South Carolina business Recognized for Improving Fuel Economy, Reducing Greenhouse Gases

Michelin North America, Inc., based in Greenville, SC, was among 34 businesses honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at a ceremony this week during the annual conference of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals in Philadelphia. The 2007 SmartWay Excellence award winners were recognized for environmental leadership in reducing fuel consumption and lowering greenhouse-gas emissions from big trucks.

Michelin is part of EPA’s SmartWay® Transport Partnership, an innovative collaboration between EPA and the freight industry to increase energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution.

Shipper partner Michelin North America, Inc., has been a high-profile public promoter for SmartWay. Over a quarter of Michelin’s freight carriers are now SmartWay partners, largely due to Michelin’s promotion of the program. Michelin also markets the Partnership to customers in print advertisements, on its website, and in a variety of other company literature. The company continues to explore ways to help fleets improve their environmental performance through use of more fuel efficient tires.

EPA launched SmartWay in 2004 to address the environmental and economic challenges surrounding growth in the freight industry. Through the program, EPA is now working with more than 600 businesses to improve both their bottom line and the environment by offering technical assistance, tools for evaluating opportunities to lower fuel use and emissions, and help in locating financing for the purchase of fuel-saving equipment and technology.

Because of three-year commitments to upgrade their trucks with auxiliary power units, energy efficient tires, enhanced trailer aerodynamics, and other improvements, SmartWay partners are saving 600 million gallons of diesel fuel -- a cost benefit of almost $2 billion -- and eliminating nearly seven million metric tons of carbon-dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming.