558 N. Main St., Prineville, OR 97754 | (541) 447-6205
Contact Industries President and CEO Frank Pearson is given the Governor’s Award for in the category of Energy Efficiency Improvement by first lady of Oregon, Cylvia Hayes earlier this month.
When Contact Industries in Prineville began building bag houses to increase dust-removal efficiency, they did so to cut energy consumption and cost.
As it turns out, their efforts have earned them an award as well.
Earlier this month, at the Northwest Industrial Energy Efficiency Summit, the local company won the Governor’s Award, the highest honor given for energy performance improvement. The award recognizes companies achieving the greatest reduction in energy intensity over a 12-month period.
Contact found much of their energy savings by replacing their cyclone air cleaners with more efficient bag houses. They began the project in 2004, and in late 2010, they completed their third.
“This program has enabled our company Contact to reduce our energy costs, promote our community toward sustainable energy savings, encourage our employees to keep looking for innovative ideas and adds to the overall long-term goals of ownership, which helps us remain competitive in business,” said Frank Pearson, President and CEO of Contact Industries.
The bag houses resemble a large, metal holding tank that tapers down like a funnel to an open chute. The machines suction sawdust and small wood debris form plant buildings and cyclones the dust through the chute into a catcher.
“With the new system, they use less horsepower to turn the fans,” said Keith Eager, human resources of the local Contact facility. “The warm air that is sucked away from the machine centers can be re-deposited back into the work area, which means there is less natural gas used to heat the work area.”
Eager went on to say that Contact has worked very closely with Energy Trust of Oregon, reporting on the energy savings they have gained from their efforts. As a result, they earned the nomination that led to their award.
Although the bag houses grab the most attention, Contact has employed other strategies to cut down on energy use.
“We have instituted a program of turning off the lights when nobody is there,” Eager explained, “making sure the machines are shut off at night. We even involve our security staff to monitor for things that are left on . . . We also check for doors — are the doors closing properly.”
For Kim Crossman, industrial sector lead for Energy Trust of Oregon, the diligence and savings are a remarkable feat.
“It speaks volumes about the foresight and vision of their leadership to make real investments to reduce energy costs and keep their company looking ahead and continuously improving their operation,” she said.
While Eager could not furnish the specific dollar amount their efforts have saved, Bob Horton, Contact’s vice-president of manufacturing, said during an October 2010 interview that the third bag house required a $500,000 investment to build. He expected to earn that money back within three years.
Going forward, Contact intends to keep looking for ways to save.
“We involved every employee and asked them to contribute ideas about how to reduce our energy cost,” Eager said.
Meanwhile, Contact still plans to add two more bag houses at some point in the future.
“As the economy allows, we will continue to complete the total project,” he said.
