Kate Bachman Editor Green Manufacturer

Making the good stuff even better, cleaner

In the course of publishing six manufacturing trade magazines, e-newsletters, and Web sites (www.thefabricator.com and www.greenmanufacturer.net), we at FMA Communications (FMAC) have learned that our most critical communication skill is listening.

"In terms of sustainable buildings and manufacturing practices, I recognize that there exists technological innovation out there that I would like to discover and access on behalf of my company. My frustration, however, begins with how to inform myself of the technology that would apply to industry, and how to conceive a viable business case for my own company."

Requests like this that we have received with increasing frequency have convinced us that the time is right to look at manufacturing through a green filter.

Welcome to the launch of our new and exciting endeavor, Green Manufacturer! This magazine, offered both in print and digital formats, provides the practical information you need to transition to ecosavvy manufacturing in your company.Green Manufacturer covers how to implement green manufacturing operations and facility improvements and use energy-efficient, ecofriendly equipment and products in a way that is cost-effective—and sometimes even cost-reductive. We'll showcase stories about manufacturers, small and large, with — successful approaches to sustainable manufacturing. We strive to deliver the best, most pragmatic sustainability resource just for manufacturers.

Each issue will include a special pullout section that highlights manufacturers supplying the renewable-energy industry with wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, advanced battery, and fuel cell technologies.

In the Green on the Hill column, we'll alert you as to what's going on in Washington that pertains to environmental issues affecting manufacturers. I'll weigh in on topical issues in my editorial, Surveying the Greenscape.

I am proud to invite you to read our cover story, "How three manufacturers make waste pay," to discover how automaker GM, food processing manufacturer Brakebush Brothers, and metal stamper Orchid International have managed their industrial wastes cost-effectively and even profitably.

If you've wondered whether solar energy is viable to power your plant, you can find out in "Does rooftop solar make sense for manufacturers?"

Discover how energy-efficient motors and best practices can reduce motor energy consumption by 30 to 50 percent in "Legislation ratchets up electric motors' electricity savings."

Finally, please reserve a bit of time to let me know what you think of Green Manufacturer—and how we can improve and serve you better in the issues to come.

Kate Bachman
Editor
Green Manufacturer

Got thoughts? I'd love to hear from you.
kateb@greenmanufacturer.net

Read more of Kate's Editorial Commentaries.