Manufacturing goes greener

More Lehigh Valley manufacturer firms are going green. 

Reusing raw materials or incorporating recycled materials in product manufacturing as well as adopting energy efficient practices and construction materials in building renovations and additions, there’s payback in going – and becoming – a greener business. 

“There is definitely more interest in reducing emissions among manufacturers,” said Walt Hoffert, regional director of manufacturing solutions at Manufacturers Resource Center [MCR] in Fogelsville. 

MCR aims to provide assistance and business resources to small and mid-size manufacturing firms across the Lehigh Valley.  

Hoffert said LEED certified building practices are more common in today’s manufacturing facilities, and more companies are interested in energy efficient construction materials for building repairs and expansions.  

Reducing waste, repurposing manufacturing by-products and using LEED building materials are only part of the quest to become a greener business operation. 

 “When hiring the next generation of employees, [a firm’s position around] going greener is a decision-making factor” for many prospective hires, Hoffert said.  

Hiring and staffing 

As younger workers cite the environment and climate responsibility among their top value priorities, Hoffert said firms who are and demonstrate a more environmentally sensitive approach may have a leg up in employee recruiting, hiring and retention. 

He said younger employee demographics – millennials and Gen Z workers – are plugged into climate responsible practices and they aren’t afraid to ask an interviewer what a company is doing to support the environment. 

“New employees ask those questions, and younger people…are more in tune with being environmentally friendly. They are much more interested in climate issues,” he said. 

According to an Inc.com projection, by 2030 millennial and Gen Z workers will make up about 58% of the planet’s workforce, and climate impact – along with moving to a low carbon economy – are among their top three business priorities. 

“We’re seeing more young people coming through our leadership program, and the environment is a priority to them,” Hoffert said. 

When firms put an emphasis on climate responsibility, those younger staff members will want to stay and “be part of that change.”  

A greater emphasis on retaining employees over the past 10 years – and since the advent of the coronavirus in 2020 – has translated to more climate action and accountability by businesses, Hoffert said. 

Grants, incentives and solar  

A healthy boom in solar products and incorporating more environmentally friendly energy practices in manufacturing plant construction and renovation projects continues, according to Hoffert. 

“State and federal [government agencies] are offering energy efficiency incentives and discounts, which help companies make these changes,” he said. 

As the upfront cost of solar panels has consistently dropped, investment cost recovery times have dramatically shortened. This makes taking advantage of solar power generation a more attractive option for more businesses, Hoffert said. 

With immediate monthly energy bill reductions, solar panel and new system pay-back times can be as short as five years, he said. 

Greater interest in wind and other sustainable energy sources is another route some companies are exploring, according to Hoffert. 

ATAS International, Inc. located on Snowdrift Road Upper Macungie Township is a construction and building materials manufacturer and producer of InSpire Wall Solar Air Heating system of roofing and siding panels.  

ATAS produces green energy products for sale and strives to reduce its own carbon footprint across its six facilities in the U.S. while practicing green principals and initiatives, said Dick Bus, ATAS president. 

ATAS operates two Lehigh Valley plants along with manufacturing locations in Morrisville, Bucks County, Trenton, New Jersey; Mesa, Arizona and University Park, Illinois. 

The firm’s InSpire product is used on the Gray Way building in Upper Macungie Township and the Morrisville location. 

“Our mission is to continue to develop, and produce products that reduce our footprint and our energy consumption,” Bus said. 

“Cool” paint pigments are another innovation making energy efficient metal roofing products more attractive – and economical – to businesses and large building users like schools and corporate office buildings, according to Bus. 

Using cool paint pigments to reflect rather than absorb heat from the sun – means a black roof will behave like a white roof, he said.  

“We are reusing pallets and banding and installing LED lighting in all of our plants,” Bus said. 

A 50,000 square foot addition to ATAS’s Grant Way facility wills double the plant’s size. The addition will include a cool metal roof to reduce air conditioning needs by reflecting the sun’s UV rays. Heat for the building will be produced by roofing and siding panels on south facing walls.  

Insulated metal panels – similar in make up those used in refrigerator applications can be used in building construction, Bus explained. 

“We’re seeing it more in schools and office buildings for building walls,” he said. 

The panels make better seals around windows and can be attached more quickly. This translates to faster building completion cycles, he said. 

“It’s more energy efficient for operating a building long term, and we’re seeing them used outside of refrigerator applications,” Bus said. 

Scrap and materials recycling  

Some Lehigh Valley companies are making more effort to recycle, reuse or give by-product materials away – rather than see what could be used wasted or end up in a landfill. 

Removing, recycling and repurposing manufacturing by-products as waste and scrap material is another manufacturing industry growth area, Hoffert said. 

“Plastic companies or manufacturers can either resell their waste products to companies that can reprocess them, or to companies that use recycled product in their raw manufacturing process,” Hoffert said. 

He said firms are constantly looking for avenues to repurpose or pay less to get rid of waste and byproducts.  

“There is more awareness,” he added. 

Melinda Rizzo is a freelance writer.