Boeing, Coca-Cola and General Mills say cleaner, safer and more energy-efficient manufacturing practices are a necessity during economic downturns, according to a new white paper released by Rockwell Automation.
“Perspectives on Sustainable Production: Delivering Economic Value and Serving Greater Good” (PDF), features viewpoints from sustainability executives at Rockwell Automation and its customers.
Jim Schulz, General Mills’ director for Controls and Information Systems, says Rockwell Automation control technologies helped it reduce water consumption by an average of 46 percent at its Covington, Ga. plant, and helped the company save about $840,000 annually.
Rising prices and shortages of resources have rewritten the economics of manufacturing, says Bob Ruff, senior vice president of Control Products and Solutions at Rockwell Automation. “Sustainable production practices deliver economic value.”
James Fonda, advanced technologist for Networked Systems at Boeings agrees, “In times of economic trouble, sustainable companies become survivable companies because they’ve driven inefficiencies out of their system.”