PARSIPPANY, N.Y. -- The Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association (SOCMA) honored the Sun Chemical Performance Pigments manufacturing facility in Muskegon, Mich. with the 2008 Silver Performance Improvement Award for the plant’s continual improvement in environment, health and safety.
 
Sun Chemical’s Muskegon plant received the award because of its programs in waste minimization and resource management. One project included an installation that reduced the energy usage of a spray dryer by 30 percent. Additionally, half of the solvent-based parts washers in the plant were replaced with systems that use a non-hazardous heated aqueous soap solution to clean equipment and tools, resulting in a 50 percent reduction in hazardous waste.
 
“Receiving this award is a testimony of all our dedicated employees who continually strive to improve the operations and environmental conditions of the Muskegon plant,” Eldon Fink, director of Environment, Health and Safety, Sun Chemical. “It shows Sun Chemical’s commitment to improving the quality of life in the communities in which we operate.”
 
Created to help reduce the environmental footprint left by member’s facilities, the award is part of SOCMA’s continuous performance improvement program in environmental, health, safety and security.
 
“Companies like Sun Chemical are to be commended for their commitment to our core principles of resource management and waste minimization,” said Joe Acker, president of SOCMA. “We are pleased to recognize them with this reward.”
 
“On behalf of the entire Muskegon operation, we are honored to accept this award,” said Allan Shearer, director of operations at Sun Chemical’s Muskegon facility. “Our entire staff here in Muskegon really worked together to deliver on environmental protection, and we will continue to look for ways to minimize our impact on the environment.”