Grede Celebrates ENERGY STAR Day and Our Energy Conservation Culture To Build a Sustainable Future

Today isn’t just any day— it’s ENERGY STAR Day. It’s a day dedicated to celebrating energy efficiency and inspiring individuals, businesses, and organizations to take meaningful steps toward reducing energy consumption and building a more sustainable future. We’re inviting you to join us in this important celebration.

As a 2024 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year, Grede continues to lower energy consumption and contribute to a greener future. Grede is celebrating ENERGY STAR Day with our video below, reflecting on our achievements and encouraging others to save energy to cast a brighter future.

At Grede, we prioritize energy efficiency and sustainability and actively contribute to our planet’s future. Our partnership with ENERGY STAR has enabled us to make significant strides in reducing energy consumption and optimizing energy usage in our facilities, setting a benchmark for our industry.

These efforts have not only cut costs but also contributed to our broader sustainability goals. We aim to lead our industry by example, showing that energy efficiency and sustainability are compatible and essential to modern business success.

Sustainability Stewardship is part of Grede’s strategic framework and aligns with our Operational Transformation strategic imperative. Together with ENERGY STAR, we empower every employee and are building an energy conservation culture for a sustainable future.

Collaborating with Suppliers – Grede’s First-Ever ENERGY STAR Sustainability Summit

Foundries are an energy-intensive operation. We’re constantly focusing on reducing energy consumption and are even encouraging our supply chain to do the same. In August, we hosted our first Grede ENERGY STAR Sustainability Summit, a collaboration with our suppliers to exchange ideas, coordinate strategies, and share resources at our Iron Mountain, Michigan, facility.

Seventeen suppliers attended the summit to collaborate on sustainability, discuss our energy conservation efforts, and encourage them to become ENERGY STAR partners. We hope it’ll be contagious. The success of this summit, with its inspiring discussions and shared commitment, is a testament to our collective dedication to a more sustainable future.

The summit was a full day of collaboration, roundtables, presentations, and a tour of the Grede Iron Mountain facility – a pioneer in automation that has translated to significant energy savings. This foundry was one of the first to implement 3D-printed sand cores that have reduced energy consumption by replacing traditional tooling. During the tour, Grede Iron Mountain shared its automation efforts, including three 3D printers, robotic grinding cells, real-time monitoring of equipment through smart manufacturing and IoT, and water recirculation.

During the summit, we invited these suppliers to be part of our new Grede Synergy Council, designed to facilitate open dialogue and share best practices, leading to stronger partnerships and better alignment on ESG goals across Grede’s supply chain to create a more sustainable future. Our first Grede Synergy Council meeting will take place later in October.

We’re developing long-term strategies with suppliers to ensure our sustainability efforts are effective, measurable, and aligned with global environmental goals. The summit reflects our dedication—within Grede and across the entire industry—to continually advance sustainability efforts and explore new ways to reduce our environmental footprint.

Finding Hidden Gems – Energy Treasure Hunts and Tune-Ups

At Grede, our dedication to energy conservation shines brighter each year. We held several internal ENERGY STAR Treasure Hunts this year and invested in a third-party company, Cascade Energy, to hold an Energy Tune-Up. During these treasure hunts and tune-ups, we took a deep dive to focus on finding energy-saving opportunities throughout each foundry.

Investing in Cascade Energy’s Tune-Up in Reedsburg, WI

This year, we’ve taken our commitment a step further by partnering with Cascade Energy once again. Their expertise has been invaluable in our quest to optimize energy use, and their visit in August to our flagship foundry in Reedsburg, Wisconsin, has illuminated new ways to enhance efficiency.

We identified the following equipment as our highest energy consumers: compressed air, Cupola operation, dust collection, and makeup air systems. With Cascade’s guidance, we identified impactful actions that promise significant kilowatt-hour savings, allowing us to forge ahead and reduce our energy footprint.

Reflecting on last year’s Cascade Energy Tune-up at our New Castle, Indiana foundry, we’re proud to say that the energy reductions achieved there were monumental. It’s a testament to what we can accomplish with the right partnerships and a shared vision for a cleaner world.

Thanks to Brennan Investment Group and Arch Street Capital for supporting these initiatives. Their financial and strategic support has been instrumental in our efforts to reduce energy consumption and build a more sustainable future.

Internal ENERGY STAR Treasure Hunts

Energy costs account for 8-12% of operating costs. During our internal ENERGY STAR Treasure Hunts, we perform audits of our plants to find opportunities for improvement to conserve energy. By the end of the year, we’ll have held a treasure hunt or tune-up at each of our ten plants.

During these audits, we identify four types of savings: quick wins, hidden gems, strategic projects, and projects to save for later. We hone in on the hidden gems and quick wins – they yield the highest results in energy savings. Several of these projects have focused on reducing energy in compressed air, dust collection, and electricity. These treasure hunts have been monumental to molding a future that values sustainability at its core.

A Sustainable Future Starts Now – Everyone Can Save Energy

It’s important to remember that energy efficiency isn’t just for businesses like Grede—it’s something we can all embrace. Everyone can contribute to energy savings.

Whether at home or work, using energy-efficient products such as LED light bulbs, smart thermostats, and energy-efficient appliances is a simple yet powerful way to reduce energy bills, make your spaces more comfortable, and minimize environmental impact. Every action, big or small, helps contribute to a more sustainable future for our planet.

Not only is today ENERGY STAR Day, but October is also Energy Awareness Month. Now is a great time to consider how you can reduce energy in your lifestyle. For ideas on how to save energy, visit www.energystar.gov. For more details about Grede’s ENERGY STAR partnership, visit www.grede.com/energy-star.

As we celebrate ENERGY STAR Day, let’s take the opportunity to reflect on the small but powerful actions we can all take. Whether you’re a homeowner, a business leader, or part of a community organization, you have the power to make a difference, ensure a more sustainable future for everyone, and be part of the Clean Energy Future.