Specialty Fabrics Review November 2022 - 42

[ MARKETS ] INDUSTRY IN FOCUS
A
Striving for
sustainability
Two companies take different
approaches with the same
goal-to increase sustainability.
by Jeff Moravec
S PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF
sustainability grows, there's no doubt that fabricators are
becoming greener. But it's also becoming obvious that
there are many different routes to the same destination.
Take the cases of two companies-Dimension-Polyant Inc.
and Glen Raven Inc.
Glen Raven Inc., a major manufacturer of textiles for a
variety of markets, including awning, marine, furniture and
protective, headquartered in Burlington, N.C., released its first
corporate sustainability report in 2021. The report was published
to " continue to challenge ourselves to be an even stronger champion
of sustainability, " says CEO Leib Oehmig.
It noted the company had transitioned to using 25% renewable
energy and reduced its carbon emissions by 33%. " We intend to
increase our usage to 50% for 2023 and continue increasing each
year to achieve our goal of becoming 100% powered by certified
renewable electricity by 2025, " says Oehmig.
Dimension-Polyant Inc., one of the world's largest sailcloth
makers, has two facilities-one in Kempen, Germany, and the other
in Putnam, Conn., and last year they were both certified as climateneutral.
According to Taylor North, the company's head of technical
fabrics, " Our overarching goal here is to reduce our environmental
impact whenever we can. But it's also important to maintain quality.
If we sacrifice quality in the interest of sustainability, we see that as
a step backwards. "
Approaching the task
The two companies have approached the task in both similar-
embracing a switch to renewable energy-and different ways.
One of the first things Dimension-Polyant did toward its
certification, says North, was to switch its electricity and natural
gas to renewable sources about three years ago. The electricity is
now all wind- or solar-powered and the natural gas is green
(from organic waste sources or climate-neutral).
" We reduced our carbon footprint through these programs,
whether it's energy sourcing or LED lights or those kinds of things,
so we can reduce our power impact, " says North.
As of 2022, Glen Raven is using renewable electricity for 25%
of the power demand across its facilities and offices by matching
this power with renewable energy certificates from sources like
hydroelectric, solar and biomass.
" As we invest in renewable electricity, it is also a priority for us to
use this energy efficiently and wisely, " says Oehmig. " We continually
work to reduce the amount of electricity needed
 Glen Raven Inc. has increased the use of renewable
energy in its facilities, but has also prioritized the use of
more energy-efficient machinery. Photo: Glen Raven Inc.
to run Glen Raven's operations.
" A good example of energy conservation was implemented in the
recent expansion of our factories with the purchase of the most energy-efficient
weaving looms ever produced by our machine vendors, "
42 SPECIALTY FABRICS REVIEW / November 2022
Specialty Fabrics Review November 2022

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