Operations & Environment
Sustainability and environmental responsibility are a part of how we do business
While Apogee’s products and services help our customers achieve their green building and sustainable design goals, our commitment to sustainability extends to our own operations as well. Across our businesses we work hard to incorporate sustainable practices into all aspects of our operations. We maintain a relentless focus on eliminating waste and minimizing resource consumption. Our Lean Enterprise System is a central part of Apogee’s culture and is a key component of the way we do business.
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Apogee’s Lean Enterprise System
Apogee’s Lean Enterprise System is an on-going effort to improve products, services, and processes across our organization, along with a relentless focus on eliminating waste and minimizing resource consumption. Our efforts are customer focused and data driven, with the goal of improving efficiency and adding value for our customers.
Apogee formally kicked off our Lean manufacturing journey in fiscal year 2014. Over the following three years, all Apogee manufacturing locations implemented fundamental Lean competencies including 5S for workplace organization and safety, visual management, continuous improvement culture and change management.
These competencies provided the foundation for the next phase of the journey, which began in fiscal 2017. That year we began the next phase of our journey with the development of a 10-year Lean Enterprise Program. The roadmap includes 26 additional competencies and extended use of Lean tools and processes beyond the shop floor to all areas of the business.
While Apogee’s business units are at various stages of maturity on their Lean journey, we have built a culture of continuous improvement and rapid response to daily problems that improve quality, customer service, and cost, while reducing waste. To date, we have made tremendous progress on our journey but are never satisfied with our current state and continually strive to achieve higher levels of excellence.
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Environmentally Responsible Operations
We believe that protecting the environment and conserving resources are the right things to do. As a leader in our industry, we are committed to environmentally sustainable manufacturing practices.
Apogee’s Environmental Policy
It is Apogee’s policy to comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations and to conduct business in a manner which protects the environment, company employees, and the general public from environmental harm. It is also Apogee’s policy to establish and maintain appropriate plans, procedures, and programs to comply with applicable laws and regulations.
Examples of our commitment to environmentally responsible operations include:
Energy efficient lighting
- Most of our manufacturing facilities have switched to energy efficient LED lighting, which has improved lighting levels while significantly reducing energy consumption.
- For example, in 2018 our Wausau Window and Wall manufacturing facility upgraded 772 florescent lights to LED on it production floor, leading to a nearly 20% reduction in electricity costs.
- Similar lighting upgrades have recently been completed in other Apogee business units, including Linetec, Tru Vue, Viracon, Harmon and Sotawall.
Environmentally friendly paint operations
- Our EFCO and Linetec business units both employ the latest Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer technology which protects the environment by capturing and destroying the VOCs present in liquid solvent-based paints.
- We have voluntarily eliminated the use of paints containing lead, mercury, and cadium.
- We continually seek innovative ways to reduce paint consumption and waste. Our Linetec business unit has reduced paint usage and waste by more than 20% over the past five years and nearly 100% of paint-related waste is safely eliminated so it does not end up in landfills.
Recycling and waste reduction
- Apogee has recycling and waste reduction programs in place across our locations which divert hundreds of tons of materials from the waste stream each year.
- We recycle numerous types of materials, including: aluminum scrap, glass scrap, packaging, crating materials and cardboard, paper waste, solvent, and waste oil.
Reusable shipping containers
- Partnering with our customers, several of our business units utilize reusable bunks, containers and cradles for shipping raw and finished products.
- These containers can be used for many years and are designed to efficiently use the space within a truck or trailer, while eliminating the waste from disposable packaging material and wood pallets.
- In addition to reusable shipping containers, several of the business units reuse crating lumber and packaging materials in outbound shipments, effectively upcycling these products.
LEED Certified Facilities
While Apogee supports green building projects and sustainable design goals for our customers, we also operate our own LEED certified facilities.
Our Wausau Window and Wall Systems’ manufacturing center is LEED Silver Certified, incorporating numerous environmentally friendly design features and construction practices.
Apogee’s corporate office in Minneapolis was designed to be environmentally sustainable and achieved a LEED for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) Silver rating. Several Apogee products were incorporated into the building and office space. The building is enclosed with Viracon floor-to-ceiling energy efficient glass. Viracon silk-screened glass was used to enclose offices and conference rooms, while Tubelite's recycled aluminum metal systems, with eco-friendly finishes from Linetec, were used to frame conference rooms and doors. Additionally, Wausau light shelves are used to redirect sunlight into interior offices.
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Conflict Minerals
Apogee is committed to conducting our business with the highest ethical practices, and we are committed to complying with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rule requiring companies to disclose their use of gold, tin and other "conflict minerals" from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and adjoining countries.
Email conflictminerals@apog.com with questions or to report any concerns regarding the circumstances of mineral extraction, trade, handling and export in a conflict-affected and high-risk area.
Supplier Resources
An Introduction to Conflict Minerals – English
An Introduction to Conflict Minerals – Spanish
RMI Supplier Training Module 1-Introduction to Conflict Minerals Requirements
RMI Supplier Training Module 2-Supplier Surveys
RMI Supplier Training Module 3-Risk Assessment
RMI Supplier Training Module 4-Conflict Minerals Policy