Auto part manufacturing is recognized as one of the most essential parts of our automobile economy. The Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) has created different “work groups” to aid and educate its subscribing auto manufacturing members in technology and networking, chemical issues management, energy efficiency and materials efficiency. In addition to the work group activities, SP holds quarterly membership meetings to educate and update its members on the status of work group projects, conduct benchmarking sessions on selected topics and provide networking forums for its members.
This year’s 2nd quarter membership meeting was held in Detroit’s historic Westin Book Cadillac hotel on June 7, 2011. At this meeting, General Motors presented its sixth annual Environmental Excellence Award to SP member, Mobile Fluid Recovery. Other highlights included Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s Benjamin Teitelbaum’s presentation on “Destination Sustainability”, which addressed reducing greenhouse gas emissions from freight transportation in North America. In addition, John Bradburn, GM’s Manager of Waste Reduction, presented the Materials Efficiency Work Group Report on how the “green” focus will disappear in the future and sustainable logistics, infrastructure, and lifestyles will be part of our everyday life. Finally, Bart Kocik of the MPS Group gave a dynamic presentation about MPS and about the areas they work with clients in order to reduce, sustain and become better partners with the environment.
GM’s Lee Hachigian, Director of GM Real Estate and Facilities, Energy and Environment presented the General Motors Environmental Excellence Award to Mobile Fluid Recovery in recognition of their contributions in developing and implementing a project that utilized oil absorbent booms from the BP oil spill in the Gulf. Mobile Fluid Recovery was responsible for salvaging and the initial processing of the gulf’s oil-soaked booms that became vehicle parts currently used in the Chevrolet Volt. David Briggs, Trevis Lyon, Shane Bennett, Brett Remington and Kenneth “Butch” Flatt were on hand to receive the honor.
In addition, SP’s Vice-Chair, Russell Brynolf, FTS Technologies, presented Heather Cataldo of the MPS Group the SP 2011 Leadership Award for her leadership, dedication and commitment to SP during her five years of membership, including all of her efforts and long hours planning, coordinating, and executing the 2nd quarter SP Membership meeting and Sustainability Summit.
This year’s SP membership meeting was held in conjunction with the National Environmental Sustainability Summit (NESS). This event was called Partnering to Grow a Green Economy, which also took place in the Westin Book Cadillac from June 7 – 9, included several events that may have been of interest to SP members. As SP works to create new and innovative business approaches to environmental protection, the NESS conference also demonstrated both support and collaboration for green businesses. This year’s SP event generated a lot of buzz and excitement for the green movement within the Motor City and further substantiated the support for the green movement as a whole.
Source: Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP)
Author: Daniel Edelson, representing GreeningDetroit.com
