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February 18, 2009 -
Sealy’s asset management
firm, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts &
Co. (KKR), a leading global
asset firm, has partnered with
Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)
on the Green Portfolio Project,
a first-of-its-kind initiative
which recently revealed
environmental management can
help drive business success even
in today’s challenging economic
climate. Sealy is one of three
pilot companies that together
has already saved approximately
$16.4 million in operating costs
and prevented more than 25,000
metric tons of greenhouse gas
emissions, 3,000 tons of paper
use and 650 tons of solid waste
by implementing the tools
developed through the
partnership in 2008.
“As North America’s No. 1
bedding manufacturer, its
imperative we take a strong
leadership position in
protecting and sustaining the
environment,” said Larry Rogers,
Sealy president and CEO. “In
light of the difficult
environment for the mattress
industry, we continue to make
progress in the areas of our
business we can control and the
Green Portfolio Project further
demonstrates Sealy’s commitment
to cost efficiency, as well as
being environmentally
responsible.”
The Green Portfolio Project
began in May 2008, building on
successful environmental
initiatives already underway.
The project brings together
KKR’s private equity model of
building strong companies for
the long term and rigorous
metrics for performance
improvement with EDF’s
environmental expertise.
Together, the companies
developed a set of analytic
tools and processes to establish
goals and measure improvements
in companies’ key environmental
performance areas including
greenhouse Page 2 of 4 2/19/2009
gas emissions, waste, water,
forest resources and priority
chemicals.
Sealy currently is reducing
waste in product manufacturing
and decreasing greenhouse gas
emissions from product
transportation. In 2008, Sealy
developed baselines for solid
waste management and greenhouse
gas emissions and reduced its
impacts in these areas by
recycling raw materials used for
producing bedding and improving
driver policies and truck
technologies to reduce waste and
decrease greenhouse gas
emissions.
The process helped Sealy to
cost-effectively improve
efficiency and reduce waste
while addressing the
environmental impacts of
business, saving $1.2 million in
fuel costs and avoiding more
than 3,000 metric tons of CO2
emissions (equivalent to over
600 cars) by improving the
efficiency of its fleet by
almost 9% (gallons/stop). In
addition, Sealy saved over $4
million in material costs and
avoided 650 tons of solid waste
(equivalent to over 46 garbage
trucks) by reducing scrap per
bed by 16% in 2008.
This year, Sealy plans to
further reduce greenhouse gas
emissions from energy and fuel
use by improving delivery
routing, installing speed
governors, reducing idling time
and incentivizing drivers to
improve fuel economy. The
company also plans to continue
reducing the amount of solid
waste produced by improving
material recycling rates and
manufacturing processes.
About Sealy Corporation
Sealy is the largest bedding
manufacturer in the world with
sales of $1.7 billion in 2007.
The Company manufactures and
markets a broad range of
mattresses and foundations under
the Sealy®, Sealy Posturepedic®,
Stearns & Foster®, and Bassett®
brands. Sealy operates 26 plants
in North America, and has the
largest market share and highest
consumer awareness of any
bedding brand on the continent.
In the United States, Sealy
sells its products to 2,900
customers with more than 7,000
retail outlets. Sealy is also a
leading supplier to the
hospitality industry.
For more information,
please visit
www.sealy.com. |
