Lamey Wellehan Makes Reducing Carbon Emissions and Green Initiatives Part of Business Growth
Two Maine businesses in the Governor’s Carbon Challenge, Safe Handling Inc., and Lamey Wellehan, have exceeded their company goals in reducing their carbon emissions (in one and two years, respectively,) and made green initiatives part of their business growth. Safe Handling aimed for a reduction of 50% but achieved a 72% reduction in their carbon emissions from their baseline year of 2005. And Lamey Wellehan reduced their emissions by more than 21% from their baseline year of 2004.
Safe Handling’s carbon reductions are calculated from transportation efficiencies using long-haul rail, transloading (moving goods from train to truck and vice-versa,) and shorter-haul trucking to replace less fuel efficient and more costly long-haul trucking for their primarily pulp-and-paper industry customers. With 105 employees, their business manufactures and distributes raw materials at their new (2006) ten million dollar warehouse and transportation hub facility—Port of Auburn Intermodal Transportation Facility—including rail transportation with the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad and the Canadian National Railroad. Access to the efficiency of rail transportation serving Maine, Safe Handling reduced costs, and reduced their carbon footprint. Fuel usage has also been reduced by using tri-axle trailers, allowing heavier loads and fewer trucks, and developing processes to transport heavier wet materials as lighter dry mixes then converting to wet materials in Maine. In July, Safe Handling also began using biodiesel in their truck fleet. With their relatively large demand for biodiesel, the company is exploring possibly manufacturing biodiesel on site. Another growth project is the initiation of a study to evaluate building a multimillion dollar forest products biorefinery in the next few years. Safe Handling is also looking at possibly manufacturing bioplastics and a green power plant. This month Safe Handling will be opening Maine’s first ethanol (biofuel produced from corn grown in the mid-west) terminal!
Lamey Wellehan, with seven retail locations in southern, central, and mid-coast Maine upgraded their facilities and operations to use less energy and reduce carbon emissions. The well-known family footwear business renovated their Augusta store in the Capitol Shopping Center to use 36% less electricity than their previous facility while benefiting from a larger and better lit store. Overall Lamey Wellehan stores show a 19% reduction in electricity used. They have installed more efficient lighting in their facilities, and their delivery truck uses biodiesel. Their company fleet includes the fuel efficient hybrid Toyota Prius. An annual four year scholarship awarded to a Maine student to go to a Maine college further demonstrates the company’s commitment to Maine’s economy and ecology.
The Governor’s Carbon Challenge operated out of DEP’s Office of Innovation is a voluntary goal-setting program to assist businesses and non-profit organizations accomplish their greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.
