IPG Named 2020 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence

IPG is pleased to be named an ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award winner for the 5th consecutive year! In 2019, IPG reduced its energy intensity by 3.7 percent over 2018. Here are some other key accomplishments from 2019:

Key 2019 Energy Management Accomplishments

✔ Sharing IPG's knowledge and experience on the importance of continuous energy improvement and the benefits of ENERGY STAR Treasure Hunts through three stories in local and trade publications. IPG participated in the inaugural ENERGY STAR Treasure Hunt Campaign.

✔ Supporting energy management in the community by conducting a Treasure Hunt for a local arts museum, where IPG engineers highlighted energy waste and advised on ways to reduce energy costs.

✔ Training engineers and aligning newly acquired manufacturing facilities in the IPG energy management system.

✔ Promoting energy awareness and ENERGY STAR tools in a regional energy management network and sharing best practices with other ENERGY STAR partners.

✔ Establishing long-term goals for energy intensity and carbon emissions reduction, increased use of renewable energy and additional environmental impacts.

Each year, EPA honors a group of businesses and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency achievements. Whether a first time Partner of the Year winner, or a Sustained Excellence winner, these small and large organizations from across the country are saving money, saving energy, and protecting the environment. Learn how the 2020 ENERGY STAR Award winners are helping millions of individuals, families, and businesses save energy and protect the environment. Get more information at energystar.gov. For a list of 2020 ENERGY STAR AWARD Winners, click here.

Get Rid of the Garbage!

As we reflect on 2017, we’ve all probably realized that although we may have accomplished a lot, we haven’t achieved all of our goals. Some missed opportunities can be attributed to common everyday garbage… and when I speak of garbage, I mean waste.

Lean Manufacturing

Understanding the waste in our manufacturing workplace can help us get rid of the garbage and make 2018 more successful. So, what are the types of waste we see every day in our business?

1. Defects. Product errors.
2. Over-production. Making too much or creating more services than our customers need.
3. Inventory. Material not in use by our CUSTOMERS is waste.
4. Over-processing. Too many extra steps in our processes.
5. Transportation. Waste of moving goods.
6. Motion. People moving around doesn’t add value. Period.
7. Waiting. Product sits waiting for something to happen to it. Waste.

We’ve learned of these seven types of waste from Toyota^® and many programs have evolved from our attempts to eliminate this “muda” (Japanese word meaning "futility; uselessness; wastefulness").  Eliminating these wastes, though, is the harder thing to do.

In 2018, let’s plan to “get rid of the garbage” by developing business practices and strategies that eliminate these wastes. Some simple things we can do include:

• Improve scheduling. Turn off the tap and not produce too much (or do too much)
• Link processes together.
• Invest in smaller more flexible equipment.
• Outsource product until volume manufacturing makes sense
• Redesign work stations so people don’t have to walk from one machine to another to another.

Utilize lean processes including 5S, Kanban, Muda walks and Poke Yoke to reduce the waste in your business. 2018 will be more productive and profitable if we start the year off right!


Jeff Coats
Director - Market Development
Intertape Polymer Group