Champions

In keeping with our business strategy to make sustainable products, John, Ken and Kevin set out to develop a no added formaldehyde ceilings backcoat for our Cirrus® and Fine Fissured™ ceiling products manufactured in Beaver Falls, Pa.  The three, along with the many plant employees, completed this ambitious effort from feasibility study to market launch in under one year. These products now successfully meet the Collaborative of High Performance Schools (CHPS) specifications for classroom environments.

John led the project effort as project manager and lead scientist.
Ken was the prime Exploratory Coatings technical contact.
Kevin provided key technical support.

In 2007, we began a companywide effort to benchmark Armstrong in four focus areas that align with our manufacturing footprint – energy and greenhouse gases, water and forest management.  André was charged with leading the energy “network” at three Armstrong facilities in Europe that make mineral wool for our ceilings products — Team Valley, UK; Muenster, Germany; and Pontarlier, France. 

André’s energy work continues to move us closer to achieving our goal of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions 10 percent by 2015.  He credits key partners Dave Bright at Team Valley; Karsten Schultz at Muenster; Nathaniel Jeanpeiti at Pontarlier; and our technology group in Lancaster, Pa.

In just under a year, the Team Valley plant has reduced by gas consumption per square meter of produced material by two percent; Muenster by almost six percent and Pontarlier by four percent.  The Pontarlier plant reduction alone equals the amount of energy used to heat 15 homes (at approximately 150 square meters or 1,600 square feet per home) for 29 years. 

How did André and his European energy network do it?  By maintaining a consistent and optimal manufacturing process, upgrading to more energy-efficient equipment and improving insulation.

On a personal note, André is buying a new car now and is being coached by his two boys to “pick a car with low CO₂ emissions and low gas consumption!”  He brings newspapers and catalogues from home to the Pontarlier plant to be pulped andrecycled.

Jeff started to ride his bicycle to work in the 1970s because his car chugged along at 16 miles to the gallon, and there were widespread gas shortages.  The gas spike in 2008 sent Jeff hunting the Internet for info on converting a mountain bike to an electric bike.  With $400 and a couple of hours, he was e-biking.  It took him 15 minutes to get to work. He filled his gas tank once a month and put fewer miles on his car.  His 15-year-old used it to get to places Jeff would have had to drive him to before.  Jeff was featured on a local Lancaster TV station (link to video).

Life was good. But the urge to tinker struck again.  Why not convert a motorcycle to run on batteries and get around even faster? 

In just two months, Jeff got it done. Now he zips about on his e-motorcycle – an electric Kawasaki 750cc Ninja that does 60 mph for about 20 miles on a single charge. It plugs into a standard 110v home outlet through the gas cap.  Ingenious!

Jeff’s plan is to upgrade from six military grade AGM 12 volt batteries, about $1,200, to lithium cells, about $4,500, for more speed (80 mph) and longer charge (60 miles).

Jeff's resources [read more]

Rob's focus on wise use of resources has helped to drive remarkable results at our Thomastown flooring plant. The Thomastown plant has cut water usage 33% and reduced gross greenhouse emissions by 16% despite production increases.  In 2008 alone, Thomastown diverted 12,200 kg of waste from the local landfill.

Following Thomastown’s example, our other flooring plant in Braeside, Australia, reduced water consumption by 30% in 2008 and projects annual average reductions of 45% starting in 2009.   In addition, Braeside is implementing energy/greenhouse gas emissions and waste reduction plans. 

Both plants use motion sensor lighting to control energy and employ air loss/pressure reduction tactics in manufacturing. 

These efforts by Rob and teams at both plants led to recognition by government and industry, including the Keep Australia Beautiful - Sustainable Cities Litter & Waste Management Award in 2006 Zero Waste Award in 2007, the Greenhouse Challenge Award Plus 2007 and Armstrong's induction into the Victorian Manufacturers Hall of Fame in 2008. Both have International Standards Organization (ISO) 14001 accreditation for world-class environmental management practices.

Kalpesh works to develop cabinet products and services that support our commitment to sustainability and meet our customers’ needs. His most challenging and important effort to date was leading the team that brought about Origins TM, our new no added formaldehyde cabinet collection. 

Kalpesh said, “More and more, people are becoming aware of their own environmental footprint. They’re taking steps to reduce their impact on the planet, including building and remodeling homes using ‘greener’ products and services.  We want to give homeowners cabinet choices that meet their criteria.”

