Modern Materials Handling - April 2010

BIG PICTURE... WHERE MATERIALS HANDLINGFrom conveyors to pallets, industry leaders make thecase for how their products can make a difference tocompanies focused on the green supply chain.By Bob Trebilcock, Executive Editorow green are your materials handling systems?That may not be a question you’re currentlyasking your materials handling suppliersor one that your customers are asking you today.After all, most certification groups don’t yet factor inmaterials handling systems when they’re looking atthe impact of a distribution center or manufacturingplant on the environment.That, however, may soon change. Ninety-twopercent of the respondents to our annual IndustryOutlook Survey said they expect environmental sustainabilityto be very (48%) or somewhat (44%) importantin the next two years. It is already a priority inthe board rooms at Fortune 500 corporations and arequirement for doing business with state and federalgovernments.Most companies launch their sustainability initiativesin those areas of their business where they canhave the most impact, like fuel consumption for atransportation company. But just as lean initiativesstarted in the factory and migrated to the warehouseand the office, it’s only a matter of time before sustainabilityefforts filter down to the warehouse.“I think most of our clients already have sustainabilityon their radar,” says Paul Evanko, a seniorvice president for St. Onge (717-804-8181, www.stonge.com), a design and consulting company. “Itmay not be No. 1 on their list, but it’s become acorporate priority.”What’s more, Evanko adds, there are plenty of areasin a facility—from efficient storage and picking to cartoncubing to smart controls on equipment—wherematerials handling can enable a sustainable operationonce someone starts asking the question: Howgreen are your materials handling systems? (For thoseattending NA 2010 this month in Cleveland, Evankowill be one of the presenters on sustainability.)To get a snapshot of where the industry is today,Modern asked more than 20 suppliers of materials handlingproducts and systems how they are going greenin their manufacturing processes and products, andhow they can enable sustainable materials handling.ILLUSTRATION BY DAVE CUTLER26 A P R I L 2 0 1 0 / MODERN MATERIALS HANDLING mmh.com