The business case for efficiency starts with the bottom line

Jay OwenResource Efficiency

Like many large multinational companies, Weston Foods had big sustainability goals, but were struggling with how to make them happen. With more than 50 operations spread over the U.S., Canada and Costa Rica, and 5,000 employees in various manufacturing facilities, distribution centers and corporate environments, it was hard to know where to even begin.
Weston Foods had plenty of data, but it couldn’t comprehensively see and compare facilities and industrial processes to know where energy savings could be had. Company leaders recognized that inefficient energy usage impacted Weston Foods’ financial performance, but they couldn’t visualize how efficiency investments aligned with other core business goals.
“We needed to demonstrate how efficiency investments directly impact the company’s profitability and growth plans,” says Walter Kraus, the company’s Vice President, Environment & Corporate Sustainability. “We also had to make sure we were speaking our executives’ language, so clearly outlining the financials was important.”
Kraus and Weston Foods needed one more thing to meet their sustainability goals — and realize millions of dollars in savings across its industrial baking empire. They needed help.
That’s where Schneider Electric entered the picture. Schneider Electric brought in enterprise-level energy monitoring systems that finally gave Weston Foods the comprehensive view of facilities it had been lacking. Using that data, Weston Foods identified nearly 60 potential energy projects based on cost and payback.
Already, the company has reduced energy spend 16 percent with a plan to save $1.3 million annually. “Those potential savings are equal to the entire energy spend at some of our smaller bakeries, so you can get a sense of the impact this program will have as we expand it.”

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