| Vision
Maintain a trade association comprised of automotive and vehicle
suppliers who will work in a partnership with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to create a new and innovative business-centered
approach to environmental protection, to find ways to improve
the environment while providing value to the participants
and to share the knowledge gained from those activities with
businesses of all sizes.
Mission
Provide a self-sustaining forum for large, medium and small
service and product vendors who deal with small, mid-sized
and large vehicle manufacturers to develop and share tools,
information, knowledge, good practices and technical support
to ensure that the suppliers' products and their processes
provide environmental improvement and cost savings to SP participants.
Goals
- Maintain a self-sustaining 501(c)(6) trade
association, which will demonstrate that by working cooperatively
within the supply chain, private sector companies of all
sizes can achieve real environmental improvements while
providing value to the participants.
- Provide a mechanism where automotive suppliers
through the relationships developed in SP can collect and
share information, data and knowledge on ways to improve
their environmental performance and, by utilizing EPA communication
channels, share the knowledge gained through SP activities
with companies and organizations who are not members of
SP.
- Develop, as appropriate, specific tools, reports
or documents that address the vision, mission and needs
of the organization.
- Provide a foundation for future activities
designed to recognize and encourage new approaches in developing
environmental policy.
How Does SP Provide Value to Its Members?
SP provides value to its members by:
- Providing a forum for companies to work together
to share "best practices" through task forces
and work groups to address specific issues and information
about new technologies implemented by member companies
- Organizing work groups about key issues that
provide value to the membership
- Providing facility-specific technical assistance workshops
- Identifying and addressing externally driven
environmental impacts
- Retaining the costs savings realized through
SP activities.
What are the Current SP Work Group Projects?
SP is a "member-driven" activity that provides quantifiable
value to members. Work Groups have been organized to address
issues of importance to the membership. The SP membership
determines the Work Group topics and activities. Current Work
Groups include:
- Chemical Issues Management
- Energy
- Materials Efficiency
- Technology and Networking
How Does SP Get Its Work Done?
In addition to the individual work group activities, which
include meetings and conference calls, SP conducts quarterly
Membership Meetings. The purpose of these quarterly meetings
is to share information and update the membership on the status
of the work group projects, conduct benchmarking sessions
on selected topics and provide a networking forum for the
members.
Each member company designates a representative for the
Board of Directors. In addition, an Executive Committee has
been elected to manage the day-to-day activities of the organization.
How is SP Managed?
Each member company designates a representative for the Board
of Directors. In addition, an Executive Committee is elected
to manage the day-to-day activities of the organization.
How is SP Funded?
Activities of the association are funded by contributions
from the membership of the association based on annual sales
of the member company as note on the SP Membership Application.
Who May Become a Member of SP?
Membership is open to any company that supplies goods or services
to an automotive manufacturer or parts supplier. Also, a non-profit
organization having an established commercial relationship
with the automotive industry may be considered for an “associate”
membership.
What is EPA's Role in SP?
SP is working in partnership with EPA. EPA provides topics
for special projects, information, tools and resources. In
addition, EPA brings the SP additional opportunities and resources
within other federal agencies such as making professionals
from the National Institute of Standards and Technology's
(NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEPs) available
to conduct workshops addressing issues consistent with SP's
objectives. |
