Contact:
Steve Heins
Orion Energy Systems
920-892-9340, ext. 226
(Janesville, Wis.) Hufcor, the world’s largest manufacturer of operable partitions, accordion folding doors, glasswall partitions and portable walls, has received Orion’s Environmental Stewardship Award for the energy-efficient lighting project in its 310,000 square foot manufacturing facilities. The company is saving 383,000 kilowatts hours (kWh) annually and 7.66 million kWh over the sustainable lifetime of the lighting fixtures. The project is being managed and supplied by Orion Energy Systems of Plymouth, Wisconsin.
In addition, the Wisconsin-based manufacturer will take enough power off the electrical grid to provide the electricity to power 62 homes or a bedroom community of over 248 people, according to the EPA formula.
The environmental impact of Hufcor’s energy-efficient lighting project will decrease air pollution and environmental damage over the lifetime of Orion’s fixture, the Illuminator, by 5,745 tons of carbon dioxide, 1,567 tons of carbon, 21 tons of sulfur dioxide, 49 tons of nitrous oxides and one pound of mercury. This is the equivalent of saving 696,364 gallons of gas, removing 1,085 cars from the road or planting 1,406 acres of trees.
“The sustainable savings of electrical consumption by Hufcor should serve as a blueprint for other companies in Southwestern Wisconsin,” stated Neal Verfuerth, President of Orion Energy Systems. “By presenting Hufcor with the Environmental Stewardship Award, Orion wanted to highlight the fact that this energy-efficient lighting project was good for everyone involved, including Janesville and Rock County: It was good business, good employee relations and good environmentalism.”
On June 24, 2004, Neal Verfuerth, President of Orion Energy Systems, received one of Wisconsin’s most prestigious awards, Ernst & Young’s Manufacturing Entrepreneur Of The Year. Recently, Orion has received the 2004 Wisconsin Partners for Clean Air Award given by the Wisconsin DNR.
“This project was a no-brainer once we saw our real-time energy consumption in a side-by-side comparison between our old lights and Orion’s. The cost savings really got our attention. In fact, we expect to save $4,200 more than the annual shared savings of $22,300,” stated Steve Winchel, Tooling/Maintenance Facilitator of Hufcor. “We were able to use the “Shared Savings Plan” offered by Alliant Energy, which didn’t require any money down, and the guaranteed savings buys the fixtures over a five year period. In addition, we are getting a better quality light known as full-spectrum light, which is a better work environment for our employees, and it gives better color rendering for quality inspections.”
About Hufcor
Hufcor was established in 1900 and manufactures a complete line of movable partitions that are used in many of the world’s finest hotels, schools, religious buildings, convention centers and corporate facilities. They are used in virtually any facility that needs flexible, acoustically rated space division.
In addition to the Janesville manufacturing facility, products are manufactured in the United States in Stevensville, Maryland, and in Bellflower, California. Outside of the United States, Hufcor products are manufactured under license in 15 foreign countries. A network of distributors located throughout the United States and the world provide design assistance, quotation, sale, installation and service.
Hufcor has an international reputation for expertly engineered design and top quality workmanship. In addition to an extensive selection of standard movable partitions, Hufcor’s creative engineering and design team also develop custom partitions to satisfy specific design requirements. For more info, please visit http://www.hufcor.com?TrackLink=Yes.
About Orion
Orion Energy Systems has been innovating in the energy and lighting business since 1996. Neal Verfuerth, President of Orion Energy Systems, received one of Wisconsin’s most prestigious awards, Ernst & Young’s 2004 Manufacturing Entrepreneur Of The Year. Recently, Orion has Received the 2004 Wisconsin Partners for Clean Air Award given by the Wisconsin DNR. In addition, the company won the 2002 Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Grand Award in the Emerging Growth category, given by the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce Association, the Wisconsin Business Friend of the Environment Award, and was chosen as a ‘Success Story’ for the 2002 Governor’s Summit on Capital.
Orion’s innovative Illuminator, an energy-efficient lighting platform for industrial applications, has been awarded a series of 12 patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Additionally, it has applied for numerous other patents relating to metering and control technologies for lighting.
Orion is an energy services company (ESCO), which manufactures and markets energy efficient lighting solutions for the school, gymnasium, manufacturing, warehousing, and commercial markets. Orion provides capacity displacement solutions for supply side management, transmission management, and demand side management for the electricity industry.
For more information, please contact Stephen Heins, Vice President of Corporate Communications, Orion Energy Systems, sheins@oriones.com; 920-892-9340, ext. 226, or visit the Web site at www.oriones.com.
