MUSCATINE, Ia.—Allsteel Inc. has received ISO 50001 Energy Management System certification—the first furniture manufacturer in the world to be certified to this new global energy management standard and only the third company in the U.S. to receive the rating.
Additionally, the company earned Superior Energy Performancecm (SEP) Gold certification, achieving more than 10 percent in energy reductions since its 2008 energy baseline. In seeking the certifications, Allsteel was part of a U.S. Department of Energy Demo Program. An accredited registrar granted both certifications.
“These are the current pinnacles of sustainability, and it’s a proud moment for Allsteel to have achieved this,” says Jeff Lorenger, Allsteel president. “We congratulate and thank all those on the Allsteel team who have been so relentlessly vigilant in leading us to this moment. But, in all of its 100 years, Allsteel has always steadied its focus on the future, and we will continue to raise the bar on our own performance so that we progressively decrease our own energy footprint.”
According to Keri Luly, Allsteel’s manager of sustainability programs, the company’s 650,000-square-foot manufacturing facility qualified for these latest certifications by committing to incorporate energy saving systems that will yield a 25 percent reduction in energy intensity over 10 years.
To this end, several initiatives have already been completed, such as the installation of a 21,200 kWh rooftop solar array. Other energy efficiency accomplishments contributing to the certifications include annual average reductions over the past two years on its air compressor system by 2,359,837 kWh and on its VFD dust collection system by 696,428.571 kWh.
“We knew when we accepted the invitation from the Department of Energy and the U.S. Council for Energy-Efficient Manufacturing to participate in their pilot leadership program that it would be a challenge to meet their requirements,” says Luly. “But Allsteel once again has proven it is a leader both domestically and on the global front.”
