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Polymer Group, Inc. has been recognized for eliminating chemicals in its cooling process at the Mooresville, North Carolina plant with a 2010 Regional Advanced Manufacturing Award in the Green Process category.

The award from the Centralina Economic Development Commission recognizes the PGI plant for reducing its impact to the waste stream and creating a safer environment through the green initiative that is being replicated at its other manufacturing sites.

In response to concerns about the water supply during droughts and the environmental impact on waste water going into the Mooresville waste water system, PGI developed a new way to treat the cooling towers without chemicals. Jeff Ward, Reliability Engineer and Green Project Leader, led the initiative with a team of 20 PGI employees.

“At PGI, we recognize the world’s increasing challenge to meet growing global demand for water, food and energy,” said John Heironimus, Chief Sustainability Officer. “This project is just one example of how we continue to raise the sustainability bar for ourselves and our industry. We are honored to receive this award and I am proud of our PGI employees who are fully engaged and working together to meet our sustainability goals.”

The Green Process award recognizes projects that have demonstrated outstanding environmental stewardship in an advanced manufacturing environment. PGI was judged on the environmental impact, business impact and employee involvement, scope of project, sustainability and originality.

Established through the Minds that Manufacture Initiative, the Advanced Manufacturing Awards support and highlight advanced manufacturing in the region and are aimed at creating a hot spot with bright minds, new ideas, innovative talent and resources to allow advanced manufacturing companies to compete and thrive.

The award is the latest to be awarded to PGI for its sustainability initiatives. The company was featured as one of America’s “greenest” companies on “Green Magazine Television Earth Day Special.” PGI also has been recognized as a world leader in sustainability reporting by stakeholders voting in the 2010 Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Readers’ Choice Awards.

Accomplishments by PGI in 2009 include reducing its carbon footprint, water consumption, raw material intensity and solid waste; increasing use of recycled materials; and improving its lost-time injury rates and employee engagement. PGI’s sustainability report can be viewed on the corporate Web site.