MANITOWOC – A new report shows Manitowoc-based Orion Energy Systems is helping more customers produce less environmental waste with its energy-efficient lighting systems.
The company recently released its Environmental, Social and Governance Report, which estimates Orion helped customers eliminate the production of 177,161 tons of carbon dioxide in fiscal year 2023 — the equivalent of the environmental impact of planting about 71,175 trees — through reduced electricity consumption through its LED lighting systems.
The report also highlights Orion’s own environmental commitment, including the production of more than 10% of the energy for its local facility through site-produced renewable wind and solar sources.
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In addition to the environmental impact, the ESG report also reviews the company’s commitment to charitable and humanitarian work, including its promotion of community involvement and volunteering by funding one paid volunteer day per employee each year.
Orion said it also promotes a work-life balance policy, offers tuition reimbursement and embraces a “safety first” workplace culture that has resulted in more than six years without a lost time accident in its manufacturing plant.
Orion also significantly reduced minor first aid, near-miss and other recordable incidents in FY 2023, it said.
The report also highlights Orion’s corporate governance principles and the company’s commitment to best practices and diversity throughout the company, including in management positions and on the Board of Directors.
Orion said it seeks to meet or exceed NASDAQ goals and to have a workforce that exceeds the diversity of its community. Reflecting this focus, 66% of Orion’s directors are independent and 40% of Orion’s outside directors are women.
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These reports are rarely seen in small companies such as Orion, which has headquarters in Manitowoc at 2210 Woodland Drive and employs around 300 workers.
“ESG and sustainability are in Orion’s DNA," said Mike Jenkins, Orion’s CEO, in a news release. "Our industry-leading, energy-efficient LED lights dramatically reduce our customers’ energy consumption and carbon footprint. Expanding our reach in cleantech, we entered the rapidly growing electric vehicle charging solutions market in FY 2023 with the acquisition of Voltrek. We look forward to helping our customers implement EV charging infrastructure to support their environmental and business goals, while we work to progress our firm-wide commitment to ESG initiatives.”