Calhoun, Ga. — Mohawk Industries’ commitment to sustainability once again has been recognized by Newsweek in the magazine’s fifth ranking of the 500 “greenest” U.S. companies.
The Newsweek rankings use key indicators to measure environmental performance of large publicly traded companies that are delivering solid business results while minimizing their environmental impact. The rankings focus heavily on how efficiently businesses manage resources, which is a critical component of corporate sustainability.
Mohawk ranked 314th in “Green Rankings 2012,” the last year the magazine compiled the list. The company’s 2014 ranking is its highest since 2010. Newsweek and its new methodology partner, Corporate Knights Capital, revised the metrics used to calculate the 2014 rankings, making comparisons between manufacturing companies like Mohawk more equitable with financial services, technology and other sectors.
“Our company continues to grow, and we’re making good choices to manage our energy and water consumption and repurpose our waste stream,” said Dave Patton, chief sustainability officer. “Our investments in sustainability are making us a more efficient and productive operation and delivering value-added products for our customers.”
Mohawk Industries has long been recognized as a leader in sustainability with many awards from leading industry publications as well as business partners, government agencies and trade groups. Mohawk has aggressively promoted a “no waste culture,” with 17 North American facilities currently sending no process waste to landfills. The company plans to increase that number to 28 by the end of 2014.
The company also has established aggressive goals for reduced waste and lower water, energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity. Progress is being made at both the site and enterprise levels. Six of the company’s 10 North American ceramic tile manufacturing facilities currently recycle 100% of their process waste water. Across the business, Mohawk has reduced energy and GHG intensities by targeting reductions, improving efficiencies and utilizing cleaner fuels.
Mohawk’s annual sustainability report illustrates the company’s progress toward these and other goals and highlights many examples of its current practices. The report is available online at
www.mohawksustainability.com. The content of the report includes much of the same information used by the Newsweek team to compile their rankings.
This year, eight metrics were applied to collectively provide a transparent measurement of overall corporate environmental performance:
Energy Productivity, GHG Productivity, Water Productivity, Waste Productivity, Reputation, Sustainability Pay Link, Sustainability Board Committee, Audited Environmental Metrics
“Mohawk’s improvement in Newsweek’s ‘green’ rankings reflects the ongoing expansion of sustainable practices across our enterprise,” said Jenny Cross, vice president of corporate sustainability. “We are constantly implementing innovative ideas to reduce water and energy consumption and minimize our waste stream. We’re proud of our culture of sustainability.”