Merillat recognized for “environmental excellence”

Merillat’s assembly facility in Culpeper has achieved recognition through the Virginia Environmental Excellence Program as an Exemplary Environmental Enterprise participant. Tom Faha, director of the northern regional office for the state’s Department of Environmental Quality, presented the award earlier this year, taking time to explain what the accomplishment means for the company and the community at large.

“This designation signifies that a facility has good compliance history,” Faha said. “And that it has also implemented a comprehensive environmental management system or EMS, which can typically take a year or more to put together.

“Facilities in the program have committed not only to be in compliance with environmental rules but also to strive for continuous environmental improvement, requiring innovative thinking, visionary leadership and dedicated community partnership.”

Several hundred facilities participate in the program, but only a relative few perform at E3 levels. It’s this point that Andy Ballew, Merillat Culpeper plant manager, cites as being particularly significant since the distinction is so exclusive.

“It is truly rewarding to be acknowledged within the Virginia Environmental Excellence Program,” Ballew said. “We are especially proud of this accomplishment because only two percent of all facilities in Virginia have the E3 status.”

Faha reports that the VEEP program began about eight years ago, adding that, “VEEP is now recognized nationally as a leading example of how a state can successfully provide incentives and recognition to high performing facilities to achieve real environmental progress.”

In 2008, Merillat reduced electrical costs per unit and natural gas cost per unit by 5% each. Other milestones included decreases in hazardous waste by 10% per part and improvement in dollar amount of recyclables by 10% per cabinet.

Merillat’s Culpeper plant opened in 1983 and now has 304 employees, with a production capacity of up to 7,000 cabinets per day. All wood used for Merillat cabinets is manufactured from renewable forests and recycled material. For more environmental stewardship information, visit http://www.tomorrowsthinkingtoday.com. For further information about Merillat cabinetry, visit http://www.merillat.com.