In 2005, Mohawk Paper Mills purchased windpower for its newly acquired Beckett Mill in Hamilton, Ohio, making Mohawk the 2nd largest industrial consumer of windpower in the U.S. The family-owned paper manufacturer plans to use 45 million kilowatt hours of pollution-free wind power annually to run its two mills in New York and the new facility in Ohio. The company is the only paper mill in the U.S. to use wind energy to manufacture paper.
Innovation
In August of 2003, Mohawk became one of the first large-scale production facilities in the United States to use non-polluting, wind-generated electricity for manufacturing its 100% postconsumer waste recycled papers. A two-year contract with Community
Energy, Inc., the nation’s leading marketer of wind energy,
ensures a supply of 4,000,000 kwh of energy each year, the
output of one wind powered turbine. When Mohawk purchased the Fine Papers group from International Paper Company on April 30, 2005, it began negotiating a new contract to provide wind power to its newly acquired Beckett Mill in Ohio, making this the third commitment in two years to wind power and allowing Mohawk to join the highest level EPA Green Power Partnership Leadership Club.
All of Mohawk’s products are manufactured with the goal of producing negative environmental impacts. As a non-integrated mill, they don’t manage their own forests, but, instead, purchase pulp and fiber on the open market. To support sustainable forestry practices, they require all suppliers to follow sound environmental practices and will not accept any fiber harvested from high-conservation value, old growth forests. Compliance is verified through annual surveys. Additional elimination of our purchases of elemental-chlorine bleached pulp has influenced Mohawk's paper suppliers to reduce dioxin concentrations in their wastewater. Mohawk is a signatory to the American Forest & Paper Association’s Sustainable Forestry Initiative and has been certified by SmartWood, an affiliate of the environmental group Rainforest Alliance, to manufacture paper in accordance with standards developed by the Forest Stewardship Council.
Mohawk Wind Power Portfolio customers include General Electric, Fed Ex/Kinkos, and BP Oil. The Sierra Club recently purchased the environmentally friendly paper to use as packaging for distribution of a DVD about the oil drilling controversy in Alaska's National Wildlife Refuge.
Because wind turbines use less than 5% of the land where they are sited, they minimize habitat destruction, help preserve open space and allow for multiple uses of the same land. They also are less impairing to views than other alternative energy sources and help agricultural communities and family farms by providing an additional source of income.
Mohawk is committed to reducing energy consumption throughout its organization. It keeps heat in its offices and manufacturing plants turned down to 65 degrees (lower in unoccupied areas), uses the most energy efficient lighting possible, participates in grid-based electric demand reduction programs and in state-sponsored energy research and conservation programs. A cross-disciplinary team employs sophisticated real-time energy
monitoring tools to help identify energy conservation opportunities.
Impact
This single investment has multiple, far-reaching effects. Wind energy will be used to produce 12,000 tons of paper, enough to print more than 400 million college textbooks and will help remove more than 6.1 million pounds of carbon dioxide from the air, the equivalent of taking 500 cars off the road or planting over 30,000 trees each year. Using wind energy also has other lasting and positive effects. Wind farms allow multiple uses of land, don’t disturb wildlife, are visually less obtrusive and produce alternative sources of income to family farmers and other rural landowners.
According to George Milner, Mohawk's senior vice president of energy, environmental and governmental affairs, wind energy now provides 21% of the total power for Mohawk's two mills in upstate New York and 50% of the annual power required in Ohio.
Inspiration
Environmental leadership requires a willingness to test uncharted waters. Because Mohawk's mill is located at the confluence of the beautiful and historically significant Mohawk and Hudson rivers, they are reminded every day of exactly what it is they are trying to protect. The animals that live in these rivers, the bald eagles
that nest nearby, the deer that wander these wooded shores, the clarity of the water that rushes by the plant, and the people who walk, fish, boat or bring their families to enjoy the natural
splendor of the area.
"Many U.S. paper mills have moved their production facilities offshore. Mohawk Paper, by contrast, is thriving in New York State and recently doubled its size," said Thomas D. O'Connor, Jr., Chairman and CEO. "Our commitment to environmental excellence has sustained - even propelled us - to where we are today."
The World Inquiry editorial team edited this profile from the original submission of the interviewer or other source. The views expressed do not necessarily represent Case Western Reserve University, the Weatherhead School of Management or the Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit. More >>
