The Douglas C. Griffin Environmental Sustainability Award
KPPC created the award in 2009 to recognize Kentucky entities that have demonstrated a commitment to the principles of sustainability and environmental stewardship. The award is presented each year in conjunction with National Pollution Prevention Week.
Douglas Culver Griffin II, KPPC’s longtime Board Chairman, passed away on August 27, 2015. Doug was a founding member of KPPC’s Board of Directors and served as Board Chairman from 1999 until his retirement in July 2015. Throughout Doug’s 20 years of service to the board, he provided guidance, knowledge and his dedication to protecting the environment.
In memory of Board Chairman Doug Griffin’s many contributions to KPPC, the Board has named the annual KPPC Environmental Sustainability Award in his honor. The first Douglas C. Griffin Environmental Sustainability Award was presented to Owensboro Grain Company during National Pollution Prevention Week in September, 2015.
Award Winners
2021
Bardstown Bourbon Company
Location: Bardstown, KY
Website: https://www.bardstownbourbon.com/
Award Winner Highlight:
The Bardstown Bourbon Company (BBC) is a relatively new distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, with a beautiful new facility housing their distillery processes, a restaurant, tasting lounge, and gift shop. The site includes aging barns, and a newly constructed bottling facility. The company has a history of success in environmental sustainability, having implemented several initiatives to conserve natural gas consumption. BBC used sustainable value stream mapping as a way to evaluate electric energy usage and water usage throughout their distillery process. In addition, BBC has utilized engineering students from UofL’s Speed School of Engineering to explore thermal insulation opportunities for additional energy conservation. BBC has also hosted tours of their facility to demonstrate energy management in practice.
SSP Article:
https://kppc.org/resource-library/publications/ssp-archive/ssp-november-2021/#article-1
2020
JBS Louisville
Location: Louisville, KY
Website: https://jbssa.com/
Award Winner Highlight:
The JBS Louisville pork processing facility, holding an important role in the Louisville community since the 1960’s, produces fresh quality pork for domestic and international customers. While processing thousands of hogs daily with their over 1200 employees, JBS has also championed initiatives to improve the sustainability performance of its operations. Recently installed energy efficient LED lighting throughout the facility has significantly reduced operating costs while reducing environmental impact. Further improvements in electric demand management and the energy efficiency of production support equipment are being pursued, and new equipment has been installed to reduce water use.
SSP Article:
https://kppc.org/resource-library/publications/ssp-archive/ssp-december-2020/#article-1
2019
Louisville Distilling Company
Location: Louisville, KY
Website: https://www.angelsenvy.com/
Award Winner Highlight:
Louisville Distilling Company has developed a reputation for not only great tasting whiskey, but for their passion for environmental stewardship. Tours and events are hosted daily at their production facility, which includes energy efficient equipment and LED lighting. Through its recycling efforts, LDC has diverted tons of glass from local landfills, and all of its spent grain wastewater goes to a local farmer for animal food. Partnering with KPPC, the J.B. Speed School of Engineering at the University of Louisville and equipment providers, LDC continues to look for ways to enhance its sustainability performance,and reduce their environmental impact.
SSP Article:
https://kppc.org/resource-library/publications/ssp-archive/ssp-december-2019/#article-1
Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing
Location: Lexington, KY
Website: https://www.engr.uky.edu/ism
Award Winner Highlight:
The Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing (ISM) has been instrumental in assisting KPPC as a partner in developing sustainable manufacturing services, including sustainable value stream mapping and sustainable product development. Serving as subject matter experts, the ISM has provided training to Kentucky companies through educational webinars and workshops offered by KPPC. KPPC appreciates this valuable partnership with encouraging improvement in sustainability performance at Kentucky manufacturers.
SSP Article:
https://kppc.org/resource-library/publications/ssp-archive/ssp-december-2019/#article-1
2018
Pine Mountain Settlement School
Location: Harlan County, Bledsoe, KY
Website: https://www.pinemountainsettlementschool.com/
Award Winner Highlight:
The School has a history of environmental sustainability education, community development, and more recently sustainable farming. Over the past year the School has implemented energy efficiency measures including LED lighting retrofits, and new HVAC equipment to reduce the load on propane boilers. These efforts have reduced energy costs and the resulting greenhouse gas footprint of the School.
SSP Article:
https://kppc.org/resource-library/publications/ssp-archive/ssp-november-2018/#article-1
Southeastern Kentucky Rehabilitation Industries (SEKRI)
Cumberland Plant Facility
Location: Cumberland, KY
Website: https://www.sekri.org/locations/#cumberland/
Award Winner Highlight:
SEKRI, Inc. was established in Corbin, Kentucky in 1971 for the purpose of serving people with mental and physical disabilities, enabling them to obtain and to be successful in maintaining competitive employment.The Cumberland plant has implemented many energy efficiency improvements and is leading the way for the other company facilities. The plant has installed LED lighting on the production floor and area expansions, and also replaced the propane furnace with high efficiency heat pumps to reduce electric use, along with their carbon footprint.
