Linetec earns Wisconsin Business Friend of the Environment Award

The category focuses on technological and process improvements completed during 2011 that exceeded expected standards and requirements, and resulted in measurable, environmental benefits.



Classified by the award judges as a “medium-sized company,” Linetec is one of the nation’s largest paint and anodize finishers. Its facilities are located in Wausau, Wisconsin. All of the 2012 winners exemplify industry leadership and demonstrate that sound environmental practices are good for Wisconsin’s environment and its economy. The award recipients were selected by an independent panel of five judges, including representatives from industry, the Department of Natural Resources, and the University of Wisconsin.



Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) recognized the winners at the 23rd annual Business Friend of the Environment Awards on May 10, 2012 at the Country Springs Hotel in Pewaukee, Wis., Linetec’s engineering manager, Chris Lannoye, and senior marketing specialist, Tammy Schroeder, LEED® Green Associate, accepted the plaque on behalf of the company.

 

“Wisconsin businesses are dedicated to protecting our natural resources, not only because itʼs smart business, but because it’s the right thing to do,” said Kurt R. Bauer, WMC’s president and CEO. “The winners of this award are the best of the best when it comes to keeping Wisconsin clean and creating jobs.” WMC is the state’s largest business association, representing 3,500 employers who provide jobs to nearly 500,000 Wisconsin residents.



“Environmental responsibility is written into the company’s core values and its practices have yielded notable savings and improvements. Environmental Responsibility is a Core Value every employee at Linetec believes,” noted Schroeder.

 

A primary strategy of Linetec’s is their industry-leading energy conservation. This award submission was based on the Anodize Scrubber Heat Capture project, which captures production waste heat and converts it to facility heat energy. Prior to installation and completion of this project, an immense amount of air and heat was exhausted from the anodize facility as necessary process waste, causing negative air pressure in the building.

 

In 2011, Linetec made a capital investment to reduce Linetec’s carbon footprint by decreasing the energy used to heat the anodize facility. A 10-by-12 foot radiator with a copper coil was installed within the air make-up unit. This installation allowed the cold Wisconsin outside air to cool the water running through the copper coil to scrub the air. The cooled water effectively removed contaminants in the air, while reducing the scrubbed exhaust air’s dew point low enough to introduce it back into the facility.

 

This customized solution for reclaiming exhaust heat, through the use of eliminating moisture by lowering the dew point temperature, is the only one in the nation that Linetec has identified.

 

“At Linetec, we look at every opportunity to make our operations safer, our processes more robust, and our business more profitable, while making our environmental footprint smaller,” added Lannoye. “While we pause to celebrate the company’s environmental innovation during 2011, our commitment remains unwavering to meet future challenges and opportunities through a robust continuous improvement process.”

 

Learn more about Linetec, its award-winning sustainability efforts, and its environmentally responsible finishing services at www.linetec.com <http://www.linetec.com> or calling 888-717-1472.



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