C.A. Lawton renews Green Tier 2 Status
The C.A. Lawton Co. in De Pere, WI was the first foundry in Wisconsin to earn the DNR's Green Tier 2 status.
And now, C.A. Lawton is continuing that superior environmental performance by renewing our Tier 2 participation.
What is the Green Tier 2 Program?
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources started the Green Tier program as a way to let businesses in the state improve their environmental stewardship and sustainability efforts.
The Green Tier 2 program bumps that challenge up a bit, requiring participating businesses to meet rigorous eligibility requirements that are negotiated into the participation contract.
These more rigorous requirements emphasize superior environmental performance.
The Green Tier program is a collaborative approach that reduces regulatory burden and incentivizes organizations to go above and beyond the basic environmental requirements in Wisconsin.
The program includes guiding organizations on how to reduce pollution, restore and protect the environment, protect waterways and reduce waste.
You can read more about the program on the Wisconsin DNR's website.
C.A. Lawton's Journey to Green Tier 2 Status
C.A. Lawton began its journey with Green Tier back in 2013 as part of the company's "Beyond Compliance" inititative.
Since that time, the company has embarked on a series of sustainability efforts and worked hard to reduce the corporate impact on the environment.
The philosophy behind the Green Tier program has guided Lawton to make better choices. That includes diverting waste streams from the landfill, raising environmental awareness through employee training and encouraging employee participation in programs like "Adopt-a-Highway" and e-recycling.
The foundry is already a fantastic example of reusing and recycling materials, as much of the iron and sand we use in the process is reused or recycled, limiting our waste output.
Under the program, Lawton demonstrated our commitment to sustainability by doing various projects, including independent energy assessments, upgrading a compressed air system and installing new, more efficient light fixtures.
Commitment to Quality Management Systems
Green Tier 2 status is just one of the ways Lawton is showing its commitment to the environment and to continuous improvement.
C.A. Lawton in De Pere is ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certified.
This shows the company's commitment to quality management systems, quality environmental management systems and quality occupational health and safety management systems.
The ISO 14001 certification provides the framework for organizations to design and implement an Environmental Management System (EMS).
This helps companies towards their goals of minimizing their environmental footprint, complying with relevant legal requirements and standards and achieving their environmental objectives.
C.A. Lawton is also proud to be a member of the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council. We earned the council's Green Masters Program certificate in 2022.
Lawton Recognized for Green Tier 2 Success
The Wisconsin DNR has used C.A. Lawton as a shining example of how a foundry can be stewards of the environment.
Along with accolades from the DNR, Lawton was also recently featured in Modern Casting magazine, produced by the American Foundry Society.
The article talked about C.A. Lawton continuing it's Green Tier 2 contract from 2021 with the DNR.
CEO Alex Lawton told Modern Casting "This renewal underscores Lawton's commitment to our community and the environment, and we eagerly anticipate continuing our partnership in the years to come."
The article also talked about Lawton's future goals under the program, which include establishing science-based targets, improving data collection and maintaining the interested parties group.
You can read the full Modern Casting article here.