SSP Article:
https://kppc.org/resource-library/publications/ssp-archive/ssp-november-2018/#article-1
2017
Kentucky Association of Manufacturers (KAM)
Location: Frankfort, KY
Website: http://www.kam.us.com/
Award Winner Highlight:
For several years, KAM has hosted an annual Energy Conference to inform manufacturers about energy efficiency, reliability and affordability. KAM has been an integral partner working with KPPC on numerous other projects promoting sustainable practices that conserve energy and reduce environmental impacts, helping manufacturers preserve jobs and enhance overall competitiveness.
SSP Article:
https://kppc.org/resource-library/publications/ssp-archive/ssp-november-2017/#article-1
2016
Cox Interior, Inc.
Location: Campbellsville, KY
Website: https://www.coxinterior.com/
Award Winner Highlight:
Cox Interior recently completed a lighting upgrade project which replaced over 1,200 fluorescent bulbs and 1,000 metal halide lamps with energy efficient LED lighting. Their facility also uses wood waste as boiler fuel to generate steam and electricity for use on site. Cox was mentioned in the Kentucky Living April 2016 article “Untapped energy recovered from waste” for this combined heat and power (CHP) system that is capable of producing about 75 percent of the electricity needed by the millwork operations when the factory is running.
SSP Article:
https://kppc.org/resource-library/publications/ssp-archive/ssp-october-2016/#article-2
Western Kentucky University
Location: Bowling Green, KY
Website: https://www.wku.edu/
Award Winner Highlight:
WKU has been actively engaged in sustainability efforts for a number of years, and has a very successful energy management program, academic programs related to sustainability, important research initiatives, and an overall culture of sustainability. WKU was a key contributor to KPPC’s Energy Efficiency Outreach and Training initiative in 2015-16, sharing their successes and hosting a workshop on campus.
SSP Article:
https://kppc.org/resource-library/publications/ssp-archive/ssp-november-2016/
2015
Owensboro Grain Company
Location: Owensboro, KY
Website: http://www.owensborograin.com/
Award Winner Highlight:
Owensboro Grain has been actively engaged in sustainability efforts for a number of years and has been working with the KPPC since 2011. The company also operates a biodiesel production facility, which has added millions of gallons of fuel per year to the nation’s energy supply.
SSP Article:
https://kppc.org/resource-library/publications/ssp-archive/ssp-october-2015/#article-2
2014
A. Raymond Timmerman Manufacturing
Location: Flemingsburg, KY
Webiste: http://www.araymondtinnerman.com/
Award Winner Highlight:
The company employs about 104 people and manufactures a variety of assembly components for the automotive industry. The company has been actively engaged in sustainability efforts at its facility for a number of years and has been working with KPPC since 2012.
Bill Breeze, Plant Manager, “We’ve made energy management and waste reduction a priority, and KPPC has helped us find new opportunities to lower costs and improve our environmental performance. Protecting the environment is important to us, to our community and important to our parent company.”
SSP Article:
https://kppc.org/resource-library/publications/ssp-archive/ssp-october-2014/#article-2
2013
Indelac Controls
Location: Florence, KY
Website: http://www.indelac.com/
Award Winner Highlight:
Indelac began working with KPPC and the Alabama Technology Network (ATN) in 2012 to conduct a joint training/assessment event as part of the Kentucky E3 Initiative. Since the initial assessment, Indelac has created a cross-functional team that reviews and implements continuous improvement suggestions from management and staff. The team strives to implement Lean, Green and Clean recommendations and identify new ideas in a continual improvement cycle.
SSP Edition (PDF):
https://kppc.org/wp-content/uploads/ssp-sep-2013.pdf
2012
Hausner Hard-Chrome
Location: Owensboro, KY
Website: http://hausnerinc.com/
Award Winner Highlight:
Hausner Hard-Chrome (HHC) began working with KPPC in 2010 to baseline and benchmark facility energy consumption and assess operations for energy efficiency improvement. Since the initial environmental sustainability assessment, the facility has created a cross-functional energy conservation team, developed and implemented energy action plans, and is currently developing an internal recognition program to reinforce and drive continual energy performance improvement.
As a result of the diligent work of the energy conservation team, HHC has experienced a 23.5 percent reduction in energy intensity and a 25 percent reduction in electric demand since 2010, equating to over $110,000 in annual savings. Successfully implemented conservation projects include a facility lighting retrofit, compressed air system optimization, power factor correction, plating efficiency improvements and cooling tower improvements. In addition to energy efficiency improvements, the facility is also making strides in reducing water consumption.