Kalpesh worked to achieve the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP) certification for Armstrong. Certification means we manufacture efficiently and use recycled and low-emitting materials in our products where possible.   He has personally trained our Cabinets sales and customer service associates on environmental sustainability as it relates to our products and green building. He is a member of the North Texas Chapter of the USGBC and working towards becoming a LEED Accredited Professional.

Being green at home is important to Kalpesh too.  He said, “I personally recycle as much as I can. I drive an ultra low emission vehicle (ULEV), and when I travel for business or pleasure, I try to use public transportation, not taxis or rentals. I planted an organic garden with my children; we landscaped with drought resistant plants to minimize outdoor watering.  My kids understand the benefits of recycling and energy conservation, and it’s encouraging to see the changing attitudes on environmental issues. It all starts with education.”

Anita is both internal advocate and external spokesperson for our sustainability initiatives. One of our most important ceiling initiatives is the Armstrong Ceiling Recycling Program. Anita has been driving the growth of this program, expanding it year over year since its inception in 1999. Most recently, she led a team effort to develop our ceiling tile consolidation network, so we can pick up smaller quantities of ceiling tiles from job sites and consolidate regionally, instead of waiting to fill a full truckload.

Recycling smaller quantities of ceiling tiles helps everybody:

• Contractors get a tidier, more efficient, site and
• Armstrong gets more material to make ceiling product with even higher post-consumer recycled content.

Armstrong has recycled over 70 million square feet, or 35,000 tons, of ceiling tiles that would otherwise go to landfills.

Click here to see the Armstrong Ceiling Recycling Program on TV.

Other feathers in Anita’s environmental cap:

• She helped drive USGBC LEED - Existing Building Platinum certification for Armstrong’s Corporate Headquarters Building 701 in Lancaster, Pa., the first commercial building to be LEED-EB certified in Pennsylvania.
• She conducts industry outreach at trade shows like Greenbuild and NeoCon and green building continuing education unit (CEU) courses.
• She’s active in our local Central Pennsylvania Green Building Chapter and serves as a Green Schools advocate to promote USGBC’s vision.
• She is a LEED accredited professional. Anita created Armstrong university sessions on sustainability and drove the creation of Green Genie, Armstrong ceilings’ online tool for LEED calculation.
• She and her husband have breathed new life into a circa 1900 Victorian home in Columbia, Pa. by improving its energy efficiency: new windows, insulation/envelope improvements, and updated HVAC operations. Their property’s old cistern captures rainwater from the gutters for outside water needs.

Chelsea has made environmental education for her architect and interior designer customers, as well as students pursuing those disciplines, a priority. She’s taught sessions for:

• Interior Design students at Vancouver Community College and Kwantlen Polytechnic University about “thinking sustainable;
• Regional flooring distributors about the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.

Chelsea’s most important message? “There is no one perfect green solution. Every project has its own goals and challenges and it’s the responsibility of the project team to balance design, function and cost all the while making every effort to leave the smallest environmental foot print possible.”

She adds, “It’s important for design students to be tuned in to how sustainability is playing a role in their chosen field, and how committed Armstrong is to offering a selection of products and services that fulfill a sustainable green building effort. I want these students to understand the value manufacturers can bring to their projects. As a representative of Armstrong, I am a resource for them as they pursue their profession just as I’m a resource for our existing distributor and retail customers. Bottom line, our industry partners, both existing and future ones, want to know we’re doing the right thing when it comes to the environment and that we have the products lines and tools to help them do the right thing too.”

Chelsea embraces sustainability in her personal life too:

• She drives a small, fuel-efficient car.
• She recycles all paper, plastic, metal and cardboard at home and at her home office.
• She manages her heating by using heavier bedding and wearing lots of sweaters.
• She recently renovated her home using low VOC paint; high-recycled content commercial carpet tile. that is CRI Green Label Plus-certified; and lighting with occupancy sensors.

Dave’s work to improve Building 701’s energy use includes:

• Achieving $43,000 savings in energy costs annually;
• Attaining a 60% recycling rate for office waste;
• Implementing green cleaning techniques for all campus buildings that save thousands of dollars per year and improve indoor air quality;
• Installing water saving appliances that save 380,000 gallons of water per year;
• Establishing carbon dioxide monitoring to ensure adequate airflow in occupied building areas.