Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) Presents General Motors, Gage Products Company and International Products Corporation with Sustainable Innovation Awards at Summit on Accelerating Innovation

WASHINGTON, July 11, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) presented its first annual membership awards at an evening reception on June 26 as part of the first Summit on Accelerating Innovation hosted at Oakland University's Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester, MI.  The awards recognized SP member companies for their outstanding achievements in three award categories: the Spirit of Suppliers Partnership; Demonstrating Environmental Innovation in the Manufacturing Process; and, Creativity in Implementing Sustainable Practices.

The first Spirit of Suppliers Partnership Award was presented to John Bradburn, Manager of Waste Reduction Efforts for General Motors Company, and Chair of SP's Materials Efficiency Work Group.  John was recognized for the outstanding impact he has made within SP and the broader community through the countless collaborative projects he has led with partners in the automotive supply chain to creatively reduce the industry's material footprint.  Recent highlights of John's collaborations with SP members have included converting 227 miles of oil boom into air deflectors for the Chevrolet Volt and helping to insulate sleeping bags for the homeless with leftover sound absorbing material.

International Products Corporation (IPC) received the SP Award for Demonstrating Environmental Innovation in the Manufacturing Process for its environmentally friendly P-80® Temporary Rubber Assembly Lubricants which provide a safe and easy way to improve assembly operations. IPC's P-80® products are water-based, non-toxic, non-flammable, and easy to dispose of. The P-80® lubricants help companies in the automotive and other industries globally to reduce part breakage or failure, prolong part life, reduce worker injuries and reduce their environmental impact.

The Creativity in Implementing Sustainable Practices Award was presented to Gage Products Company for its sustainable closed-loop solvent recycling program. The company has safely recycled and remanufactured over 100 million gallons of liquid organic materials at its facility since it began its sustainable remanufacturing program over 25 years ago.  This innovation program has been implemented at many automotive companies within the SP membership through a collaboration between Gage and personnel all through the supply chain, and in the last 12 months alone more than four million gallons of reclaimed materials have been reused in this program for automotive and other industrial customers.

"We are very pleased to recognize SP member companies General Motors Company, Gage Products Company and International Products Corporation for their remarkable leadership and innovative spirit in supporting SP's mission to advance environmental sustainability in the automotive supply chain" said SP's Chair, Randy Leslie, Group Vice President & General Manager, Johnson Controls, Inc., Automotive Experience.

The Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) is an innovative collaboration between automobile manufacturers, their suppliers, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  SP members work together to identify and implement creative projects and programs that will advance environmental sustainability while providing economic value to the automotive supply chain through strategic action and engagement.  Learn more at www.supplierspartnership.org/

CONTACT: Kellen Mahoney, Suppliers Partnership, (202) 530-0096:  [email protected]

SOURCE Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP)