Suppliers Partnership for the Environment

At the 2007 North American International Auto Show during an event sponsored by General Motors, Beth Lowery, Vice President, Environment and Energy, GM, on behalf of the Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP), recognized Goodwill Industries International for their innovative activities and commitment to creating pilot SP By-product Reduction Facilities in Michigan and Ohio. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson joined Ms. Lowery for the presentation to Goodwill Industries International.

“The Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP), is very pleased to recognize Goodwill Industries International for its efforts to create the SP By-product Reduction Facilities pilot program at three of their local Goodwill locations in Michigan and Ohio,” said Elizabeth A. Lowery, GM. “Suppliers Partnership is an organization aimed at reducing waste from the automobile supply chain, and this collaboration with Goodwill provides an excellent opportunity to help do that.”

SP’s Chair Randy Leslie, a Vice President and General Manager, Johnson Controls, Inc. added, “These pilot projects are good for the environment because the facilities are now processing solid waste that OEMs and their suppliers used to pay to send to landfills. This effort is an important part of our social responsibility to the communities where we operate because these facilities are hiring people from the community that might not be working otherwise. In addition, the activity is also good for the bottom-lines of SP member companies — both from the perspective of companies that are sending solid waste to the Goodwill facilities and for the companies that are purchasing the solid waste, which can be re-processed into valuable resources that can be made into new products that will be sold both in the automobile industry as well as other markets.”

George Kessinger, President and CEO of Goodwill International accepted the recognition award from SP saying, “On behalf of Goodwill International and the local Goodwill facilities that are making the concept of SP By-Product Reduction Facilities a reality, I thank SP for this recognition. Goodwill Industries has been very fortunate to be a member of the Suppliers Partnership. Goodwill is an important link between the automotive industry, environmental practices, and job opportunities. This partnership is a solid example of how Goodwill can be a resource for businesses in a local community and help promote job growth, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.”