Ben Franklin Technology Partners
gets a lot of attention, and rightfully so, for its expertise in growing tech companies. In its
latest round of financing,
Ben Franklin's Northeast PA office took on a special mission to assist in
the reduction of energy consumption of two of its largest manufacturers.
For one center, Hitachi Metals, the answer was a complex binder system
using collagen instead of resin. For the other, Ashland machine part
manufacturer Ashland Foundry and Machine Works, the answer was as
simple as changing a few light bulbs.
"The major finding they
had was that if we made a major investment in a new lighting system
that, in a short period of time, we should be able to recoup that
investment," says Ashland Director of Finance Sharrel Hebert. "Just by
making minor repairs to the fixtures and changing out some bulbs, we
could see a return between $20,000 and $40,000."
After receiving
$32,850 from Ben Franklin, Ashland convened an energy audit, which called
for a complete lighting overhaul at the Foundry and Machine Works. The
switchover to more efficient lighting systems will start this fall as an
ongoing project for the factory. This week, Hebert and her team began
making small improvements that will add up to big energy savings.
Changing light bulbs and making minor repairs are a good start. And with
a full audit in place, the future of Foundry manufacturing is only
getting brighter.
"We are undertaking simple things first. We
are changing out some old fixtures and light bulbs and changing
procedures, simple things like making sure things are turned on or off,"
says Hebert. "There are larger repairs that need to be done and we are
in the process of making those repairs now."
Source: Sharrel Hebert, Ashland Foundry and Machine WorksWriter: John Steele