On January 19, members of the Washington Department of Ecology, Impact Washington, Tacoma Pierce Economic Development Board, and Tacoma Economic Development Services visited Founder’s Choice Cabinetry to celebrate their presentation of the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable MVP2 Award.
Founder’s Choice Cabinetry, a family-owned company located in Tacoma, Washington, was awarded the 2020 MVP2 Multimedia Project Award. The 2020 Most Valuable Pollution Prevention (MVP2) awards are presented by the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR) and celebrate innovators’ successes in pollution prevention and sustainability.
“Congratulations to Founder’s Choice Cabinetry for this prestigious designation,” said Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards. “Through its efforts and commitment, Founder’s Choice Cabinetry has demonstrated the win-win benefits of sustainable business practices, improving environmental sustainability and the bottom line at the same time.”
“We are thrilled to be recognized for all of the hard work we have been doing,” said Brandon Sizemore, Founder’s Choice Managing Director. The MVP2 Award reflects the importance we attach to sustainability and ‘green production.’ This Award reaffirms our commitment to the efficacy of resources in our production operations and throughout our entire location.”
In late 2019, seeking improvement, the company requested help from the state’s Lean and Green program, a Washington Department of Ecology and Impact Washington service. The assistance program was recommended by the Tacoma Pierce Economic Development Board and Tacoma Economic Development Services. The Lean and Green assistance program combines continuous improvement and environmental methods to reduce operating costs and environmental and energy impacts. These changes lead to increased productivity and overall business competitiveness.
Besides improving recycling and reuse, other actions such as efficient lighting, improved air compressor operation, training, and equipment changes also delivered results. These changes led to significant projected results in material use and waste reduction while improving product quality. Overall, the program showed a projected operational cost savings of $112,000, a 20% reduction in VOC air emissions, hazardous waste reduction of 7,000 lbs, and significant benefits in energy efficiency to the facility. By employing a lean and green approach, Founder’s Choice adopted a comprehensive manufacturing strategy instead of looking at waste, wastewater, or energy. This approach enabled the development of improvement opportunities that would deliver reduced waste, air emissions, and energy use and improve shop safety.
Bruce Kendall, CEO of the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County, said, “Forging new partnerships and supporting local business growth exemplifies the EDB’s mission to preserve and grow industrial jobs. This project strikes a balanced approach in achieving economic prosperity, social equity, and environmental stewardship.”
Credit for the success of this project must go to the following Lean and Green partners: Washington Department of Ecology’s Ifeanyi Isigwe, Hugh O’Neil, Robert Reuter, Dan Ferguson, Huckleberry Palmer, and Justin Meyer; Impact Washington’s Geoff Lawrence and Patrick Ryan; the Tacoma Pierce Economic Development Board’s Maddie Merton, and the Tacoma Economic Development Services’ Gloria Fletcher for their participation in this project.
Learn more information about the Impact Washington-Lean and Green Program.