On Thursday, May 11, Mike Skinner, North America Director of Parts Supply and Logistics, Customer Service Division, Ford Motor Company, accepted the Environmental Stewardship Award on behalf of the Hartford High Velocity Center (HVC) in Windsor Locks, Conn., and Ford. The Award recognizes energy savings Ford generated at the plant. Because of the energy savings achieved in the plant, Ford’s Customer Service Division now plans to install new technology energy-efficiency lighting nationwide within the remaining distribution network of 27 facilities or operations.
Despite bad news about America’s addiction to oil and the rising costs of fuel, there is good news, and its comes out of the business world, including Ford Motor Company. In addition to Ford’s increased production of hybrids, Ford is contributing to energy savings and the environment in other ways.
On Thursday, May 11, Mike Skinner, North America Director of Parts Supply and Logistics, Customer Service Division, Ford Motor Company, accepted the Environmental Stewardship Award on behalf of the Hartford High Velocity Center (HVC) in Windsor Locks, Conn., and Ford. The Award recognizes energy savings Ford generated at the plant. Because of the energy savings achieved in the plant, Ford’s Customer Service Division now plans to install new technology energy-efficiency lighting nationwide within the remaining distribution network of 27 facilities or operations.
“The project is a clear example of cooperation between the State of Connecticut, the Connecticut Light and Power Company, New England Energy Management, Inc., and Ford Motor Company,” Skinner says. “The project entailed installing energy-efficient lighting coupled with motion sensors that reduce energy usage at times of lower activity in the warehouse. The installation has reduced energy consumption at the facility, and we estimate that yearly savings will exceed $100,000 per year. Savings like these are good for the community, the environment, and they strengthen Ford's business results.”
“Conservation is a key component to shedding the burden of heavy energy demand,” CT State Senator John Kissel adds.
As President Bush declares an addiction to oil and American citizens experience price shock at the gas pumps, businesses such as Ford are challenged, as their cost for energy rises at a rapid rate and they scramble to find ways to cuts costs without decreasing production. Ford’s Hartford High Velocity Center is proving that energy efficiencies are good for business, good for the country and good for the environment.
“The savings far exceeded our expectations,” Paul R. Tetrault, Hartford HVC Comptroller says. “We anticipated payback in 12 months, but it only took 6 ½ months.”
“The lifetime savings at Ford’s Hartford High Velocity Center is the equivalent of enough energy saved to light nearly 140,000 homes for one year,” Dave Leishman, Co-Chair Northeast Energy Efficiency Council—CT Chapter, says.
In a 2005 statement, Bill Ford, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Ford Motor Company, said, "We have made a commitment to building a better world. This isn’t just something we think would be nice to do. It’s the right thing to do. And we consider it a key element in building our company for the future."
The Hartford High Velocity Center is the first plant in Ford's Customer Service Division to conduct an energy-efficiency project of this kind. The installer was New England Energy Management, Inc., out of Danbury, Conn., and the Environmental Stewardship Award was presented by the Northeast Energy Efficiency Council—CT Chapter. The project creates lifetime energy savings of 12,594,612 kWh, which is equivalent to the environmental impact of planting 106 trees per day or a lifetime savings of 1,364 acres of trees.
The Award recognizes Ford for demonstrating leadership in community and business by participating in several energy-efficiency projects funded by the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund, and in partnership with The Connecticut Light and Power Company.
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 300,000 employees and 108 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.
Hartford High Velocity Center services 332 Ford and Lincoln/Mercury dealers. It opened in March 2004 with 193,000 sq. feet of storage space. There are approximately 70 UAW hourly and salaried employees, and the facility receives and ships 3 million lines of service parts annually. There is a standing inventory of $11,000,000 and annual sales of $46,000,000. The Hartford High Velocity Center is one of the safest, highest quality, most efficient facilities in Ford Customer Service Division: It is a top 20 percent performing warehouses in North American Service Parts Logistics.
The Northeast Energy Efficiency Council (NEEC) is a business association of the energy efficiency industry. Founded in 1992 as the Massachusetts Energy Efficiency Council, the organization recently adopted a new name to reflect its increasingly regional scope. NEEC's member companies include the leading energy efficiency firms that are based or do business in the Northeast. NEEC's associate members include New England's leading investor-owned and municipal utilities, as well as energy users. NEEC's mission is to promote energy efficiency policies, programs, and technologies that create jobs and foster economic growth and environmental improvement. The Connecticut Chapter was formed in 2003 by NEEC members and like-minded organizations to promote energy efficiency in Connecticut. http://www.neec.org/.
New England Energy Management, Inc. (NEEM), which has been in business for more than 21 years, specializes in energy management through Innovative Lighting retrofit solutions and Intelligent Lighting Design. NEEM is a certified contractor for both CL&P and UI Conservation & Load Management programs, and has done lighting projects throughout the U.S. www.newenglandenergy.com.
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Tony (A.R.) Harris
High Velocity Center Manager
Ford Motor Company The Hartford High Velocity Center
110 Old County Circle
Windsor Locks CT 06096-1572
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Rebecca Brockway
Northeast Energy Efficiency Council
44 Capitol Ave, Suite 401
Hartford, CT 06106
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Scott A. Hinson, President
New England Energy Management, Inc
5 Shelter Rock Rd
Danbury, CT 06810-7052
T. (203) 792-1900
F. (203) 792-1906
