Success Stories – Georgia – North Florida IAC

Southern Tea

Tea Company Goes “Green”

The top three solutions proposed by the GaMEP in the IAC report were to:

- Repair air links found in their compressed air system
- Reduce the compressed air set point pressure
- Install variable frequency drive (VFD) controllers on their vacuum pumps

These recommendations have the potential to bring the company halfway to its carbon reduction goal, while also saving them $30,000 per year.

Creature Comforts

Craft Beer Company Brews Confidence and Cost Savings through Energy Assessment

By working with the GaMEP, Creature Comforts Brewing Co. has:

- Projected a savings of $20,000 in electrical costs over a 12-month period
- Become more efficient in pounds of carbon dioxide used per barrel of beer produced, decreasing from 19 pounds to 16 pounds.
- Collaborated with the University Of Georgia College Of Engineering Capstone Senior Design Program to work with students on designing and implementing a CHP power system by April 2022, which has the potential to produce cost savings of up to $40,000 per year.
- Improved overall employee confidence and knowledge in executing best practices and implementing technology to improve energy efficiency throughout their facility.

Roger Wood Foods

Increasing Productivity through a Positive Air Flow

By working with the GaMEP, Roger Wood Foods has:

- Reduced condensation which led to a decrease in downtime of 15 percent
- Installed numerous recirculation fans, leading to increased productivity, as team members were no longer having to change the plastic condensation sheets
- Implemented a road map that is applicable for the plant to use in the future
- Removed three exhaust fans saving energy and removing less conditioned air from the facility
- Increased their internal score regarding efficiencies with outside regulatory agencies by 38 percent

Nutritional Resources

Weight Loss Product Manufacturer Gains a Healthier Approach to Problem Solving

Since conducting the energy assessment, Nutritional Resources has:

- Added smart thermostats to their air conditioning units, saving $15,000 a year.
- Installed room monitoring sensors to their lighting, saving an average of $20,000 a year
- Implemented MDI with the GaMEP, which resulted in additional improvements including:
  - Improved communications, resulting in 100 percent of the operators on seven production lines on the same metrics and problem-solving methodologies
  - Decreased film loss from 10 percent to 2 percent
  - Improved production by 10 percent by implementing 6S into their workspace

Lee Container

Container Company Cuts Costs through Process and Energy Improvements

Since beginning work with GaMEP, Lee Container has:

- Invested over $16,000 in equipment upgrades, including conversion to LED lighting and improvements to HVAC systems
- Lowered the company’s energy costs by over $27,000 per year, which has already paid back the initial investment
- Used the data and information gathered to help them make decisions about future equipment expenditures, process improvement strategies, and energy management goals
- Implemented MDI with the GaMEP, which resulted in additional improvements including:
  - Improved communication, teamwork, and morale by implementing MDI
  - Reduced their changeover time by 38%, which will save the company approximately $68,000 per year

Chicken of the Sea

A Company with a “Can” Do Attitude

Since beginning their work with the GaMEP, Chicken of the Sea has:

- Projected approximately $600,000 per year in cost savings, due to greater efficiency in production
- Planned to invest in energy efficiency improvements within the next year, which could save the company over $400,000 each year
- Implemented Lean practices with the GaMEP, which resulted in additional improvements including:
  - Improved First Time Quality (FTQ) from 90.8% to 95%
  - Realized a 25% improvement in Operational Equipment Efficiency in the Label and Case department of the plant
  - Decreased changeover time by 55% in the Label and Case department, allowing them to process an additional 7,375 cases per month