Energy saving ways earn honors for biogums site

Effective sustainability practices earned CP Kelco a moment in the spotlight at a high-profile awards breakfast in San Diego, California. Named one of the city’s 2017 Energy Champion Award winners, CP Kelco plant employees got the chance to tell an engaging story in a two-and-a-half-minute video seen by the Mayor and more than 500 guests. Sponsored by San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), the May 17 event honored eight local companies across various categories.

SDG&E produced a video featuring employees of the winning businesses describing their best practices.

Operations Manager Sharath Golla anchored the presentation for CP Kelco. In his opening and closing segments, Golla described the company’s long history in southern California, the products made at the biogums manufacturing plant and its demonstrated commitment to sustainability.

Three colleagues delivered other key elements of the CP Kelco story.

Senior Process Engineer Rob Swenson noted how CP Kelco used recycling and other reduction efforts to save over 8 million gallons (30 million liters) of water in 2016—a significant achievement during the severe multi-year drought recently experienced in the state.

Engineering Manager Bill Dow explained how recent investments in energy-saving equipment and employee input from manufacturing excellence events had cut energy use at the plant by almost 20%.

Human Resources Manager Maria Zamora focused on CP Kelco’s stellar record of community involvement, highlighting its efforts to support science education, community health and other needs in the nearby Barrio Logan neighborhood.

The Energy Champion Award is the just the latest honor garnered in recent months by the site. In 2016, the Industrial Environmental Association presented its Environmental Excellence Award to the San Diego plant. The award recognized CP Kelco’s work to reduce its rate of water use at the site, saving more than 10 million gallons in the first half of 2016 alone, as well as ongoing efforts to encourage best practices among industrial water users in the state.

“We do have a great Triple Bottom Line story to tell in San Diego—how our continuing focus on People, Planet & Profit benefits both the business and the community over the long term,” Golla says. “Thanks to this award, even more people across the area will learn about the impact of our efforts.”

Click here to view the SDG&E Energy Champion Award video featuring CP Kelco.