EUCLID, Ohio, April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- H.C. Starck Inc., Fabricated Products site in Coldwater, Michigan receives the coveted "Sony Green Partner" certification, paving the way for H.C. Starck's materials to be used in components for products bearing the Sony name.

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Sony encourages suppliers, through the Green Partner program, to manufacture components with minimal environmental impact. Becoming a Green Partner means H.C. Starck is a "preferred supplier" to Sony and a qualified supplier to other companies who are seeking Green Partner sources for their products.

"We recognize Sony Green Partner program as one of the best established programs of its kind, effectively a 'gold standard' of the electronics industry. As a leading supplier to the industry, we treat sound environmental standards, robust supply chain, energy efficiency and recycling as foundational pieces of our strategy," says Dmitry Shashkov, President and CEO, H.C. Starck Inc.

As an energy conscious company, H.C. Starck looks for ways to advance its systems and processes to create environmentally safe material solutions. Harmonizing with this strategy, the Coldwater site established a Products Environmental Quality system to support the requirements of a Green Partner supplier.

To further achieve certification, H.C. Starck demonstrated its compliance with laws, regulations, and social standards that govern sound, financial operations; environmental conservation awareness; and the maintenance of quality standards throughout its fully-integrated supply chain, including reliable raw material sources.

By implementing Continuous Improvement techniques such as Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma in conjunction with a Sustainable Energy Management system, H.C. Starck has become a global leader in quality products and services manufactured from environmentally friendly materials.

"Our ability to utilize these continuous improvement techniques in the development of systems in all aspects of our business is clearly paying dividends. Most importantly our customers are directly benefiting from the results of these structured activities and have begun to recognize and acknowledge our accomplishments. In the end, it is all about striving to exceed our customers' expectations and growing stronger in our business relationship to our mutual benefit," says Mark Confroy, Chief Operating Officer, H.C. Starck Inc.

About H.C. Starck

The H.C. Starck Group is a leading global supplier of refractory metals, technical ceramics, and serves growing industries such as the electronics, chemicals, automotive, medical technology, aerospace, energy technology, and environmental technology industries, as well as mechanical engineering and tool manufacturers. H.C. Starck has manufacturing facilities located in Europe, America, and Asia, with close to 3,000 employees worldwide.

SOURCE H.C. Starck Inc.