GREEN BAY, WIS. - KI is one of a select group of companies to earn the designation of “Green Master,” the highest tier in the Green Masters Program established by the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council. The special designation recognizes KI’s dedication to integrating principles of sustainability into its operations while pursuing business excellence. As a Green Master, KI has performed actions in each of the nine sustainability areas—Energy, Climate, Water, Waste Management, Transportation, Supply Chain, Workforce, Governance, and Community and Educational Outreach—and has scored in the top twenty percent of all participating companies.

“KI has exemplified leadership in the sustainable business realm,” says Tom Eggert, Executive Director of the WI Sustainable Business Council. “There is great potential to make the contract furniture industry more sustainable and we hope others follow in the footsteps of KI.”

“KI is honored to earn Green Master status under the Green Masters Program,” said Norman Nance, vice president, environmental initiatives, KI. “Our commitment to sustainability and sustainable manufacturing practices and procedures are important to our customers, who emphasize good stewardship of the environment and want to do business with companies that share this commitment.”

At KI, sustainability isn’t just about “going green.” It’s a fundamental way of doing business—one that conserves natural resources and reduces waste, consumption and operating costs. While sustainable practices have always been a part of KI’s heritage, it has sharpened its environmental focus over the past 20 years and set more aggressive goals for the corporation.

Today, KI has clear sustainability objectives and metrics in place to ensure that it “walks the talk.” More specifically, KI has challenged each of its manufacturing facilities to reduce consumption of energy, water, chemicals and CO2 emissions. Additionally, KI has implemented a Design for the Environment (DfE) program that sets guidelines for the engineering and manufacturing of more environmentally friendly products. KI also experiences significant decreases in landfill materials due to its development of alternative recycling streams for items not typically recyclable, such as waste powder and textile scraps.

Last year, KI completed one of the largest energy projects in northeast Wisconsin, installing a 115 KW roof mounted solar panel system on its Design Center located in Green Bay, WI. Over the course of one year, the solar panel system produced electricity to the equivalent of powering over 530 homes for seven days and planting 2,300 trees, saving an estimated $15,600 in energy costs.

Underlying these efforts is an ongoing awareness program that seeks to educate and inform employees and the community on important sustainability practices for the home and office environments. It’s all part of KI’s “Green Behind the Red” initiative. Learn more at www.ki.com/green.

Applicants to the Green Masters Program are judged on a comprehensive range of sustainability issues, from energy to water use to educational outreach and governance. More than 125 Wisconsin businesses are participating in the program where the top twenty percent achieve the highest “Green Master” designation. For more information, or a complete list of Green Masters Program participants, go to: http://www.greenmastersprogram.com.

KI manufactures innovative furniture and wall system solutions for education, healthcare, government and corporate markets. The employee-owned company is headquartered in Green Bay, Wis. and operates sales offices and manufacturing facilities in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia. KI tailors products and service solutions to the specific needs of each customer through its unique design and manufacturing philosophy. For more information, visit www.ki.com.