SSP Edition (PDF):
https://kppc.org/wp-content/uploads/ssp-oct-2012.pdf
The United States Playing Card Company
Location: Erlanger, KY
Website: http://www.usplayingcard.com/
Award Winner Highlight:
Sustainability efforts at The United States Playing Card Company (USPC) have been steadily gaining momentum since 2010, when the facility partnered with KPPC with the goal of achieving cost savings through energy efficiency and waste minimization. With the development of an energy management program and an energy team, USPC has successfully implemented plant-wide equipment shutdown procedures. By conducting weekend audits to identify shut-down opportunities and communicating those results to department managers, USPC employees are now actively engaged in conserving energy. USPC also makes every effort to recycle as much as possible. Currently all process scrap and office paper is collected and recycled instead of being sent a landfill.
Other sustainability projects include re-using paper roll cores (resulting in a significant reduction in solid waste), tariff rate changes, facility lighting upgrades and compressed air system optimization.
SSP Edition (PDF):
https://kppc.org/wp-content/uploads/ssp-oct-2012.pdf
2011
Republic Conduit
Location: Louisville, KY
Website: http://www.republicconduit.com/
Sherwin-Williams
Location: Richmond, KY
Website: https://www.sherwin-williams.com/
Award Winners Highlight:
Both companies receiving the award this year have well-developed programs and teams, and their recent activities have spanned the social, environmental and economic aspects of sustainability. In addition, they each signed the Kentucky Save Energy Now (KY SEN) pledge in 2010, committing to reducing energy use at their facilities by 2.5 percent per year for 10 years.
SSP Edition (PDF):
https://kppc.org/wp-content/uploads/SSP-pdf-Sept-2011.pdf
2010
FetterGroup
Location: Louisville, KY
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fetter-group/
Award Winner Highlight:
With a strong vision and continuous support from senior management, FetterGroup focuses heavily on environmental sustainability throughout its facility. The company’s waste management initiatives have included working with its suppliers to reduce packaging materials, reusing materials like cardboard corners and slip sheets from incoming printing plates, and shifting to recyclable plastic skids for use within the facility. FetterGroup’s efforts have reduced their solid waste pickup by 40 percent, and over 95 percent of their waste goes somewhere other than a landfill. The company has also aggressively pursued energy efficiency, adding capacitors to improve power factors, installing new motors and variable speed drives for air handlers, and installing motion sensor lighting controls in all common areas. Since 2007, FetterGroup has implemented technologies and practices that have reduced the facility’s energy consumption by 32 percent. The company has worked with KPPC, U.S. DOE, ENERGY STAR®, WasteWise, and other organizations to build its environmental sustainability program, openly sharing its experiences with other industries and commercial facilities.
SSP Edition (PDF):
https://kppc.org/wp-content/uploads/SSP-pdf-Sept-2010.pdf
Kindred Healthcare
Location: Louisville, KY
Website: https://www.kindredhealthcare.com/
Award Winner Highlight:
Kindred Healthcare employees have formed a Sustainability Think Tank and have started implementing a variety of environmental and efficiency projects. At the company’s downtown Louisville headquarters facility, Kindred has introduced a full line of eco-products at its on-site cafe, replacing “to go” containers, cups and packaging with 100 percent biodegradable, compostable, plant-based plastic products. The company has also instituted an extensive facility-wide recycling program and recently completed its 1st annual Commuter Challenge, urging employees to bike, walk, take the bus or carpool to work. Earlier this year, the company worked with KPPC to complete an on-site assessment of the facility’s energy usage, and has signed onto the Kentucky Save Energy Now initiative, pledging to reduce its energy consumption by 2.5 percent over the next 10 years. Kindred also supported Louisville’s participation in the ENERGY STAR® Kilowatt Crackdown.
SSP Edition (PDF):
https://kppc.org/wp-content/uploads/SSP-pdf-Sept-2010.pdf
2009
Akebono Brake Corporation
Location: Elizabethtown, KY
Website: http://akebonobrakes.com/
Award Winner Highlight:
Akebono Brake – Elizabethtown Plant has implemented a number of energy conservation projects resulting in a reduction of its carbon footprint, improved recycling efforts, reduced water usage and made significant financial investments to reduce chemical usage in its production processes. The company also worked with local government to conduct a household hazardous waste collection event at its facility for the citizens of Hardin County.
SSP Edition (PDF):
https://kppc.org/wp-content/uploads/SSP-pdf-Sept-2009.pdf
Denyo Manufacturing
Location: Danville, KY
Website: http://www.denyo.co.jp/english/company/group/dmc/
Award Winner Highlight:
Denyo Manufacturing has implemented a four-day work week, reducing air emissions and gasoline consumption by commuting employees, energy consumption at the facility and the company’s carbon footprint. Employees receive the same pay as they did with a five-day work week, while production has remained stable and in some cases improved. In addition, Denyo’s recent pollution prevention and energy efficiency efforts have resulted in improved recycling of scrap metal, reduced water and natural gas consumption, improved wastewater treatment operations, better management of chemicals and substantial financial savings.
SSP Edition (PDF):
https://kppc.org/wp-content/uploads/SSP-pdf-Sept-2009.pdf