Fairfax, VA - SGIA announced the winners of its 2013 Sustainability Recognition Program, which recognizes specialty imagers as they take steps toward developing a sustainable business ethic to meet customer demand. This year, the number of award winners grew from nine to 20.

Congratulations to the following companies:

• Aurora Specialty Textiles Group Inc. (Aurora, IL)
• BIG INK Display Graphics (Saint Paul, MN)
• EFI (San Mateo, CA)
• Empire Screen Printing (Onalaska, WI)
• GFX International (Grayslake, IL)
• Gillespie Graphics (Wilsonville, OR)
• Global Products Inc (Earth City, MO)
• Infinity Images (Portland, OR)
• Insta Graphic Systems (Cerritos, CA)
• Laird Plastics (Boca Raton, FL)
• Loparex LLC (Cary, NC)
• Modernistic (Stillwater, MN)
• Muir Omni Graphics (Peoria, IL)
• New Buffalo Shirt Factory (Clarence, NY)
• Pictura Graphics (Minneapolis, MN)
• Premier Press (Portland, OR)
• Pro Cal Professional Decals (Rock Hill, SC)
• Visual Impressions Inc (Milwaukee, WI)
• Visual Marking Systems Inc (Twinsburg, OH)
• xpedx (Loveland, OH)

Determination of Award Recipients is based on the submission of required program information and the facility’s sustainability policy. The policy, however, is only the first step in developing a sustainability management system (SMS). Next, companies must think about how to put policy commitments into action, as part of a program to be implemented one at a time over a several-year period, evidencing a commitment to continued improvement.

Empire Screen Printing officially moved toward sustainability by establishing a Green Committee in April 2012. Projects for 2012 involved Green Tier 1 Certification (currently pending approval through the Wisconsin DNR), plus establishing an Environmental Management System (EMS). Current keypoints included:

• Implementing a recycling program
• Purchasing a Kammann Press, that incorporates breakthrough technology using UV-LED Ink Curing technology. This press has no ozone emissions and significantly reduced energy consumption
• Converting additional screen print press lines to new UV LED ink curing technology
• Replacing current lighting with energy-efficient lights throughout the entire plant
• Continuous improvement in implementing Lean Manufacturing, which helps reduce waste during production

Through the actions listed above, Empire was able to divert 14.8 percent of their waste from the landfill to recycling, and convert 47 percent into energy, for the period of April through December 2012.

The New Buffalo Shirt Factory focused their sustainability goals in three areas:

• Reduction of energy consumption (replacing light fixtures)
• Adoption of more environmentally friendly raw materials (non-chlorinated solvents and PVC-free inks)
• Implementation of a three-day, 36-hour shift schedule to reduce employee commuting and increase carpooling opportunities

Visual Impressions Inc. set a goal of reducing their energy expenditures by 10 percent by December 2012:

• Electric energy consumption reduced by 9.95 percent
• Natural gas consumption reduced by 42.2 percent
• Propane consumption reduced by 8.7 percent

SGIA is your all-around sustainability resource, including the Sustainability Peer-to-Peer Network — where companies from around the globe meet via teleconference to discuss sustainable business practices in the imaging industry. For more information about SGIA’s Sustainability Peer-to-Peer Network and to participate, contact Marci Kinter or Ashley Arneson.