Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Mohawk Industries now ranks among the top 15 Southeastern companies for sustainable practices

Media release: Mohawk Industries continues its rise to the top of the Southeastern Corporate Sustainability Rankings. The flooring giant now ranks among the top 15 Southeastern companies for sustainable practices and moved up two spots from 2011 to rank No. 3 among Georgia-based companies. For the second straight year in the rankings, Mohawk leads the flooring industry in sustainability.

"This ranking is a true testament to the hard work and determination of each one of our associates," said Bill Kilbride, chief sustainability officer for Mohawk. "We have outlined very aggressive corporate sustainability goals, and the entire Mohawk team remains steadfast in their commitment to help us achieve them. I am incredibly proud of their efforts and delighted that the 2012 Southeastern Corporate Sustainability Rankings reflect our yearly progress in becoming a more sustainable company."

The 2012 Southeastern Corporate Sustainability Rankings were revealed during a ceremony at Atlanta's Carter Center this morning. In addition to Mohawk, other companies recognized for an exceptional sustainable performance included powerhouse brands UPS and Coca-Cola, ranking first and second respectively.

The Southeastern Corporate Sustainability Rankings evaluate companies on a variety of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors, and it is the only ranking of companies headquartered in the Southeast on these issues. Founded by GreenBusiness Works and Mark Callaway Investments, the annual rankings are designed to help Southeastern companies maintain and improve their sustainability practices, while establishing a legacy of corporate and social responsibility in the region. Companies must be publically traded on a major global exchange, have a minimum market capitalization of $100 million USD as of June 30, 2010, and have produced a publicly available corporate sustainability report to be in consideration.

"Mohawk had a very impressive year as a sustainability leader," remarked Stephanie Armistead, co-founder of the Southeastern Corporate Sustainability Rankings. "Mohawk is an example of the results a company can expect when they commit the level of innovation and resources Mohawk has to advancing sustainability. Their leadership is due to many factors and their advancement in the rankings this year was evident across all categories of performance. "

Michael Muyot, president of CRD Analytics, the firm behind the methodology and algorithms that power the Southeastern Rankings also noted that Mohawk's sustainable progress permeates every aspect of the company business.  

"Key advancements are evident from suppliers and materials to manufacturing and production and through distribution and end product usage & recycling," said Muyot. "Having the CSO, Bill Kilbride, serve as chair of their Sustainability Council which includes the President of Mohawk, directors across three business segments, with quarterly reporting to their Board of Directors is another clear leadership indicator in sustainability. We encourage Mohawk to keep pushing the boundaries of sustainability and clearing the path for others to follow."

Mohawk employs a three-pronged sustainability strategy, which focuses on the company's processes, products and people. Each year, Mohawk diverts up to three billion pounds of waste material from landfills. More than 500 Mohawk products contain some type of recycled material, including the EverStrand family of carpets, which feature fiber made from recycled plastic beverage bottles. Mohawk also continues to aggressively pursue a 25 percent intensity reduction in energy consumption, greenhouse gases, water use and landfill waste by the year 2020.

To learn more about Mohawk's sustainability initiatives and download a copy of the company's 2010 corporate sustainability report, visit www.MohawkSustainability.com.

No comments: