Injection molder goes "beyond compliance"

Launched in 1973 as a plastic injection molder with six employees, Cascade Engineering has blossomed into a diversified manufacturer with 15 business units and a product line that includes waste containers, auto parts, and furniture components—and, more recently, wind turbines, solar panels, and affordable water filters for the developing world. The company's technical innovations, sustainability efforts, and programs for employees have earned it multiple awards...

...Although the National Association of Manufacturers, or NAM, which represents 11,000 U.S. manufacturers, has forcefully condemned recent moves by the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, Keller voluntarily cut his company's emissions 20 percent from 2005 to 2010. Though NAM would trust national energy policies to "the marketplace and its proven ability to meet the nation's energy needs," according to its official policy statement, Keller advocated for a renewable portfolio standard in Michigan (requiring electricity providers to get 10 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2015) and supports a mandated phaseout of U.S. oil imports. Though various business groups complain about the cost of regulatory compliance, Keller believes that going "beyond compliance" has saved him money. "I'm all for setting goals and having voluntary compliance," says Keller. "But is it enough? That is the question."

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See what they are doing at Keller's opperations Cascade Engineering