end of the decade is a key component of Ford's strategy to improve fuel efficiency. In order to help achieve that goal, Ford Motor Company is partnering with Dow Automotive Systems, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, to research the use of advanced carbon fiber composites in high-volume vehicles. More Information.
General Motors was named a Michigan Green Leader by the Detroit Free Press for growing its landfill-free program in 2011. The annual award recognizes businesses, individuals and organizations working to make the state a greener place to live and work. More Information.
The U.S. EPA named General Motors its 2012 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in the motor vehicle category, citing its commitment to energy efficiency and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. More Information.
Goodwill Industries®, a pioneer of the reduce-reuse-repurpose philosophy, wants the public to know that simple acts, like donating gently used clothing and household items to Goodwill, can have a lasting impact on the planet. To show individuals how their donations make a difference, Goodwill developed the patent-pending Donation Impact Calculator at http://donate.goodwill.org. More Information.
Goodyear and DuPont Industrial Biosciences are working together to develop BioIsoprene™, a revolutionary bio-based alternative for petroleum-derived isoprene. BioIsoprene™ can be used for the production of synthetic rubber-which in turn is an alternative for natural rubber-and other elastomers. The development of BioIsoprene™ will help reduce the tire and rubber industry's dependence on oil-derived products. More Information.
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and the Japan Metals & Chemicals Co., Ltd. jointly announced the establishment of the world's first process to extract rare earth metals from various used parts in Honda products, in an actual mass-production process at a recycling plant, not an experimental process. Honda will pursue the recycling of precious resources by utilizing the newly established process for the recycling of rare earth metals. More Information.
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. announced that its regional parts distribution centers in Gresham, Oregon, and Davenport, Iowa, each have earned a U.S. EPA Energy Star award for energy-efficient operations. The Oregon and Iowa parts centers join two Honda automobile manufacturing plants in Ohio that recently received Energy Star recognition from the U.S. EPA. More Information.
Johnson Controls announced the release of its latest Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) online sustainability report. The online matrix provides a detailed review of the company's environmental, social and governance performance over the past year. The matrix complements the company's 2011 Business and Sustainability Report, which was released in January. More information.
Johnson Controls announced its fifth-place ranking in Corporate Responsibility Magazine's 13th annual "100 Best Corporate Citizens List." The company ranked fifth based on its performance in seven key areas: Environment, climate change, human rights, philanthropy, employee relations, financial and governance. More Information.
Lear Corporation was named by General Motors as "Corporation of the Year" for its significant contributions to GM's global success in 2011. This is the highest honor that any supplier to General Motors can win, and Lear was chosen from the 20,000 suppliers that serve GM globally. Lear also was recognized as a 2011 General Motors Supplier of the Year for Seat Assemblies. More Information.
Nissan North America has earned the U.S. EPA's 2012 ENERGY STAR® Sustained Excellence Award. The award recognizes continued leadership in protecting the environment through energy efficiency. More Information.
Nissan and The Nature Conservancy's Tennessee Chapter announced a new alliance to promote tree health in Tennessee's communities and forests. Nissan is supporting The Nature Conservancy's Tennessee Forest Health Program with a $50,000 grant. More Information.
TestAmerica is pleased to announce the availability of Spanish language analytical reports. Supporting both domestic and international demand for analytical data reports in Spanish, TestAmerica now offers a Spanish version of analytical reports that meets the requirements of regulatory entities throughout the Americas and Caribbean. More Information.
TestAmerica offers in-house capabilities to support the U.S. EPA's Leaching Environmental Assessment Framework (LEAF) Test Methods. The LEAF Test Methods represent a change from current leaching assessment approaches. The methods comprise a suite of leaching tests, which include batch, column, and tank tests. More Information.
Subaru of America has partnered with United by Blue to support the clean up of waterways in the communities in which they operate. The first cleanup will take place on April 28th at Farnham Park in Pennsauken, which is just around the corner of Subaru of America's headquarters in nearby Cherry Hill. More Information.
US Department of Labor, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Director Pat Shiu and more than 320 business and community leaders in Troy, Mich., honored the state's "Top Ten Business Women of 2012" at a March luncheon hosted by the Greater Detroit Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). Outgoing NAWBO President and SP member
Vickie Lewis, VMX Industries, was recognized at the event by Director Shiu and received a
Womens History Month Proclamation signed by President Obama.
More Information.
On behalf of the SP Executive Committee, I am very pleased to announce that the following companies have recently joined SP: 
