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CompX Waterloo receives Energy Excellence Award

CompX Waterloo was awarded Energy Management’s first annual Energy Excellence Award. The Energy Excellence Award, sponsored by Fluke, was created to celebrate the successes facilities have had in transforming their approach to energy use and introducing a culture of continuous improvement in energy management.

 

About CompX Waterloo

 

CompX has been doing business in the Region of Waterloo for over 50 years, manufacturing a comprehensive product line that includes precision ball bearing slides for furniture, tool boxes, appliances, photo copiers, etc. The company has 214 full-time employees and a facility that includes 245,000 sq.ft. of manufacturing space and 23,000 sq.ft. of office space.

 

Prior to undertaking its energy conservation initiatives, the company admits to lacking an environmentally friendly culture. In September 2007, CompX decided to change for the better, initially by cutting the facility’s $1.4-million utilities bill by 10%. The company employed a number of tasks to do this, including:

·         Shutting off of all non-process specific exhaust fans during the winter months

·         Shutting and blocking off old, inefficient make up air units, replacing these with new energy efficient radiant heaters

·         Eliminating compressed air leaks throughout the building, resulting in electricity savings of $20/hour

 

In 2008 when the CompX facility was audited by the Canadian Association of Surface Finishers (CASF), auditor Marc Sider remarked, “If there was an industry award, you guys would get it... The achievements that you guys have done are truly amazing.”

 

As a result of these actions, CompX’s utility bills in 2009 totalled $750,370, a 47% reduction since 2007. The company has gone to earn numerous accolades related to the environment and energy efficiency, including a Waste Reduction Gold Medal Award and earning silver and gold Cradle to Cradle (C2C) certification through MBDC. Because of the company’s progress, customers of CompX products can earn LEED points for their buildings.

 

Energy Management’s Energy Excellence Award celebrates a company that exemplifies effective energy management practices. When considering the award winner, EM looked for past success, examples of energy management techniques and plans for future development.

For more information about CompX Waterloo, go to www.compx.com.

May 15, 2010  By  John Gilson



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