Hexion is a member of the American Chemistry Council (ACC). As a member of the ACC, Hexion is committed to the principles outlined under the ACC's ® program. As a global company with worldwide operations Hexion is also committed to the International Council of Chemicals Association (ICCA) Global Responsible Care core principles as outlined in the Responsible Care Global Charter.
Two projects and 14 facilities at Hexion Inc. were named Responsible Care® award winners by the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and honored for excellence in energy efficiency and overall safety performance. The announcement was made at the 2023 Responsible Care and Sustainability Conference and Expo, which was sponsored by the ACC.
“We are pleased to continue our multi-year track record of being named an ACC Responsible Care® award recipient,” said Michael Lefenfeld, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our manufacturing teams, particularly our dedicated site leaders, are committed to operating our sites safely and striving to achieve our strategic sustainability initiatives. Together, we are striving to consistently improve our operations and performance.”
“ACC’s recognition of our efforts to continuously improve energy efficiency aligns with our broader sustainability initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2030,” said Stephanie Couhig, Senior Vice President, Environmental Health & Safety and Chief Sustainability Officer. “Many aspects of these decarbonization and energy efficiency projects recognized this year by the ACC are also potentially applicable throughout our global footprint over time.”
The following Hexion manufacturing facilities were recognized:
• Alexandria, La. – This facility was recognized in the Energy Efficiency category as the site significantly reduced the electricity consumed by its continuously operating production units by strategically revamping its cooling processes and making strategic investments in its infrastructure. This included installing variable frequency drives and automated controls logic on the cooling pumps to improve its cooling tower electrical efficiency. Once installed, the site investment achieved a 30 percent reduction in electrical consumption by the cooling tower and a 5 percent decrease in overall electrical use by the facility.
• Springfield, Ore. – This manufacturing site was also recognized in the Energy Efficiency Category and received the “Exceptional Merit” designation. Through strategic automation investments associated with a distillation process, the Springfield site significantly improved its energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions and reduced steam use by 11 percent.
• Multiple locations: – 14 Hexion facilities were recognized for their achievements in employee health and safety, including 12 plants receiving Certificates of Excellence for meeting the most stringent safety criteria. These sites are Alexandria, La.; Baytown, Texas; Columbus, Ga.; Geismar, La.; Fayetteville, N.C.; Hope, Ark.; Missoula, Mont.; Moreau, NY; Morganton, N.C.; Luling, La.; La Grande, Ore.; and Sheboygan, Wis. In addition, Hexion’s Springfield, Ore. and Diboll, Texas sites received an ACC Honor Award for Safety.
Hexion was also named a finalist for the “Responsible Care Initiative of the Year” award for its comprehensive safety program, which is designed to encourage associates to identify any potential safety or process improvements.
The ACC distinction follows several notable awards that highlighted the Company’s recent efforts towards advancing its sustainability initiatives. In March 2023, the Company announced it was selected for the ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Award for Sustained Excellence in Energy Management by the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program. The Sustained Excellence award is the highest honor bestowed by the ENERGY STAR program. This was the third consecutive year that Hexion was named an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year, and the first time that the company has been recognized with the Sustained Excellence designation. In addition, in July 2022, the Company announced that EcoVadis awarded Hexion Bronze-medal status for its sustainability results.
Responsible Care helps ACC member and partner companies significantly enhance and improve the health and safety performance of their associates and the communities in which they operate. Facilities within Hexion’s global manufacturing network have achieved additional certifications, including ISO 9001 (Quality Management System), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System) and ISO 45001 (Health and Safety Management System).