WICHITA, Kan. – At its more than 300 manufacturing sites in the United States, Koch companies create everyday essentials that help people improve their lives. And now, Koch Industries has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Award for 2017. The award recognizes organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency.
Koch, an ENERGY STAR Partner since January 2015, received the distinction for advancing energy management in multiple energy-intensive industries, actively participating in ENERGY STAR’s industrial network and by building a vast energy network within its own operations. The award is the highest honor bestowed by EPA, and will be presented Wednesday, April 26, at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.
“At Koch, we believe the role of business in society is to provide products and services people value while using fewer resources and respecting the environment,” said David Dotson, vice president - operations and compliance. “We look at effective energy management as a win-win that benefits the company, our customers, the communities in which we operate and the environment.”
In 2016, Koch companies maintained a high level of performance, improving energy efficiency in its chemicals and paper businesses by as much as two percent. Not only has Koch saved more than $270 million across all its businesses since 2011—including approximately $34 million in 2016 alone—it has also built an extensive energy manager network to convey best practices, provide training, inform about new technologies and enhance its businesses’ performance.
The ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award is the latest recognition of Koch’s commitment to being a responsible corporate steward, following more than 1,200 safety and environmental awards since 2009. In 2015 and 2016, Koch invested more than $600 million in energy efficiency projects across Koch businesses. The company is also encouraging other U.S. manufacturers to join EPA’s ENERGY STAR program to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy costs.
The EPA award comes as Koch companies work toward even greater energy management and efficiency practices. While its businesses have grown, Koch has experienced a 33 percent reduction in production-related waste since 2012, according to EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory Report. Of the waste produced and reported to EPA at Koch facilities in 2015, 92 percent was recycled, recovered for energy or treated—a total of 605 million pounds. In the same year, Koch was named a top-rated company by EPA for pollution prevention initiatives. Koch has received first- or second-ranking in this category for the past three years in a row.
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About Koch Industries, Inc.
Based in Wichita, Kansas, Koch Industries, Inc. is one of the largest private companies in America with estimated annual revenues as high as $100 billion, according to Forbes. It owns a diverse group of companies involved in refining, chemicals, and biofuels; forest and consumer products; fertilizers; polymers and fibers; process and pollution control equipment and technologies; electronics; information systems; commodity trading; minerals; energy; glass; ranching; and investments. Since 2003, Koch companies have invested more than $80 billion in acquisitions and other capital expenditures. With a presence in about 60 countries, Koch companies employ more than 120,000 people worldwide, with about 70,000 of those in the United States. From January 2009 to present, Koch companies have earned more than 1,200 awards for safety, environmental excellence, community stewardship, innovation, and customer service. For more news and stories, visit www.kochnews.com.